Stay in the Moment
"The best camera is the one you have with you."
- Chase Jarvis
People often ask me what is involved in taking good pictures. Many erroneously believe it is about buying the best or most expensive equipment. It is very easy to get caught up in the cycle of buying the latest and best with the hopes getting that beautiful photograph. I believe that creating a great picture is more about getting "in tune" with your surroundings and looking for the moments that capture the spirit of your experience. All the photographs created in this post were taken with an inexpensive point and shoot camera - a Nikon Coolpix S8100.
One of my favorite photographers, Henri Cartier-Bresson, talked about the "decisive moment" in photography. He said "Photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression". This thought has guided my photography for years.
Last winter I traveled to Panama for a workshop. (Yes it was great to get away from the dreary gray skies and yes it was a fantastic conference!) We stayed at the Playa Bonita which overlooks the waterway where cargo ships line up to go through the canal. Below are pictures of the hotel and surrounding beach.
One afternoon I had the opportunity to venture to Casco Viejo or "Old Town" with several of the workshop participants. Casco Viejo is the historic city built in the mid 1600's and lies in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of steel and glass that populate Panama City's skyline. The Casco Viejo of today is a collection of densely packed streets with brightly colored buildings in various levels of decay and restoration. I took a couple of hours to stroll with the group through the city streets. Having a small unobtrusive camera like the point and shoot I carried, allowed me to blend more into the background and have a better chance of capturing the street life I saw around.
As we walked through the city, we of course took in such sites as the Compania de Jesus Convent - built by the Jesuits before they were banned from Panama. We visited La Iglesia de la Merced, with its beautiful altar and lavishly decorated statues. But it was more the casual glance down side streets that captured my greatest interest. I have always found that in the midst of the tourist trappings, the real local life has a way of bubbling to the surface.
Turning a corner I spotted a young girl leaning against a building gazing off and lost in her thoughts as she patiently waited. One of the things that struck me was how she appeared dwarfed by the massive wall of color behind her and how beautifully framed by the structure and interplay of light and shadows.
A bit later we stopped at a small indoor market to view tourist souvenirs. While waiting outside, I spotted these two boys near one of the market's entrances. Seemingly oblivious to the tourists coming in and out of building, they were completely focused on the small video game that they were holding.
As I walked through the narrow streets I saw clothes hanging on balconies. Every bit of available space seemed to be utilized. I found this little dog hanging his head through the balcony railing as he quietly watched as the people passed by below.
On our way from the Plaza De La Indepencia to Plaza Francia, I observed this man sitting on a step in the doorway down a side street, drinking a Coke as escaping the late afternoon heat. I felt that the red of the building helped intensify the feeling of oppressively still air and pent up heat of the day.
The plaza was filled with interesting sights. I came upon this older man playing the banjo for the tourist as they walked by. It was a wonderful gift of sight and sound and a moment I couldn't pass up.
Remember that taking good pictures is much less about having the best equipment and more about getting out there and experiencing the moments along the way. Maybe it was best stated by Joel Meyerowitz, street and landscape photographer, when he said “We all experience it. Those moments when we gasp and say, “Oh, look at that.” Maybe it’s nothing more than the way a shadow glides across a face, but in that split second, when you realize something truly remarkable is happening and disappearing right in front of you, if you can pass a camera before your eye, you’ll tear a piece of time out of the whole, and in a breath, rescue it and give it new meaning.”