The Benefits of Shooting Alone
When it comes to photography, there is no specific path you should take, and there is no right or wrong way in which to shoot. However, there are pros and cons when it comes down to deciding whether to go out shooting with friends, or going at it alone. In this blog I will be explaining the benefits of shooting alone.
Less Distractions
First and foremost, as much fun as roaming the streets with a camera in hand with friends is, naturally the focus of photos can become lost in the commotion. Furthermore productivity wise, the standard and all round composition of photos may generally take a hit, due to the fact your attention is divided elsewhere.
In order for you to gain more experience by devoting numerous hours of photography under your belt, shooting alone will allow you to concentrate more thoroughly, and therefore help to fast-track your natural progression.
Personal Innovation
By shooting alone, you are improvising and creating your own personal innovations on-the-go. For your photography journey in the long run, this will benefit you hugely as time goes by. As you start progressing, you’ll soon come to realise that gut feeling is a real aspect of photography, and a vital factor that you can use to your advantage.
By shooting alone, you can act on that gut feeling right away, rather than taking input of potential angles and perspectives from others. Personally, I’ve always found some of the best photos you will take are a product of a gut feeling, and acting upon a moment waiting to happen right away.
Shooting at Your Own Pace
Carrying on from this, shooting alone allows you to take photos in a way you feel comfortable and at your own pace. As a photographer, we’ve all been in a position where you are either with someone who is taking photos of anything and everything, or they have no interest in photography whatsoever.
Shooting with others is fine, however they may have different interests than you, and therefore they may not pick up the details you are looking for leading you to rush shooting a potential scene, leading to a poor quality shot. Either that or as mentioned they may be just what I call “spraying and praying”, leaving you at a loose end while waiting to pick your own moments to shoot.
Blending In
Shooting alone also allows you to blend in with the crowd, rather than sticking out like a sore thumb as part of a group of individuals with a camera. This aspect mainly applies to street photography, however it can be applied to every genre out there. For example, you will come across as less of an intrusion when it’s just yourself, compared to a number of you hunting down the same image and scene all at once.
One of the main features of street photography is to actively engage those stories of everyday life, and the best way to do that is to blend in, and be apart of that very same crowd.
Learning From Your Mistakes
By going out by yourself with the camera, you will gradually start seeing the positives even in the most negative of experiences or days out. For example, now if I find myself coming home from a day out with the camera with a bunch of okay shots and overall bad photos, I feel it’s what you take away from that what counts. You can ask yourself, how can I learn from this shot and improve the composition next time, how can I use different angles to make the scene become more of an easy sight on the eye for the viewer.
Simply put, as they say everyday is a school day, each and every photo you take is a learning curve in your strive for photography perfection. By using your previous experiences to your advantage and building on the foundations, from there you can set upon what you can improve, and personalise your own progression at a faster rate.