Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunny, after snowfall

We got some fresh snow during the night, and it was bright when the sun came out. There was a covering of snow on the trees, but that didn't last long in the warm sunshine. And also the wind dropped snow from the trees. But it was bright and beautiful while the snow lasted.

I went for a walk and took a lot of photographs. As you know, my style is to try not to think while taking photographs. Instead of reasoning, I try to rely on instinct and reflex.

I usually take several photographs at one go, within seconds, and sometimes I do succeed in not thinking, by going with the flow. But often I can't help thinking, and what happens then is that there is nothing surprising in the photographs, they are just routine. But when I manage not to think, there are often surprises, one way or another.

Here is a view of what the catch from today looked like in Aperture right after importing the photographs:


6 comments:

Eric Jeschke said...

Interesting approach--stream of consciousness photography. Except for candid portraits or street-type photography, which I do by feeling for the right moment, I always do the opposite; i.e. think carefully about my shots.

Do you have any idea why your photography suffers when you think while you are doing it?

Juha Haataja said...

@Eric: I'm just too critical, so if I would proceed rationally, I wouldn't get a single photograph in a day. But reacting without thinking, there is no critic present, so at least one does get a photograph, even though it may be no good.

Andreas said...

Beautiful, all of them, and completely surreal for me. I've bought a sunshade for the terrace today, go out wearing a T-shirt and drive with the car's roof open :)

In a way I miss winter. We didn't have much of it this year.

Sven W said...

I only carry a camera a few times a week, usually a social outing (bushwalking etc). If something catches my eye (at the subconscious level) I stop to consciously take a photo.

I'm an analytical person by nature but I've trained myself (to some extent) to listen to my "inner voice" on photographic matters.

Juha Haataja said...

@Sven: Listening to the inner voice, that is rather hard. I can't say that I have often succeeded, but there have been occasional glimpses in something that thinking alone can't reach.

Juha Haataja said...

@Andreas: We are now having it rather warm (+5 °C), but still it takes a long time for the snow to melt. And often the winter strikes back again and again, even in May.