Can You Try "Too Hard" to Get Your Shot?

What does trying too hard really mean?  If you're in a great location surrounded by beauty, does it matter how many tries?

We took a trip back to my home state of Arkansas.  Instead of driving directly back to Michigan, we took a couple of days to driving the long way back.  A hike and a bit of photography was on our agenda. 

Every stop surrounded us with rugged, natural beauty.  The weather conditions served up some challenges but we take what mother nature delivers which begs the question...  

How many tries on average do you take to get the 'one' that you're truly jazzed about?  

As a photographer there are times after a shoot where we have several, even many images that we jump in and start processing as fast as we can. It didn't matter how many images we took, we were in our zone and had a lot to show for it!

Then, there are those days.  You know them well.  

We invest time, use multiple lenses, try many different angles (in some cases in very uncomfortable positions).  We can almost predict what's going to happen when we get home.  Delete, delete, delete and keep a few for the memory.

There are both life and photography lessons in each of these situations.  During my Arkansas travels I experienced excitement from a shoot with waxwings and creative frustration at waterfalls.

Cedar Waxwing by Sheen Watkins

Waxwing Adventure:
The Cedar Waxwings in El Dorado were going nuts for the seasonal berries in this historical Oil Boomtown.  I saw hundreds swarm trees, diving into bushes in a feeding frenzy. 

Waxwings by Sheen Watkins

The down side was that I only had my long lens.

The big scene context shot wasn't going to happen as I needed a shorter lens at that moment.  I'm including one image that illustrates a fragment of the flying flock. Alfred Hitchcock might have renamed his movie from the "Birds" to the "Waxwings" had he witnessed this moment.

In all, I had over 500 images with 10 so far that I'm very pleased with. 

Next year, (lesson learned) I'm also switching to a shorter lens to get a few frenzy shots!  I have plenty of ID and close-up images of waxwings now.

Oh yes, and I was fortunate enough to get berry-bird-poop in my hair in one of the waxwing flyovers. A sign of good luck I suppose.  A hat will also be included.

Falling Short at the Waterfalls:

We drove to Arkansas' first state park, Petit Jean State Park.  A rugged and beautiful natural treasure. 

Almost to Cedar Falls by Sheen Watkins

Our first stop was Cedar Falls.  We were less than 1/10th of a mile away when the skies, thunder and lightning struck in full force.  The common sense safety gene took over and we had to ditch the attempt. 

The following sunny morning, we traversed north to another beautiful waterfall area.

After 2 hours, I wasn't feeling it. 

The spring colors were still hiding. The light was splotchy.  With just a few hours to shoot, I was frustrated in not finding the type of shot I had in my mind.  I had all the needed gear, filters, tripod, lenses - when the lighting is bad, it was time to take my tripod and head home.

I was in effect working and trying too hard, getting frustrated which impacted my creativity.

There could have been a downside but there wasn't.

I was able to hear the rush of the water, the power of the falls and breath in fresh, clean air.  The Richland Creek Wilderness provided springtime sounds for the senses,  along with a few snakes.

Finding Arkansas Gold:
We steered further north to the Eureka Springs area where we discovered Arkansas' own single-lane, "Golden Gate Bridge" in nearby Beaver, Arkansas.  Who knew that Arkansas would have a Golden Gate Bridge that was accurately named color-wise versus the one in San Francisco?

Golden Gate Bridge by Sheen Watkins

Taking a breather from my waterfall plan to explore the area with no expectations refreshed the eye and attitude.

Seeing Red in the Rearview:
As we were leaving Arkansas and heading into Missouri, I noticed the cloud covered sky breaking apart.  Pinks, oranges and reds emerged in my rearview mirror as we were driving 65mph northeast.

Seeing Red in the Rearview by Sheen Watkins

The vibrance was quickly becoming a photographer's dream and I met frustration of another kind.

I didn't know where we were or where to get the shot.

Thankfully, we topped a hill to see a river, a bridge and a reflection. Just what the photography doctor ordered.

When we see a moment, stop the car.   Pull over.  Shoot away. 

We work hard for many, shots.  We take advantage of the no-shot situation to savor what is around us. 

When the easy photo moment calls ~ we need to answer!

Happy Shooting!
Sheen

Finding Your Inner Artist - What You Discover May be Greater than You Imagined

Home Office by Sheen Watkins

What do you remember about the long, two hour meeting you sat through a year ago?  

You know the one. 

There was death by Powerpoint.  There was a lot of multi-syllable corporate speak followed by scurrying to update action items and craft emails.  

Truthfully, we probably don't remember much about that meeting unless something crazy-cool or unique happened (or we took a lot of notes!). 

Lunch with my Co-worker by Sheen Watkins

I bet that you do remember attending your kid's events where you celebrated or wiped away tears afterwards.  

You probably also remember the days where you intentionally took the time to do the physical activities that you love.  You may also readily recall where you spent time engaged in something that spurred your creative mind and spirit.

How did you feel after investing time in you, your family or your personal creative endeavors outside of work?

Before photography, other than having a deep appreciation for birds, color and nature, I never considered myself an artist.  I can't draw, paint, carve, sing (publicly) or effectively do other creative activities that rely on eye-hand/creative coordination. 

Who knew that when I put a camera in my hands for the first time that a creative fire would be ignited?  I surely didn't. 

Coffee Break by Sheen Watkins

Something else also happened as a result of finding my inner artist.  

Contentment.  
Higher energy. 
Confidence.  

A creative and more human perspective surfaced in other areas of my life - work, people, business, relationships.   

My writing returned. My work and personal life converged differently.  I felt more human, more creative, while being disciplined to grow personally and professionally.  I had more to give.

Some say this is balance.  Since I'm not a psychologist, I can't confirm.  What I do know is that when I found my inner artist, my total life was better.  

Home ~ Work ~  Relationships ~  Energy ~ Karma ~ How I felt about me

With work, family, commitments and hectic schedules, time too easily slips away.  So if you love to cook, doodle, photograph, paint, dance or any other creative element - go for it and ramp it up.  

You (and those around you) won't regret getting to know the total you that evolves. 

Happy Shooting, Sheen

Happy Hour by Sheen Watkins