Image of the Week: Hostas II, Middlebury, Vermont

Be there.

There's an old photographic adage that goes something like "ƒ/8 and be there." In short: technical considerations are secondary; capturing the moment is all that matters, and you can't capture it if you're not out shooting.

It's an important message. There are a lot of armchair photographers out there who procrastinate, read camera and lens reviews ad infinitum, download photoshop filters, and do very little shooting. They're "experts" on technique and equipment, but have portfolios short on meaningful photographs. "ƒ/8 and be there," is a message to put the craft of photography aside and practice the art. Get outside and shoot.

To me, there's an additional layer to "being there" that goes beyond merely getting out your front door. Sure, physically "being there" is a step, but it means nothing if you're not mentally "there." Distraction kills creativity, and if you're thinking about those bills waiting to be paid back at the office instead of being in the moment, your photographs will suffer.

Nip these distractions in the bud. Take care of your other responsibilities before you head out. Make sure there's nothing nagging you, and you'll find it easier to be in the moment. Often, when I'm out shooting, I catch my mind wandering to other things beside the scenes in front of me. I fend off this mental mosey by chanting "be here" under my breath. Silly, but it works.

Technical Data

Hostas II, Middlebury, Vermont was photographed with a Tachihara 4x5 field camera and a Schneider 150mm ƒ/5.6 Symmar-S lens on Kodak TMax 100 film. The exposure was 1/4 sec at ƒ/32. The image was printed on fiber-based glossy gelatin silver paper, toned in selenium for color and longevity, and dry mounted to museum board using reversible, heat-activated mounting tissue.

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