Accident (noun)
1. An unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance
2. Lack of intention or necessity
I am a planner. I like to know what's coming and when it's coming. I feel like all is right with the world when I know what to expect. Even with my photography, I usually spend quite a bit of time thinking about my shots and how to execute them; ultimately how to translate what I see in my head into what ends up in my camera.
On this particular day, it was raining quite hard. I noticed a beautiful reflection in the water on the sidewalk in our front yard. I spent some time thinking not only about how to get my shot, but also how to pull it off without getting myself or my camera wet! I managed to execute successfully and as I was turning to go back inside, I took a quick, unplanned shot, not even bothering to look through the viewfinder. Imagine my surprise when I got back to my computer and found the above "accident" as the result! I don't think I could have pulled this off with even the best planning!
Have you ever had a happy accident? Perhaps a great shot that you didn't plan, but rather the result of something unintentional? Share your story with us and the shot too!
And don't forget to post your "My Favorite Things" photo in our flickr group to have it considered for "In Focus!"
12 comments:
What an awesome capture Stephanie!
Such a gorgeous shot! Some of my favorite shots are the ones I am not expecting. Little surprises like this help me to understand more that I cannot control everything even though I wish I could.
Such a great post and I love Leigh's comment: we can't always control everything! Why is that so hard to remember? But when you get a "happy accident" shot like yours, you realize that sometimes what you're not planning, something that just happens, turns out better than the things you plan. This reminds me to let loose a little bit and not try to plan everything out.
Amazing accident! Aren't you glad you snapped that one more picture!! I've had accidents, but nothing this wonderful! Mine are usually very simple, a bug or a spider web I didn't see! Although, I did get some pretty sun rays accidently yesterday!
HeHehe, I get a lot of happy accidents. I had a Photography teacher say in class do you think you are a good photographer? When some raised their hands (me half way raised my hand) :) He said do you think you just happen to happen to get accident shots? He said a lot of people especially with digital just get accident shots and don't know how to get the planned shots. Well I really don't agree with all of this, yes I get more than my share of happy accidents, so what, it is my passion not his. I know more than I did last year about my camera and how to work it but I still have a long way to go and if I get accident shots that is just great by me. Didn't mean to go on about all of this but the post hit a cord in me, I agree Steph a happy accident is just wonderful to me and a really nice surprise. I can't wait to open up my images and see what I didn't see in my viewfinder and have that happy accident.
I have a photographer friend who calls these happy accidents "Christmas present" photos. That's exactly what they are, wrapped inside our computer waiting for us to unwrap them. And we all get them. It's a good thing. They add joy to life, just like Christmas morning.
xo
Dotti
Sounds like he's not great teacher. We must accept the good and the bad in this world, as well as in photography. Take it and be glad for it. It's just like the people who complain about photoshop use.
Accident or not, it's a spectacular shot - you should enter it i something!
Accidents can happen in other ways too. I have a friend who recently showed me a great piece of art. It turns out, the developer of her pictures made a mistake, and one came out purpled. Eventually, they purposefully printed out variations on that shade, which she then framed as a triptych. A unique, sort of Walhol looking display was created. And it's really neat! Don't discount your accidents!
Since I am not a planner, I depend on my accidents...I have always flown by the seat of my pants and sometimes things work and sometimes they don't....but it seems things have averaged out and I get some good along with the not so good.....I love surprises so I guess it's OK that I approach life the way I do.....
This is a wonderful shot...I love these kind of surprises....
I think he was just a man that thought he knew more about photography than life as a lot of Male photographers seem to think.
I love that attitude Nancy, I am with you on this.
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