Photography is about anticipating

Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 800, ƒ/5.6, 8.6 sec.

I posted this photo on Facebook last night and a friend said "I love this photo it really looks a post card. What are the settings you used?"

This makes me want to say Patience Young Grasshopper. If you are not old enough in the 1970s was a TV show Kung Fu. Here is the scene that I loved:


You need patience to make the photo I made. Often when people travel they see a beautiful scene and take a photo, few will return to the spot to take it at a better moment.

Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm ISO 200, ƒ/22, 1/10

While I love this photo just as much as the night time photo, I like it for different reasons. It has a different mood about the photo.

I also took this photo later in the week while in Kona, Hawaii.

Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/5

What I realized was if I could just wait and capture a car driving down the hill I could have their headlights light up the road and the red tail lights add just a little color.

I tried the photo with cars coming up the hill, but felt the headlights were too bright. Maybe you like this better. Here is one of those photos.

Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 800, ƒ/5.6, 7 sec.

To take the photo I put the camera on a tripod and then timed how long it was taking cars to go down the hill.  I wanted between a 6 to 10 second exposure to have the lights move enough through the scene. I played with the ISO, ƒ-stop until I found something that worked to give me about 7 to 8 second exposures.

The other thing is that this need to be done at dusk and not too late or the sky would be black.

The lesson here can apply to all of photography. You need to find a good composition and then wait for the action to develop. You are anticipating what will happen.

Nikon D100, Sigma 15-35mm, ISO 400, ƒ/6.7, 1/180

I arrived early for a basketball game to put a camera behind the backboard and to put 4 strobes in the ceiling to light the basketball court. I then had to wait for what I had anticipated would happen in the game.

Ansel Adams called this pre-visualization. For me I have seen many scenes before and now I would plan to capture them.

What will you photograph today that will require you to arrive early and wait?