So here’s something you might not know about me…I get really nervous when I go out and take pictures in public. It’s one reason you rarely see photos of people here on the blog, and it’s something I’ve been trying for years to overcome to varying degrees of success. I just feel kind of self-conscious when I’m using my DSLR (or even my phone camera) in a public setting, as if everyone is watching me and wondering why I’m taking pictures of such boring, mundane objects. And I really don’t feel comfortable taking photos of people public parks or gathering areas. It feels like I’m intruding on their own personal space, even if they’re just in the background of a picture I happen to be taking and not actually the subject of my photo at all.
I shot this picture on a rainy afternoon after I got off work and was waiting for my wife to meet me outside her office. There’s a covered walkway between two buildings on campus where we meet up after work sometimes, and she told me it would be just a few minutes so I grabbed my D7100 and 50mm lens from my bag and looked around for something to shoot. After a few seconds I found it, right in front of me: the railing at the edge of the walkway. I thought the rain on the black paint made an interesting texture, and the autumn colors beyond the railing were a neat mix of greens and oranges that I really liked.
I set my exposure (f/1.8, 1/250 second, Auto-ISO value of 180) and snapped a single photo…and heard a door open just to my left followed by footsteps heading my way. Normally I would have taken a few more pictures, adjusting the aperture to see what results I could get at f/2.8 or even f/4, and maybe changed my angle of view, but as soon as another person entered my peripheral vision I immediately put down my camera and stood up. I went from feeling creative to feeling awkward, even though to the other person I was probably not on their attention radar one iota. He probably didn’t care one bit that there was a person taking pictures of a railing. He almost certainly had other things on his mind, and some dude with a camera wasn’t even close to registering on the scale of things that mattered.
And yet…I still felt the need to stop everything for the sake of…what? I don’t honestly know. This doesn’t have anything to do with the picture, but I thought I’d share it here and I’m wondering if any of you feel a similar way.
As for the photo, I like that it almost feels like two pictures. First, the obvious: a rainy railing overlooking an autumn scene. But it also looks like the panes of a frosted glass window, which is due to the huge aperture (and, thus, very shallow depth of fiend) and it’s a look I didn’t anticipate when I took the photo but in hindsight I think is pretty cool.
Ann Allen says
I love the colors in your background and the feeling of being out on a rainy day. Something very relatable and a point of connection. And yes! I, too, feel kind of awkward taking photos of the mundane. Even in the comfort of my own backyard, my neighbors must wonder why I am perched on my elbows and stomach on those perfect frosty mornings.
Simon says
I know just what you mean, Ann! Even if no one else is around and I’m in my yard or inside my house, I still feel silly taking pictures of random things. I need to learn to get that voice out of my head that tells me I look strange or that my photos won’t be any good!
Monica says
Thanks for sharing. Love all your posts.
Simon says
Thank you Monica! I’m glad you like the pictures :)
Deanie Swynnerton says
You are not alone! Every single comment you have made goes through my head when I am out with my camera – even at family gatherings to a certain extent. Please keep shooting though – I have been following your blog for quite some time now, and look forward to all your posts.
Simon says
Deanie…and here I thought I was the only one! There are some family gatherings where I know people don’t mind me taking pictures, but sometimes I can’t shake the thought that everyone is staring at me wondering what I am doing or why I won’t just put my camera away. I’m going to try to worry a little less about what other people think and focus more on taking pictures. Thank you so much for your nice comment!
Sabine says
Hi Simon….
I do love your posts, and your pictures….
Oh goodness I feel that awkwardness so often. Its silly really, but there it is… my insecurities coming out I guess… Its good to know I’m not alone in this.
Also – just so you know… when I see strangers out there in the world taking pictures or walking about with their camera looking for something fun to capture – I think, oh how awesome…. he/she is taking time to capture life and practice their skills. Lets all just take the pictures…. who cares what people think. Most of them are likely wishing they had time to play with their cameras. Lets take more pictures!
… Sabine.
Simon says
I know what you mean, Sabine! If I see others out with their cameras, I assume they are fancy artists who know exactly what they are doing. But when I do the same thing, I think of myself as a clueless dolt who is just fumbling around. In truth I think there’s a little of both extremes in all of us, and we need to learn to ignore that voice that says we’re not good enough and just go out and shoot pictures!
Benjamin says
Hey Simon! Love your work! You take some great pics. Yeah man, I definitely think you should work on not caring what other people are thinking about you and what your doing in any given moment. I know how that is, I used to the same thing, but seem to have really moved passed that in recent years. I do think it can be a deficiency, as I think it creates a negative feed back loop, and you start modifying what you would normally no and say to fit into what you think is acceptable behavior. As an artists it’s important to not give a damn. Art is an expression of who you are, and you never want to let what other people think change that in any way.
Great pics man! Keep up the good work
Simon says
Thanks for the comments, Ben! That’s really cool of you to take a minute to share your thoughts. It really does seem like you have learned to move past a lot of the social stigmas that get in the way of doing what you really love and being who you really are, and there’s a lot that we all could learn from your example.
I’ll make you a deal: I’ll keep taking pics if you keep up the great work you’re doing as a teacher :)