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Inku Yo wrote:
Thanks for this. You're going to help me help others understand. I recently started cycling. I live in a hilly area and there are lots of peaks and valleys, not unlike a wedding day (maybe a best man's speech in particular). Now, when I ride an unfamiliar route (just like not all weddings are the same and not all people are alike), when I reach a peak, do I know that's the peakiest of the peaks I'm going to meet during this ride? How do I know if there isn't going to be a higher peak somewhere else along the route? Am I a fortune teller? Can I see the future? Can I read people's minds?
When I first started out, I was an "undershooter." As gained more experience, I noticed that those "moments" that I thought I captured were almost always followed up by better moments, unexpectedly.
When I reach a peak, I shoot. If another peak comes, I shoot. Another peak? Shoot some more. I hope to someday be so good that I know exactly when the highest of the high peaks is upon me.
Just for a visual, check out the elevation map of one of my rides. So many little peaks here and there. While you're waiting for the big peak, you won't know you missed it until it's way behind you.
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This describes quite well how you can end up with 50 shots during a toast. Of course it doesn't apply to every toast. But a really great toast that starts strong has some good material in the middle and a killer finish can really generate a lot of peaks for just that. Combine that with constantly looking for better angles and it's pretty easy.
You can apply this theory to just about every part of a given day--but I think the key thing to understand is that we aren't saying this is a constant, it's just potential. Some weddings I shoot 2k, others i shoot nearly 5k. Just depends on what's going on.
I don't know if those that disparage "overshooting" have ever pursued other creative endeavors like painting, or writing, or anything else. But it's not uncommon to go through iteration after iteration to perfect what you're creating. I spent 10 years in the architecture industry, and throughout my education from a design perspective, we could spend an entire semester on just one project. Some people would try something and throw it away and then try something new while others might stick with one or two option and just refine it. As I applied my thought process and design process to photography, I found value in a similar approach. It just translates to shooting a lot.
I also never understand the rationale that new technology (greater power) must be avoided in order for one to hone their skills. Yes, by going back to older tech, you are limiting yourself and therefore training yourself to be more thoughtful and practice good timing. But there's really no reason why that has to be mutually exclusive to having access to better technology.
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