5 Valuable Lessons You Can Learn From This One Photo

In 2003, we took a trip to South America. While walking around the Caminito in Buenos Aires, Argentina on our last day in the city, we stumbled upon a couple of dancers. We initially met these dancers while they were waiting to perform for a travel show about the Caminito. We were excited to see the film crew and follow them around to a few spots that eventually lead to this image.

1. Have your camera ready and with you. 

In this day of incredible cameras built into our phones and our phones just an extension of our hands, this may sound a bit silly, yet, how many times did you want to take a photo with your phone camera and you were out of memory, or the battery was dead. If you have no memory or battery, you are left without a camera.

The night before, I charged both batteries for my camera and had plenty of space on my memory cards. Preparation is key, before going out for the day or even the night before, make sure the phone is charged, bring a charging cord & plug, portable cell phone battery pack to plug into, and make sure you have some available memory space for more photos.

2. Learn to look and listen for opportunities.

We were sitting in a cafe and met these two dancers. We struck up a conversation with them and found out that they were there for a travel channel expose on the Caminito. We decided to wait around and see what they were going to do, followed the crew around as they walked around dancing at different locations that eventually led to this spot.

3. Let it happen. Slow down. Enjoy the moment.

We were on vacation and enjoying the sites. This day we took snapshots of a moment in time to remember this excellent trip we took to South America, Buenos Aires and our walk around the Caminito. 

Instead of being anxious about am I going to capture something significant or not, slow down, be ready and look for unique opportunities. While this shot may not be an award-winning image, it fulfills my purpose in remembering our trip and that beautiful sunny day. 

I only took 2 shots, here they are:The rest of the time, we both enjoyed the show!

4. Your camera doesn't matter.

What camera did I use? My camera doesn't matter, what matters is I had a camera with me, took the time to figure out the best angle, and got the shot. For those that are into gear and must know it was a Sony Cybershot point and shoot circa 2002/2003 explicitly purchased for this trip.

Here is a test shot and you can see the host of the show in the suit with his back to us clearing the way so the brick wall was visible:

I remember one time attending a photo salon in West Palm Beach, and there was a woman showing slides of her trip out west, and we were all amazed, and speculating what kind of camera she had. Most thought it was some DSLR. In the end, it was a point and shoot. I have seen art exhibits made from iPhone photos. It is all in the composition and capturing the light.

5. Know your equipment well.

Know your equipment well in advance and understand how to use it. I used the 9-hour flight to Santiago de Chile to review the manual yet again. I must have read that manual 4 or 5 times! 

?What is your photo tip? Please share in the comments below!

? If you like this post and tips, please like, share & follow me.

? Or even better, signup and never miss any of my tips!