Photoshop Insider

Yet Another Episode of “Scott School of Hard Knocks”

By Scott on Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 7:22 am | updates.

Those of you who’ve been reading this blog for while, will remember when I did my Lightroom Tour in Hawaii this past December.

Well, the day after the seminar I joined my family in Maui, and the hotel we were staying at had this beautiful koi pond. As I was walking by, I saw what had to be the most beautiful, perfectly formed water lily, in the most perfect setting and light possible. I thought to myself, “Oh, I have got to shoot that—that is just too perfect.” But then I thought, “But to do it right, I’d have to get out my tripod, and cable release, and bring all my gear down, and it’s all up in the room, and…..(wait for it….wait for it….) I’ll just come back and shoot it later.”

The following day, the biggest storm to hit Maui in like 12 years rolled in, and our side of the island was without power for literally days. Well, when the rain finally cleared, I walked by the koi pond again, and my beautiful, perfect lily, had become the drowned, wilted, water-logged, limp lily you see above. The setting had changed, the lighting was bad, the lily was trashed, and I took the hand-held snapshot above just so I could share this “Scott’s School of Hard Knocks” story with you when I got back, with the the moral being:

“Don’t ever assume you can get the shot later.”

Comment form for this post

^#1

I feel your pain….
A number of years ago in the heat of summer as I was driving down the street, I saw a shirtless elderly Asian man sitting in a chair in his driveway. His grandson was pouring water from a hose on his head.it was so well composed! After all these years, I still kick myself for not going back and getting the shot.

sam on February 4th, 2008 at 8:14 am

^#2

Ah the ol’ I’ll come back & shoot it later idea. Rarely works for me either, every once in awhile I do return but not usually.

keith on February 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am

^#3

Ah…we have all missed shots we regret and I also have a couple. One was an ad for a “feminine product” painted on an old barn in Utah.

Those ponds are “koi” ponds, not coy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi

VA Jim on February 4th, 2008 at 11:35 am

^#4

That storm caused $1.4 in damages and washed a number of families out of their homes. Given the tremendous and real loss suffered by others, I don’t think missing a photo opportunity in this instance quite qualifies as a “hard knock”.

Greg on February 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

^#5

I remember a couple of occasions when I said, I will take it tomorrow. Or I will stay in bed rather than getting up to go on a morning shoot.

In the end I had to make the decision, if I decide to go on a certain day or see a certain thing to photograph, i do it now - because I may never come back in my whole life and if I do it is likely to have changed, and knowing my luck, changed for the worse.

Ed O'Keeffe on February 4th, 2008 at 2:08 pm

^#6

Hello Scott,

Dave Hill’s work; I would like for you guys to consider offering training is some methods in PSCS3 on the the Color/tones used by Dave Hill and other photographers using this “look/effect”

What do you think??

My best
Ken

KLawson on February 4th, 2008 at 2:56 pm

^#7

Been there done that. There is (or rather was) this incredible old buckboard that I drive by all the time. Last October I told myself, this is it, next weekend I am going to go there and get the shot. Cleared the calendar, everything. A job came up that weekend so I shifted everything to the Monday. Wrong - the biggest fire in So Cal started that Sunday, we were evacuated for 3 days. Went back to see if the buckboard had made it - there was barely a hint that anything had been there. Heck next time I’m by there I’ll shoot what’s left.

Cathy Modica on February 4th, 2008 at 3:07 pm

^#8

Was the pond feigning shyness? Or filled with ornamental carp? If the latter, it was a koi pond. Not that anyone doubts you are man enough to make even a pond blush. Just sayin’.

Jack Kelley on February 4th, 2008 at 5:16 pm

^#9

Message received and understood! Say no more :o)

Glyn Dewis on February 4th, 2008 at 5:59 pm

^#10

Re: PhotoshopUserTV Episode 118 - when you were gone Matt and Dave said they were going to have 2 winners for the next contest. On Episode 119 only one winner was announced.

Bill Chinn on February 4th, 2008 at 6:00 pm

^#11

I was just thinking…..

Some people stop and smell the roses… others stop and get the shot.

I need practice in that area myself.

Mike Lippeth on February 4th, 2008 at 6:40 pm

^#12

I have done the same thing. On the way to drop the kids to school we saw a man plowing a cane field with his old plow pulled by 2 oxen. He had stopped them to answer his cell phone! I went to pull over and capture it and the kids said “Nooooo! we’ll be late you’re so embarrasing!” so I kept going. wish I had stopped…

meg on February 4th, 2008 at 7:36 pm

^#13

AMEN!!!!!

Jim Donahue on February 4th, 2008 at 10:12 pm

^#14

Oh, yes. A couple of years ago in a beautiful winter morning I was driving my grandma to her friend’s place. We passed a pasture covered with light frost. Two horses were standing there, one black and one white. Frost, mist, sun starting to shine, horses…. I see this image in my head all the time! I didn’t stop, of course, my gran was too impatient. Passing the same place later - nothing special about anything:( If only, right?

Helen on February 5th, 2008 at 12:52 am

^#15

Yep. Sometime we think it is to humbug to stop the car and set up the tripod on the side of the road.

We have to remind ourselves that most folks have REAL jobs which are much more difficult and less rewarding than our own.

Randy Jay Braun on February 5th, 2008 at 4:35 am

^#16

“That storm caused $1.4 in damages and washed a number of families out of their homes. Given the tremendous and real loss suffered by others, I don’t think missing a photo opportunity in this instance quite qualifies as a “hard knock”.”

Greg on February 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

While I can appreciate Greg’s sentiment, that isn’t the point of Scott’s post. He isn’t to blame for the storm, He isn’t a photojournalist who is out to inform the world of the suffering of the storm victims and not doing his job. Nor is he making any money off of that suffering. He is just a guy on vacation, disappointed that he didn’t get the shot of a pretty flower.

If you have read Scott’s books on Digital Photography, you will realize that he violated his own guidelines:

- Digital Film is free, so take extra shots and don’t think using a film paradigm. Pro’s have a phrase for this, they call it a “Grab Shot”. Get a shot, any shot of the subject, then go for “The” shot.

- If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have the right gear, improvise. Increase the ISO, shoot wide open at the expense of DOF or use a wider angle to minimize the effects of Camera Shake and Compression.

-Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. If you feel strongly about it, walk back to your room and get your gear for the peace of mind it will give you, or just forget about it and don’t think of it again. Woulda, shoulda, coulda but didn’t is a hard knock we have to live with. While it may have only been a Water Lily, it is usually a good rule to live by.

Alessandro Rosa on February 5th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

^#17

Scott
Speaking of Maui. Check out what happened to Randy Braun when he tried to catch a Maui sunset.

http://digitalcocktailhour.com/RJBGalleryBlog/?p=183

Tim on February 6th, 2008 at 1:36 am