Being in the Zone

I was chatting to Clarien, a really good mate of mine who’s been assisting me with most of my weddings recently, about the difference it makes when you’re ‘In The Zone’ . It’s  not that you take crap shots the rest of the times, it’s just that when you’re head’s in it then your pics just have that little extra something. And I think your clients feel it as well. How, if your head is completely with them instead of being all over the show or with your own worries, then you just click and make beautiful images.

I think it’s a bit like preparing for a sport’s match. If you walk on to the field and you’re thinking about the fight you had with your boyfriend/girlfriend the night before then chances are you’re not going to play your best game. But if you walk onto the field and your head is clear and focussed on how many goals you want to score and how you’re going to stop your opponents from scoring, then chances are you’re going to have a great game. BMT I suppose. And wedding photography is no different.

So what do I do to make sure I’m in the zone? Well, I make sure I’ve packed my bags, all my gear is charged, my cards are formatted, I know where I’m going, how long it will take, who I’m going to see when I get there, what the order of events are – I’m prepared in other words. And I make sure my preparation follows a certain routine so that I don’t forget anything or leave anything out. And then when everything’s prepared and I’m en route to the shoot I tend not to want to talk a lot. I like just being quite. Looking at the light. Thinking about the type of shots I’m going to try for, what I’ll likely find at the venue. And as soon as I start to hone in on those things so I know I’m going to be in the zone, and you feel it as you shoot. This flow and energy. Nothing quite touches it!

And that flow and energy takes you into the ebb and flow of your clients’ day – into it’s various moods and phases – and allows you to follow and predict where you’re likely to find good shots. Like these two of the bride’s niece and nephew wanting to catch a sneak peek of her dressing. Being In The Zone means you don’t just get the couple shoot right, but you get all the little bits around the day right too. It means you find shots that you might otherwise have missed because you’re in tune with the people around you.

I love these two shots. I love them because for me they say something about what a big, unknown occassion the wedding was for these two little kids – how they couldn’t wait to see their aunty in her dress, how cute they looked in their outfits, how small they are in comparison to everything else around them. Just too sweet.

Tags: Cape Town Wedding, Shot of the Day