Getting the shot

As I explore photography more and more, I find myself creating scenarios in my head that I would like to shoot, especially if we're going on a trip. For example, before we headed off on vacation up in Michigan a little over a month ago, I knew I wanted to take some pictures of a kayak in motion on the lake. I wasn't entirely sure what this would involve (would I have to be in the water myself to get the best shots?), but I knew I had to try something while we were there.

I ended up taking pictures from the dock, laying on my belly, trying to capture some movement and feeling. A lot of pictures I took looked like this.

Despite constantly snapping off pictures, I seemed to have the best knack for getting photos when the paddle was in the water. I did manage to get one good shot of the paddle coming out and drawing up some water with it (I doctored this up in a couple of different ways).

Interestingly (for me) though, was the fact that my favorite shots actually didn't involve a whole lot of "action" at all. Instead, they created more of a "mood", which was enhanced even more by being turned into B&W.

The moral of the story, I suppose, is that while I may have a certain idea in my head of what I'm trying to create with a picture, I need to be open to the fact that something else totally different, but equally appealing (or perhaps more so) may be there, even though I may not be aware of it as I'm shooting. The end product may not necessarily what I was going for, but that usually turns out not to be such a bad thing.