Carrying Your Camera Every Day

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Chris Orwig, Jay Maisel, and even Moose Peterson would be proud of me. Well, maybe not proud, but they would at least approve.

After getting through Chris Orwig’s book, Visual Poetry, I decided that I would take my camera everywhere. Where ever I was going. I took the battery pack/portrait grip off my D90, and put on a 50mm lens. I attached my black rapid strap, and decided I was ready. That’s it. No bags, no filters, zoom lens or options to get in the way.

I started taking it to work every day. This is where it got frustrating. I get in my car, drive to work, put my camera on my desk, do my work, pick up the camera, get back in the car, go back into the house.

There have been some days that I have stopped and taken a disappointing sunrise shot with my iPhone, so there may be the odd occasion to use it.

It is frustrating that I don’t have more opportunity for found objects or moments. I wish I walked or took a train. It just isn’t practical from where I live to where I work. The opportunities when you put one foot in front of the other become endless. When you put your butt in a seat with severe time constraints, things are more limited.

So the camera sits on my desk taunting me.

“Why don’t you pick me up and practice changing ISO without looking at the dials?”

“Why don’t you look at my little screen and see what images you have squeezed out of your life in the last few days?”

“Why don’t you pick me up and take some pictures of something, anything that moves or doesn’t move, but something?”

Argg! I have other work to do. I am not sure this is working.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

2 thoughts on “Carrying Your Camera Every Day

  1. Hey – I have a similar problem but mine’s about writing, not photographing. I’m trying to write and reflect more so as I “see” things that give me pause (which is – ironically – mostly when I don’t have time to pause), I try to send myself an email to revisit the thought. Fine for writing – I wonder if there’s an equivalent for taking a photo? What grabbed you about what you saw in the first place? Could you come back to it in some way? What does your reading about “seeing vision” (not quite right, but I remember you reading and reflecting about it) say about this?

    scott

  2. Chris,
    I hear ya….at times it feels like there’s only so much time in the day. This weekend I realized I didn’t pick my camera up once. UGH….

Comments are closed.