How I Find The Time To Shoot

Finding the time to take images is tough. Having a family with a toddler, a full-time job, co-managing a household, etc., means that I have to get creative when trying to find time to shoot. Of course, my phone and my memory cards are full of pictures of my baby daughter but when I want to really go out and shoot landscapes or nature, I have to make a plan. I carry a camera “go-bag” with me everywhere. Inside my go-bag, of course there are cameras, spare batteries, spare memory cards and as always, my laptop. In a future post I will go through my gear I use and where I use it. A good photo can happen at any time but in order to get that photo, you need to be prepared. I use a variety of cameras for different things but mostly I like to just pack light when out and about. I will bring my go-bag with me but usually just take out one camera to walk around with. One more thing, make sure your batteries in whatever camera you have with you are charged! All of this helps with being efficient to take pictures with limited time.  

            So, let’s get back to making the time to shoot. My wife and I like to take our daughter out on walks either on the nature trails or on the beaches where we live. This gets me out already in a lot of the places I like to shoot. If you can get out and be somewhere to walk and clear your mind, you are already setting yourself up to be able to take some shots. That is why it is so important to keep your camera on you at all times. I can’t stress enough how important the go-bag is when you have limited time to photograph. A lot of the time, I am walking in the same locations that I have walked a million times before. Everytime I go to the same spot, I take mental images of things I find interesting, things I want to shoot the next time, and things I want to shoot differently the next time I am there. While I am still taking my shots, there is never enough time or sometimes I get a mental block of what to shoot. This is where getting creative comes in. Trying the different angle or sometimes not even taking the shot and brainstorming how I want to take it the next time. Will every trip out be successful in taking good photos? Maybe not, but I will always take something away from that trip to think about on my photographic journey. 

            When I am at work, my day job is construction (check out the first blog post), I bring with me the same go-bag, so I have something ready at all times to shoot with. I know I can take pictures with my phone but to be honest, I would rather shoot with a real camera over the phone any day. If I see something on a jobsite or that I find interesting going on at work, I shoot it. I do lots of work for people with small farms, perfect for photographing the animals. Once again, you never know when and where the picture might be but it’s always there if you are ready. Even if I get a handful of pictures a day, they add up over the week and the month. Remember this too, the more you shoot, the better you get with getting creative, getting more quality images and getting in the time you need behind the lens. 

            I cannot stress enough that the most important thing to do in making time to take pictures, is to be prepared and have your camera or cameras ready to shoot with. Time management with limited time is imperative. I squeeze in taking pictures with every spare second I can find and utilize everything around me to photograph. If you want the shot, be prepared. Any trip out can be productive, even if you don’t take an image with the camera, take it in your mind for later trips. Take the time ahead of going out anywhere to make sure you are ready. I made it work for me to have all of my gear in order and ready to go with me at any moment. Remember, any time you spend prepping to take the picture, gives you more time to actually take the picture.