Recently I wrote about My New Keep-In-The-Car Camera. I thought about it some more which led me to something very important. Part and parcel with having your camera with you is the need to make the shot! Yes, if you think it is a must opportunity you need to make the shot!!  This reminded me of something I read a long time ago in Eisenstaedt’s Guide to Photography.  Alfred Eisenstaedt was one of the great photojournalists of the twentieth century, but he also made many personal photographs that were important to him. What he said stuck with me all this time. Writing in his introduction he stated “I suggest that whenever you see something interesting you should shoot immediately – get something on film, whether or not you have the right lens. Often there is little or no time to reflect, change lenses or take a correct exposure reading. When there is time, so much the better, of course.”

I agree whole heartedly!  Not only may it be the wrong lens, but it might be the wrong lighting, or something else. Of course not having a camera at all would be the worst case scenario … hence my new keep-in-the-car camera!

I can’t tell you how many times these scenarios have happened to me … not the best focal length or bad light. Sometimes the pictures turned out to be duds … but not always. Even with the also rans I am glad to have had the opportunity to try to get something on film.  If I wasn’t able to in every occurrence I’d have continuing nagging thoughts about what might have been. How do I know this? It’s happened to me and it hurts!

Case in point … the picture above … made on an overcast day with the wrong lens. I was meandering around the Brooklyn Bridge Park one afternoon with my Leica. Off in the distance I spotted the man and woman holding hands and kissing. I was pretty far away and my 50mm wasn’t going to help me that much, but the couple was framed by the iconic bridge. As things were starting to look more interesting I knew I couldn’t run or even walk fast towards them without ruining a moment. So I waited where I was… and then made the picture!

I thought there was something possibly very special and my hope was that despite the terrible light and the likely need to crop the image, there might be a real keeper here!  Well, with a lot of work, there was! But, if I had told myself to forget about it when the chance came, I surely would have regretted the decision and would have agonized over it for the entire 2 hour drive back home and much, much longer!

So always make the shot … you may be very happy you did and won’t wonder what might have been.

Stay well,

Michael