11/5/07

Failures, Mistakes & Outtakes....Part 2

I am training/preparing for an upcoming trip to photograph in the New Haven and Boston areas. Besides the usual research and etc, this means walking a lot, leaving the bike chained up for now, and preparing my legs for many days on my feet lugging my view camera around on my shoulder and an even heavier bag of film holders. I also hit the gym every day and build up my strength by training back, shoulders and arms. Before I go on a trip I also like to look through contact sheets from recent trips and shoots. I focus on the bad pictures. I like to study my mistakes, my failures. To re-see what I was seeing at that moment and look at the decisions I made, how I reacted and why. To look at what I was drawn to, what was it that got my attention and drew me in. Many times it is the typical "Will shot," things I find myself unable to walk away from, things I will always be curious about. Being removed from the situation and looking back at the image I made, the failure, the edited out images that sit in a box on a shelf, can be so revealing. And then there are the other failures, the idea or shot that is almost there, but just doesn't work, can be some of the more inspiring images as they develop and branch out into new ideas and new compositions. I value my failures at the highest level.