Planning and Preparation - Does it constrain creativity?

Somebody once told me that planning is key! In fact, what they really said was ‘Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents a Poor Performance.’ The 6 P’s; 7 P’s if you add an extra word somewhere in the middle. From my previous blog, you will know that I always try to plan most elements of my adventures: location, sunrise and sunset times, travel time, equipment. I suspect I may have a touch of OCD as most of the time I need things to be planned from start to finish otherwise I can get a little frustrated if something goes wrong. But in saying that, I recognise I do need to remain flexible and allow my plans to be fluid. After all, I can’t control everything and the one thing I really cannot control is the weather.

Sometimes it’s nice to let other people sort out all the planning and for me to just tag along for the enjoyment. Earlier last year I did just that and joined a group of photographers that had planned a trip to locate and photograph Bluebells in full bloom. Taking images of flora has never really interested me, after a quick look on google I came across some amazing photos and could see a great opportunity for me to try something new.

I woke up early on the Sunday morning and drove to Linacre Reservoir and woods in Derbyshire. The weather was looking perfect. Blue skies and just a few fluffy cumulus clouds gracefully floating in the still breeze. I arrived at the location and after a few introductions we all set off into the woods. The plan was to walk a 5km circular loop through the woods and part of the countryside. I had visions in my head of large open areas of deep blue colours blanketing the ground, swaying back and forth in the soft breeze like ripples expanding across a lake, but the reality was a little disappointing. Small patches of Bluebells littered the area mixed with fallen trees, rotting logs and dirt. Everybody set about making the most of nature’s beauty while I stood still, struggling to find inspiration to identify an attractive composition.

Although I do appreciate the beautiful scenery all around me, I have to work extremely hard to capture it in a photo. To portray the beauty of what I am seeing into an image that my viewers will appreciate is difficult for me; especially when it comes to landscape photography. I felt that a wide shot of the area wasn’t going to work for me so I found an old rotting log that seemed to sit right in the middle of a group of Bluebells and decided to move in close. I set up my camera on the tripod and attempted to capture this image but it was a disappointing shot. When I am presented with a scene that fails to inspire me, I have to think about the positives. I am out in nature, the sun is shining, I am surrounded by great company and there is still plenty more to photograph. Patience is required.

The walk took a few hours to complete and everywhere you looked was filled with colour and wildlife. I could feel the sun warming my face and the views were spectacular, but I still felt dis-satisfied with everything I had taken so far. Back in the car park we all said our goodbyes before leaving and although the original plan for the day may have been over, it was time for me to adapt, to move into flexible mode. Attempt to seek out other opportunities and make the most of what remained of the day. So, I had a choice; stay and spend some more time in the woods or find something else to photograph on the way home.

I recall being told of a place called Lumsdale Falls near Matlock which was only a short drive away, and conveniently on my route home, so I decided to go and explore. It didn’t take me long to arrive in the area and then all I had to do was follow the sound of rushing water until I stumbled upon them. A network of small waterfalls cascading down through the ruins of an old mill that once played a pivotal role in the industrial revolution several hundred years ago. The waterfalls were pretty small in size but were set in such a beautiful environment. I followed the river upstream until I reached a small lake.

It was so calm and still; a long exposure here to capture the reflections might work so I spent a bit of time trying to compose a shot. I didn’t own a polarising filter so I just had to try and work with a few ND and graduated filters to get the desired effect. I was getting an exposure of about 6 seconds and as usual it seemed like an age till the image wrote to memory card before showing me a preview. It looked good although the colours could do with bringing out a little in post processing.

On the walk back down towards my car I stopped at a number of the waterfalls and spent some time capturing them using long exposures. There is a great sense of reward when you shoot moving water and get just the right shutter speed to capture it perfectly. The anticipation of waiting for the image to buffer before I can view it always fills me with excitement. Did I get the exposure correct? Is the composition good?

Shooting digital means you can always fix any errors right away and you will always go home knowing you have something in the bag, but it can also take some skill of photography away. Some photographers are hell bent on making sure they capture everything within camera, and this is a good mentality to have. You should always strive for perfection, but technology has come along away since the invention of photography so why not use it as an aid to help us learn, improve and even just refresh our skills when we become rusty. The whole of human history has learnt from mistakes so why not make a few errors now while you have the time to fix it?!

I was now under a canvas of trees and the only sunlight remaining was speckled patches that were fighting through the gaps in the canopy. I was happy with a few of the images I had so I felt it was time to head off again. I was pretty tired by now but still I didn’t want to go home. Sunset was still not for another couple of hours and I thought there must be somewhere else I could go? I was living near Newark and I had not really been and explored the town yet so I decided to pull in as it was on my route. Newark has a castle that sits right by a river, and some old factories that have huge character are just a short walk further upstream. I could see that the sky was perfect for an amazing sunset and so I took a walk to try and find a good composition ready for it.

I came across an old weir that looked perfect but I was being eaten alive by millions of midges and decided to head back towards the castle. As I got closer the water sat silently still and was reflecting the image of the buildings and the castle like a mirror. The light was perfect and the colours were so vibrant. The sun was setting fast and the sky began to turn golden as I walked across a bridge towards the castle. The reflection in the water was perfect and I had to capture it. I wanted to use my tripod but I would have been blocking the whole path so I had no choice but to hand hold the camera. I used one graduated filter so I could slow the shutter just enough to ensure the water was smooth but also that I could hand hold it without the fear of any camera shake. I took the photo and when the preview appeared on the back of the camera it literally took my breath away. It looked exactly as I was seeing it with my own eyes. The colours remained bright and vivid and the reflection was perfect. I made the most of the remaining conditions and took a few more shots before I packed up and finally went home.

So I return to my original question, is all the planning the best way to capture our best photographs, or can it let unimaginable opportunities slip by invisibly. The whole idea of this day out was that everything was planned right down to the specific subject matter, beautiful bluebells.

Yet on the other hand, because I chose to switch into a more flexible mode, continuing to explore the area I unexpectedly discovered the waterfalls. Had I returned home after the original shoot I certainly wouldn’t have still been out to see such a perfect sunset. So, in the spirit of always learning something valuable from every mini adventure I have; this time it is to be open and curious to exploring what is around me, not limiting myself to one specific area, subject matter or time. To remain flexible and take advantage of each and every opportunity to discover photography that truly inspires and captures attention.

#Adventure #Photography #Passion