#5 Expected The Unexpected

Expect The Unexpected

As some insurance advertisement or another once said, life is full of unexpected moments. It is therefore important to prepare yourself for them!

Ever gone out on a brilliant sunny day expecting to take great photos only to find gloomy, rainy weather on arriving at your destination? Or have you gone out on a gloomy day expecting lousy pictures only to find brilliant sunlight greeting you in the end? Unfortunately, a lot of unexpected conditions can manifest when we are out hoping to take good photos. Being prepared for the unexpected as well as adapting to the unexpected may give you pleasant surprises from difficult photo taking situations.

In addition to my digital camera and lenses, I usually carry a tripod around for those situations when lighting may be poor, or for conditions that may require the creative use of slow shutter speeds.

Photoshop filter effects? No, just the simple use of a tripod and setting the shutter to expose for 2 seconds. The ice-cream man and his customers remained relatively sharp compared to the busy crowd around them which was blurred out because of the long shutter speed. This help to convey the idea of an oasis of calm in a sea of chaos.

Further to standard photographic equipment, it is not uncommon to find rubber bands and plastic bags stuffed into the storage compartments of my camera bag. For what purpose you might ask? These have saved my gear and allowed me to take pictures in adverse weather.

On a recent trip to the Pinnacles desert in Western Australia for example, a mini desert sandstorm made it almost impossible to even bring my camera out without getting it blasted with sand particles. Fortunately, I managed to shield my camera with the plastic bags I had at hand, save for the lens opening (which was protected with a lens filter) and the viewfinder, and was able to snap off a number of interesting shots.

I was lucky to catch this shot at the Pinnacles Desert, Nambung National Park, Western Australia, without getting my camera destroyed in the mini-sandstorm that was brewing there. Thankfully, I was prepared for the unexpected — the plastic bags and rubber bands that I had stuffed into my camera bag came to good use here, shielding my camera from the elements!

Expecting the unexpected also applies when composing and taking pictures, especially those involving candid human activities. I was out at the jetty one fine day, taking pictures of boating activity. Just as I was composing a shot of a particular boat, the boat captain decided just at that moment to pop his head out of the window and wash his hands. Thankfully, my camera was already properly set, and I was able to squeeze off a decisive moment shot that will be very difficult, if not impossible, to repeat.