I was never a boy scout, but I’ve always practiced their motto. With regards to photography, it especially rings true. Coming from one who used to photograph weddings every weekend, I’m glad I adhered to the words. Being prepared meant having a back up of every piece of equipment. On one particular Sunday, I had equipment failure of a camera body, flash, and flash cord. I had backups for all. This day proved and reinforced the importance of preparation with everything I do photographically. It’s the unplanned that will come back to nip you in the bud. Stay a step ahead and be prepared - it’s a good thing.

As a leader of photo tours, I’m often asked,  “What lenses should I bring when we go out for this session?” My response is, “Whatever you can carry.”  Inevitably, if you don’t bring it, you’ll need it. I certainly don’t haul around oodles of equipment for every shoot, but the way I look at it is 12 extra ounces of weight isn’t going to break my back. Whatever the subject matter, I anticipate what I may need and if it fits, I bring it. The most important fact to glean from these words is to think ahead about what subjects you may encounter to be one step ahead equipment wise - in other words, Be Prepared.

The Friendly Flash: I always carry flash - it’s one of my best photographic friends. I use it to fill in shadows, soften contrast, as a main light indoors, and to add a twinkle to an eye on an overcast day. It’s one of the most under used and under rated pieces of photo gear. I’ve bounced it onto a gold reflector to add golden light to a flower on an overcast day and I’ve used it at night during long exposures to create special effects where the subject lit by the flash is rendered sharp while everything else shows movement. For the accompanying photo, I used the flash off camera via my commander mode and set the shutter to 1/2 second to record the fire light. In that I was mostly photographing outdoor subject matter on this particular day, had I not been prepared with my flash, I wouldn’t have the shot. 

© Russell Burden

Always Carry a Camera: How basic can one be, but face the obvious - without a camera, you can’t get the shot. On days I spend most of my time in front of my computer, I take a break and go out for a walk around the neighborhood. But before I leave, I grab a camera. I’ve walked past these two wicker chairs numerous times never paying particular attention to them. It just so happened that on the day I took this walk, the light on them was streaming in just perfectly and I made the shot. Even though my home is only a short distance from this porch, I would not have had the time to go home, get my camera and return to the same light. Even if it’s a point and shoot you can stuff into a pocket or attach to a belt, be prepared by carrying a camera at all times. 

© Russell Burden

React Spontaneously: It’s essential you know your equipment inside out so you can react to fast changing situations. It could be fleeting light, an unplanned encounter with a special subject, or an unfolding event that happens right before your eyes. Regardless, if it requires a fast change of a lens, the foresight to know a certain filter needs to be removed or changed, that the ISO needs to be modified, or anything else that requires you to change settings to Plan B, if you can’t do it on the fly, you may miss the shot. In the accompanying photo made during my nature photo tour to Monument Valley, everyone was photographing the scenery. I heard the whoosh of the gas burner of the hot air balloon and quickly had everyone change lenses and brought everyone to the reflecting pond to get the image. Be prepared and react to changing situations to guarantee you get the shot.

© Russell Burden

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.