DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Slow Down – Capturing A Great Photograph is Good For The Soul

Mar 3, 2018 by JP Danko Leave a Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Rustic wire fence at boundary of snowy stream and winter forest

Life is busy. We’re all so caught up running around from one task to the next with no time in between that it’s easy to forget that amazing moments can’t be scheduled.

In this article I wanted to share a few photos that recently taught me to remember to slow down and how great it feels to photograph something special.

The story goes like this:

My family and I were up at our family cottage for the weekend and a couple days of skiing nearby. We were driving between the cottage and the ski hill – behind schedule and late to check into our hotel room (the kids were really anxious to go for a swim in the outdoor pool).

Boy Jumping Into Outdoor Pool at Ski Lodge in Winter

The cottage only has snowmobile access in the winter – so it takes a bit of effort to get in and out. It was also extremely cold and snowy, making everyone a little cranky with bad conditions for driving.

By the time we were in the car and on the road, warmed up and on our way – the last thing any of us wanted to do was stop.

Which was when we passed a farm field with a woodlot in the background with a little stream, perfect late afternoon winter light and an ideal dusting of snow.

I’m not a big landscape guy, but I know an perfect photo opportunity when I see one.

The problem was, the weather was sketchy, we were in a hurry to get where we were going and I knew I was going to suffer the wrath of the pre-teens if I stopped.

So I kept driving…for another few kilometers at least…

My camera was in the back – just sitting there, ready to go…

I couldn’t take it – the scene was just too perfect to pass by – so “sorry kids, I’ve got to turn around to take a picture!”

Which was greeted by “Uuuuggggggggggg do we haaaaaveeee tooooooo?”

Well, yes actually – I do have to!

I turned the car around, drove back, pulled off to the side of the road and snapped a half dozen frames. In total it took maybe five minutes.

They’re not the best landscape photos I’ve ever captured. It’s not the most amazing winter scene I’ve ever photographed.

But it made me so happy to slow down and create a few great photographs that I would have otherwise missed.

Wide angle view wire fence at edge of winter forest under stormy cloudy sky

Rustic wire fence at boundary of snowy stream and winter forest

Closeup view of red sumac flower fruit topped with icy snow in winter forest

Snow and ice cover winter landscape at edge of tall trees forest

What Do You Think?

Have you ever had a situation where you had to slow down to photograph something special?

Have you ever skipped an amazing photograph and regretted it?

Leave a comment below and share your story!

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

A Slow Mo Guy talks about the challenges of shooting high speed slow motion video Photograph of a Seattle Neo-Nazi after Charleston Shooting Should Send Us All Soul Searching They love camera, and camera loves them: these 10 great actors are also great photographers Nine more great musicians who are also great photographers

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: landscape, landscape photography, winter, winter landscape

About JP Danko

JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.

To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.

JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.

« Create your own action man in Photoshop
Irix expands their Edge filter series with a 15 stop neutral density »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Slowing down everyday activities to make one second last for one hour
  • This unique camera gives a clay pigeon’s view of the world – until it’s blasted out of the sky
  • This photo of glacier on Mars shows hint of water on the Red Planet
  • If your camera was a person, here’s what it would be like
  • How I improved a faux panoramic film camera with 3D printing

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy