Last night, I went to the Minnesota State Fair. This would have been an excellent opportunity for some street photography. But I was taking my son and his friend to see a Weird Al Yankovic concert, and didn’t think I’d be allowed to bring a DSLR inside.
If I’d been thinking, though, I could have brought my little Fuji F20 camera along and slipped it into a pocket – maybe not useful for capturing the concert (not that my short DSLR lenses would be any better), but good for capturing the sights and people of the Fair. I should probably figure out where the heck I put that little camera…
The simple fact is, if you don’t have a camera with you, you can’t take a picture when the inspiration comes along. On the other hand, I didn’t see anything that made me think, “Wow, I wish I had a camera right now!” Would I have looked at the Fair more critically, with more awareness, if I’d brought a camera along? Or was the lack of a camera actually liberating, freeing me from the distraction of looking for a photo to take?
In the end, I did take a few pictures of the fireworks with my cell phone, but I didn’t really feel moved when taking them, and the results don’t move me either. I shouldn’t take photos just because I feel I should take photos. That way lies junk.
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