Unexpected Opportunities

In photography, as in most of life, it seems that the more tightly you hold onto a vision, the more vulnerable you are to disappointment.

Case in point – midnight underneath the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (July 2005).  With a promise of “the lights are never turned off”, there was no hurry to get my prize shot of the monument shimmering right ahead of me. Then I discover – things sometimes change over the course of a decade. The lights went off.  A few choice words and minor meltdown ensued.  However finally I was convinced to open my eyes to the “new” view in the pure moonlight – magical in its own right (see image in “Structures” category above).

Move ahead a few years and travel with me to the Spice Market in Istanbul.  With an unfamiliar exercising of patience, I waited for the right moment to capture a young lad as he wooed a family of pigeons to settle calmly around him for story time.  Finally, it was the right moment to capture the fruits of his labor. Just as I started pressing the shutter, a totally obtuse new player came crashing into the scene with a handful of corn, newly purchased from the sidelines. Completely frustrated with this disturbance, I was nevertheless committed to finish my motion with the shutter release.  In sadness, I glanced at my ruined picture……well you can see the image I could never have successfully captured had that been my original goal.

So should we stop living with a vision? Never!  This is what drives us to explore new destinations, try new techniques, and develop that elusive gift of patience. But the real opportunities sometimes lie just out of sight of our too-narrow vision. So calmly press your shutter as you planned. Maybe that’s your shot. If not, look past your planned focal point. Another opportunity may be just beyond.

Check out more of what Turkey offered me under "Travel" above.

Welcome to Erna's Place

Welcome to Erna's place. Come and join me in exploring the wonderful elements of creation and humanity. Man's impact on them is also seen. Some of these pictures result from my ever-present desire to interact closely with the people, creatures, or other living elements.  More inspiration comes from shapes, colors, textures, or other elements that inspire me. These develop into final images as my imagination and photographic processes work together. Keep watching as my site continues to grow in the future.