Friday, February 25, 2011

Dimanche à Paris... Lost in Thought

I tell my photography students over and over about waiting for the best shot.  I'm pretty impulsive (quelle surprise!) and tend to just fire off a few shots and keep going, but in Paris, I seem to be able to slow down and just wait.  Meredith Mullins calls it the "art of the wait".  Cartier-Bresson was the master of it. Maybe I feel their vibes when in Paris!  This day I spotted the man on the quai.  I took several shots and then I waited a bit. I liked this last pose the best.  The carvings on the tree were the icing on this cake!
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21 comments:

  1. PeterParisFebruary 25, 2011 at 1:45:00 AM CST

    A good piece of advice ... with a proof! :-)

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  2. MayaFebruary 25, 2011 at 3:43:00 AM CST

    So true! We also learned this lesson in photography class this week for action shots. It is better to have the camera focused on a particular point (say the basketball hoop) and just wait for the perfect split second to get a great shot than to use burst mode which may miss the crucial split second.

    I think with random people and animal shots, you need to do both. Sometimes grabbing a shot quickly is the best you can do as they often leave, but then waiting patiently if they stick around will often yield the best results (as in this wonderful shot!).

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  3. Cezar and LéiaFebruary 25, 2011 at 4:25:00 AM CST

    So many love writing in the tree! :)
    Wonderful image!
    Léia

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  4. cocoa and coconut February 25, 2011 at 4:39:00 AM CST

    Je trouve que l'image est parfait!
    I love the markings too. I wonder why you seem to have that ability to wait and capture just in Paris?

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  5. DianeFebruary 25, 2011 at 5:47:00 AM CST

    I shall take your advise and try this. I loved the photo of you and your pal previously. x

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  6. ElizabethFebruary 25, 2011 at 6:06:00 AM CST

    You never disappoint! Well done.

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  7. Genie -- Paris and BeyondFebruary 25, 2011 at 6:30:00 AM CST

    V, this is one of your best... magnifique!

    G

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  8. AmandaFebruary 25, 2011 at 6:59:00 AM CST

    I love this shot Virginia! Perfection!

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  9. ÉvaFebruary 25, 2011 at 8:53:00 AM CST

    Looking at the carved trees I'm sure that many people were waiting for someone here.:-)
    Were they all in love???:-)
    I like the photos. I want to learn from good fotographers.

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  10. Jean(ne) in MNFebruary 25, 2011 at 9:09:00 AM CST

    I love this shot! So much going on even though still, it tells many stories and has many symbols to work from. Beautiful, you are a master.

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  11. PamelaFebruary 25, 2011 at 9:32:00 AM CST

    You are amazing and I was thinking the exact same thing when studying this photo...I said to myself those hearts carved in the tree says it all. He's waiting for her!!

    Happy Friday V !!

    Pamela ox

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  12. StarmanFebruary 25, 2011 at 11:07:00 AM CST

    I don't normally like B&W photos, but this is a great shot.

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  13. TheChieftessFebruary 25, 2011 at 11:13:00 AM CST

    Wonderful composition V!!! And great advice!!!

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  14. JamesFebruary 25, 2011 at 2:12:00 PM CST

    This is perfect! Bravo!

    I noticed that my photos got better when I learned the art of waiting for the shot. It's great advice.

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  15. AlexaFebruary 25, 2011 at 3:48:00 PM CST

    Patience is definitely a virtue worth cultivating when you have a camera in your hand (though sometimes impulsive gets it done!). Yours was certainly rewarded!
    A win-win for us too—thanks, V.

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  16. OwenFebruary 25, 2011 at 8:00:00 PM CST

    I wonder what he was waiting for ???

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  17. Shell SherreeFebruary 25, 2011 at 10:36:00 PM CST

    I'm pretty impulsive (quelle surprise!) Hee! This one was worth the wait, Virginia. A beauty.

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  18. annaFebruary 25, 2011 at 11:12:00 PM CST

    Daaaaaang this is a fantastic shot!

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  19. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2011 at 9:54:00 AM CST

    J'aime votre blog et la manière comme vous prenez les photos.
    Bravo et bon week-end!

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  20. MFebruary 26, 2011 at 11:17:00 AM CST

    Virginia, your patience paid off ... this is a fantastic photo! And, absolutely, the carved hearts are the icing on the cake! Miam-miam!!

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  21. Oakland Daily PhotoMarch 2, 2011 at 10:31:00 PM CST

    The choice of using black and white makes the image timeless.

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Merci pour votre comment!