It was a fun trek planned with my friends. Idea was to trek
to the top of Nagala range in eastern ghats in India on a weekend after long
working hours of the week. I had not taken my camera out for few weeks now. I
was fully charged up for some landscape photos. But there is always a mystery
associated with landscape photography about the light and the terrain and
weather conditions. It always keeps me bothering about the result. May be
that’s the fun part I love about landscape photography.
It was a long full day trek to the top of the mountains. We
had almost trekked for 20 Kms with full steep slopes. Carrying the camera and
tripod with the hope of photographing the sun set.
We took rest in between and as the group had breaks I still
kept moving around to find the right vantage point to capture the mountain
ranges extending towards the horizon. But was in vain and I knew I had to climb
more. We kept walking and by the time it was 5 PM we had reached at almost the
top on the mountain.
The view was breath taking with cold wind refreshing from
one side of the mountain. Immediately I sensed the possibility of rain. But the
sky was clear. Before my thoughts about rain vanished from my mind, the dark
clouds rolled in from no where and as I looked towards the other side, it was
heavy down pour of rain. I was thrilled, sun was shining in one direction and
other direction the heavy rains were fast approaching us. I quickly pulled out
my camera, set the aperture put on the tripod and click, click , click before I
could make the fourth shot the rain had fast approached us and showered on us.
I knew I made the shot of the day. Happily packed up the
camera and we all had a nice refreshing rain bath. Then we put up the tent had
nice camp fire , had dinner and slept under the stars.
Although I had taken this photo 4 years back, I still keep
thinking what if I had missed the setting on my camera on that day. What made
me use the right setting in a split of a second. And I found my answer when I
read about serendipity explained by Jim Brandenburg. I quote it here as told by
Jim himself
"Serendipity is
a wonderful word in the English language. It means happy coincidence, or a
lucky, unexpected moment. This is essential to photography, but not without
preparation. There are Japanese traditions involved in preparing: you study,
then study, then study some more. You prepare mentally for years and years, so
when the special moment comes, your instincts take over and it happens
naturally. It's the same with cameras and other equipment: when the magic
moment comes, you are ready to capture it instantly. You have visual language
that you have studied for many, many years. You are familiar with the
equipment, so it comes as second nature, like an extension of your fingers. I
think that this is crucial. It's the same principal as practicing the violin.
So many people think photography is easy: just pick up the camera and take a
picture. But like the violin, you must practice photography for 30 years or
more before you truly do it well."
After I read this, it became my guiding principle when ever
I go out on a shoot. And I believe my photographs have started reflecting it.
1 comment:
Well said about Serendipity :-) and it was nice to see your old pictures !!!
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