Win Win

Photographers are always searching for the light. I was trying to position myself so the sun was just visible enough from behind the rock formation to create a star effect. Another photographer wandered into “my” shot looking for exactly the same thing. Comrades in arms, I suppose.

The photographer was about a third into my composition before she noticed me. It happens all of the time. She was kind enough to offer an apology and ask if it was OK to continue. This too happens all of the time. We are so attentive to the light and subject that it’s easy to blunder into someone else’s way. We’ve all been on both sides of that situation.

Sometimes we get can possessive about our compositions and get all huffy if someone sets up right in front of us, ruining our “masterpiece”. We need to remind ourselves that these are public places, and everybody has a right to be there. That’s one reason I like to be efficient when I work, so I can get the shot I want and get out of the way to give someone else a chance. In that spirit, I said it was fine for her to go ahead. I stayed and captured a couple of additional images that included her working. And frankly, that result might be better than I originally intended.

She got her shot. I got mine. Win, win!

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