The Photography Skill Nobody Teaches You: Feel the Moment, Then Shoot It

Experience is a skill few people talk about, if any. No, not the experience in terms of the years spent taking photos and the shoots you’ve done. It’s more about fully experiencing life and moments as they unfold to level up your photos of them. In her recent video, Brenda Bergreen talks about this, and it sure got me thinking. In fact, it even offered me a cure for the creative block I’ve been in for a while now.

Her central argument is simple: experience comes first, gear comes second. The photos that move people aren’t necessarily taken with the sharpest lens or the most calculated composition. They’re taken when the photographer was actually feeling whatever he was photographing. Let’s dive deeper.

Adventures Lead to Creativity

Brenda points to research showing that openness to new experiences is one of the defining personality traits of creative people. Adventure doesn’t just give you new scenery, it gives you new emotional data. New fears, new excitement, new perspective. And when you feel more, you photograph differently – you photograph it better. This is what reignited the spark inside of me that hasn’t been for months. In the middle of major life changes, my creativity began to suffer both in photography and other hobbies (and I have plenty).

It got me thinking: when I’m out hiking or visiting a new place, even in my current city, I notice things differently and I feel my photos are better. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy concert photography so much, as every concert I attend is a little adventure, even if I’d already listened to the artist dozens of times before.

What’s interesting is that this happens even if I get lost in the forest or the new part of town. Sure, I make sure to check the map first and figure out where I am, but maybe the rush of cortisol and dopamine makes me see things differently and get better photos once I figure out my coordinates and get back to shooting. Now that I look back, every adventure and new experience I’ve had has resulted in increased creativity, whether in photography or other arts and/or crafts.

Don’t Be a “Fly on the Wall”

Perhaps you’ve become a photographer to be “a fly on the wall,” but Brenda’s advice is – don’t. When something interesting is happening, don’t just observe it. Instead, step in and participate, beat the awkwardness of being present instead of invisible. A photo taken from inside a moment reads differently than one taken from a safe distance. And really try to feel the moment yourself, so you can better capture the feeling of it.

It goes without saying that this doesn’t absolutely always apply: you don’t wanna get too close to wildlife or join the football game you’re covering. :) But I’m sure you get the gist. In cases like this, you can (and should) keep a safe distance.

But on any occasion and any genre you shoot, while chasing the best possible shot, try to also feel the moments unfolding before you. Immerse yourself into the grandeur of the view ahead of you. Feel the tension of the football audience and players. Let your eyes get all teared up when you photograph special moments at a wedding.

Being present often means more than being prepared. This will give your photos another dimension and make them feel “alive.” If you feel what you want to convey in your photos – you’ll convey this feeling better.

And now excuse me while I go plan my next hiking trip and charge my camera batteries. It’s been a while.

Why Your Photos Don’t Feel Alive via FStoppers

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