Chimping

Chimping. This is the habit of looking at your LCD every time you take an image. Its a bad habit.

It distracts you from your surroundings, you may be missing that shot, what ever you just took a shot of, may be doing something your missing.

Have you ever had an engaging conversation with a friend and then suddenly your friend gets a text message? What happens? Your friend says “sorry one second” and checks their phone, sends back a text, and slowly adjusts their focus back to you and says “Oh sorry–what were we talking about again?”

When taking photos, enjoy the act. Don’t put pressure on your self by inspecting each image.

LCD’s are not the best viewing platform either for looking at the image. What your seeing, is the JPEG, which has been rendered by your camera software, and passed through its various filters. What you see when you get home, may not be as exposed, vibrant as you see. And depending on the reflection your seeing on the LCD from ambient light, will fool you.

If you do look at the LCD, look at the histogram. This will always show you more than viewing the actual image.

And please don’t delete images from camera. It may look blurry, out of focus. But when you view it at home, there may be something about it, something you love. There are photographers who make their name with photos like that.

Just wait til you get home to inspect your photos, or wait until your in a coffee shop sipping on a mocha.

This is of course coming from the point of view of someone that primarily shoots street. And of course, macro, landscape and model photographers have an excuse. But not street. Enjoy being out, keep your eyes open and never miss a shot.

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