My Favourite Things: Maximising the Moment in Photography

Good photographs are really about the timely capture of the most poignant moments. For travel photography, you have to be on the look out for such moments simply because you’ll have to travel a long way just to recreate that moment, and the truth is, these moments may never come your way again.  The key here lies in your ability to visualise the impact of the shot you’re about to take. Ask yourself: what kind of stories can I generate using the picture?

Solace

We were just having a quiet Hoi-An-nese afternoon enjoying Casa Verde’s home-made ice cream when this gentleman strolled in and sat at a table just beside ours. Having had his orders taken by the waitress, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and started puffing away, oblivious to the fact that he had become the object of my photograph. The spontaneity resulted in a really good candid shot. Immediately, one looks at this picture and starts wondering: “how long has this guy been in Hoi An?”, “what’s he doing here so far away from home?”, “did he marry a local Vietnamese woman?”, “did he come back to relive those days of the Vietnam War?”, etc.  A good picture should always generate conversations and fresh ideas.

An unusual marriage proposal

We were taking a leisurely stroll at Cottesloe Beach, Perth, enjoying the cool seabreezes, and waiting for the sunset when we saw this really touching display of love. The banner says: Cirstie, I love you. Will you marry me? So, what really happened here was a bonus for us because we weren’t expecting it at all. We were only hoping to capture some good shots of the sunset when this opportunity presented itself, and maximise it we did. Once again, we are reminded of the importance of keeping our cameras handy and ready for deployment. So, the next time you’re in a wide-open space like the beach or a field, etc, look up!