Photography safari

I find it interesting that Picture Hunt advised photogs to be constantly prepared, to go in knowing your subject well and how to talk to them. Of course, it always helps to have an idea of what you're doing and what you're pursuing with a particular subject, especially considering the requirements of an accompanying article. Yet on the other front, the author wrote more than once about the element of spontaneity and surprise. The way he wrote about "cruising" and how it was an accepted part of a photographer's routine, it felt like he was saying luck in timing and location was going to be an unavoidable factor in the job. And with David Snider's gallery, many of the photos seem to be a case of the cameraman capturing a random interesting moment with hardly any preplanning. The compromise between the two approaches, of course, is to be prepared and know the subject ahead of time...but be prepared anyhow for anything at all, just in case it jumps in front of your camera lens.

From: Jashin Lin