Ever missed the shot?

We all have times when we’ve wished we had a camera (or a camera phone), or had remembered to get it out and grab the shot – it can’t only be me… surely?

So, for this post, I thought I’d share two moments from decidedly different scenarios when the shot got firmly imprinted on my mind’s eye instead on a digital device.

There was the first time I went to Henley for the annual rowing festival. A group of us were given tickets to the VIP enclosure, so had to get dressed up (no skirts above the knee, no trousers for the women, proper collars, ties and tailored jackets for the men, and proper shoes for all. It was a marvellous day, much fizz was consumed and a jolly time had by all, but the moment which is imprinted forever happened as we walked in.

A crew of four were putting their scull into the water… yes, four absurdly fit young men in lycra, all bent over, just two foot in front of us, and stayed bent over fiddling about with their boat. In full disclosure, there were cameras present, but it was one of those moments when you simply stood and sighed at the perfection 😉

Shortly after moving to Sussex, I was driving to a hospital appointment on one of those gorgeous sunny winter afternoons. Driving along a narrow winding road, lined with a mix of evergreen and bare branched trees, I was musing on how much I was enjoying the rural life and the reduction of traffic. Rounding the corner, I came upon a group of tall, thin trees – their sparse leaves appeared to be dancing in the light breeze, their translucent quality allowing the sun to stream right through. For a brief moment I thought “oh for a camera” only to realise it was time to drink in every detail, and ensure that I never forget that scene.

The lesson was there to be learned, but it wasn’t properly, not until the time my new-ish camera malfunctioned one Christmas day. It was my first grandchild’s first Christmas, and while I did have my mobile phone with me, it was old and its camera pretty rubbish. I took one shot which was decent, which I shared with my sister who couldn’t be with us. Unfortunately she subsequently shared it on social media – something both my daughter and I had asked her not to – rather spoiling the image for me. Unfortunately, that is the memory I have of that day, leaving me to wish I’d taken no photos at all, and just leant in to the experience.

Since then, I’ve been caught out with the wrong lens and rather than fuss and waste time, attempting to capture something less than pleasing, have chosen to drink in the sights while Himself rattled off some shots. This decision allowed me to – for example – enjoy the sight of a herd of deer roaming across a lush hillside, while the stags, with their magnificent antlers, went about sizing each other up.

I’ve had a tendency in the past to walk around and see the world in terms of photographs, all the while mentally composing shots, selecting the appropriate lens and settings. I still love the experience of photography, but now I make sure to set aside some time aside to focus just on the moment so I enjoy it fully.

Got any of those amazing moments you’d be willing to share when the shot is only in your memory bank? What do you think about those who say “no pic, or it didn’t happen”?

© Debra Carey, 2024