During the 2017 North American Eclipse I shot my technically hardest photo I had ever shot. While some have oohed and aaahed over different shots I have created in the past no one has ever recognized the most difficult shot I ever created. It made me wonder what others most difficult shot is they created. I would love to read about it and what went into it. I will start with mine. If you have, or can find the shot, please add it. Even if you don't still have the shot please share.
My most challenging shot was a proposal. Not just because it is a moment that can't be recreated for 100 years, but because I would not be behind the camera when it happened. I can't express the anxiety days prior and ten minutes after the shot before I had the courage to even look at the shot to see if I got it.
The setting was the eclipse. I was running three camera's; one shooting a time lapse, one shooting the eclipse up close and personal, and the camera that would be shooting the proposal without me. The time lapse I could just actively monitor. The close-up I had to be 100% engaged with and the proposal I had to set the camera to trigger at the right moment for conditions I had never experienced and drew upon all my experience.
First, camera selection. This one was easy. It was going to be dark so I chose the Nikon DF, "The Lord of Darkness"
Second challenge, lens/focal length/angle to capture the eclipse overhead and the proposal couple. I knew where they would be, mostly, but where exactly will the sun line up in the shot.
Third challenge, I set the camera for time lapse, but what frequency. Didn't want too many and the camera hits a buffer and I won't be with the camera. Too slow and I will miss the key moment when she raises her hands to her mouth and starts to cry.
Fourth challenge, what shutter speed? I need to capture the action without a blur but the sky is supposed to be going to night.
Fifth, aperture. Not too hard so long as they are where they are supposed to be.
Sixth and the hardest, what ISO? Too low and we have a blacked out image. Too high and we grain out and lose the effect of the eclipse.
Seventh being the anxiety. I don't get a second chance. The eclipse and this proposal will be a one chance opportunity.
In the end I went with a shutter speed of 1/320, f/5, ISO 12,500.
The camera was set to start shooting at the moment of the full eclipse and shoot for the entire duration of the full eclipse. As the eclipse went full the camera started firing. At least that went off, I'm at least in the game. Now I will have to wait and see. The proposal goes on, the camera keeps shooting, and I keep shooting my up-close eclipse photos. The two celebrate and watch the rest of the eclipse together. Once the full eclipse had finished my anxiety even went higher. Did I get the shot? Man, if I screwed this up how do I live with myself! For ten minutes I continued shooting and eyeballing that camera, terrified that I would either be a hero or a villain. Finally, I got the courage and walked over to the camera and removed it from the tripod. Hit play and started scrolling back through the images watching each image get darker as I got into the heart of the full eclipse - everything looked really good so far, but did I get the shot? Then, there it was, the shot! Eclipse - check, stars - check, the feel of the dark - check, and most importantly... there was the money shot. He is on his knee holding out the ring box and she is there with both hands up to her mouth. I then shouted out, "I am the greatest photographer in the world!" Immediate applause was heard all around because they knew of the proposal about to happen and that I was going to capture it.
The satisfaction that photograph gives me can never be described. Not because it's my daughter, which only added to my anxiety, but because on a wing and a prayer combined with experience I pulled off such an impossible shot that I wasn't physically there to shoot.
Please share your most challenging shot as many will never know what went into it.
My most challenging shot was a proposal. Not just because it is a moment that can't be recreated for 100 years, but because I would not be behind the camera when it happened. I can't express the anxiety days prior and ten minutes after the shot before I had the courage to even look at the shot to see if I got it.
The setting was the eclipse. I was running three camera's; one shooting a time lapse, one shooting the eclipse up close and personal, and the camera that would be shooting the proposal without me. The time lapse I could just actively monitor. The close-up I had to be 100% engaged with and the proposal I had to set the camera to trigger at the right moment for conditions I had never experienced and drew upon all my experience.
First, camera selection. This one was easy. It was going to be dark so I chose the Nikon DF, "The Lord of Darkness"
Second challenge, lens/focal length/angle to capture the eclipse overhead and the proposal couple. I knew where they would be, mostly, but where exactly will the sun line up in the shot.
Third challenge, I set the camera for time lapse, but what frequency. Didn't want too many and the camera hits a buffer and I won't be with the camera. Too slow and I will miss the key moment when she raises her hands to her mouth and starts to cry.
Fourth challenge, what shutter speed? I need to capture the action without a blur but the sky is supposed to be going to night.
Fifth, aperture. Not too hard so long as they are where they are supposed to be.
Sixth and the hardest, what ISO? Too low and we have a blacked out image. Too high and we grain out and lose the effect of the eclipse.
Seventh being the anxiety. I don't get a second chance. The eclipse and this proposal will be a one chance opportunity.
In the end I went with a shutter speed of 1/320, f/5, ISO 12,500.
The camera was set to start shooting at the moment of the full eclipse and shoot for the entire duration of the full eclipse. As the eclipse went full the camera started firing. At least that went off, I'm at least in the game. Now I will have to wait and see. The proposal goes on, the camera keeps shooting, and I keep shooting my up-close eclipse photos. The two celebrate and watch the rest of the eclipse together. Once the full eclipse had finished my anxiety even went higher. Did I get the shot? Man, if I screwed this up how do I live with myself! For ten minutes I continued shooting and eyeballing that camera, terrified that I would either be a hero or a villain. Finally, I got the courage and walked over to the camera and removed it from the tripod. Hit play and started scrolling back through the images watching each image get darker as I got into the heart of the full eclipse - everything looked really good so far, but did I get the shot? Then, there it was, the shot! Eclipse - check, stars - check, the feel of the dark - check, and most importantly... there was the money shot. He is on his knee holding out the ring box and she is there with both hands up to her mouth. I then shouted out, "I am the greatest photographer in the world!" Immediate applause was heard all around because they knew of the proposal about to happen and that I was going to capture it.
The satisfaction that photograph gives me can never be described. Not because it's my daughter, which only added to my anxiety, but because on a wing and a prayer combined with experience I pulled off such an impossible shot that I wasn't physically there to shoot.
Please share your most challenging shot as many will never know what went into it.