Practice

I shot roughly 4000 pictures this last week and that's cool. That's what I do.
But when you shoot that much it means you're shooting fast. Physically that's what's happening to accumulate the type of volume.
You may or may not agree with me but I think in shooting that much there's a danger of getting lazy and playing the law-of-averages. By that I mean you assume you'll have enough "keepers" if you shoot a ton. I think it's important to take the time to practice the art. Slow down and evaluate what you're shooting, why you're shooting it and how you're shooting it.
Without light you haven't got a picture so, consider it.
- how much light is there
- where is it coming from, maybe a few places
- what color is it, again maybe a few colors
- where isn't there light, is that good or bad
- what's reflecting the light
- how can you enhance, modify, exaggerate, eliminate, or supplement the light
All of this consideration of light is moot without a subject. And unless you're shooting a lightbulb or the sun - you're shooting reflected light. So, what's that doing for your subject? That's the point. Is the light portraying your subject accurately or is it betraying your subject? Is the beautiful girl beautiful or is she slightly green from the fluorescent lights, or is she squinting and have a wrinkled forehead because she's staring at the sun, or has the twinkle in her eye been replaced by dark sockets because the light's directly overhead.
I won't try and lay out all the ingredients for taking good pictures that I've accumulated over the last fifteen years but you might consider this:
When you take a picture you're usually trying to do one of two things, document or capture.
By definition, when you document something you're recording it as it is, where it is. You don't add or take away anything. Like a journalist, well... anyway. You document things. Like chairs.
Capturing is different. You don't capture chairs, you capture emotion. But I would suggest, that practicing on things like chairs would be good so you're accurately able to document. Then elements such as light, perspective, angles and focus can be ingrained and allow for capturing and the added elements of sensitivity, timing, distance, and spontaneity.
This is all quite remedial I realize but that's good. The more you consciously consider the elements of your photographs the more subconsciously that will surface when you need to shoot fast.
So this is probably a pretty lame post for most of you but, that's ok. If just one person can benefit from what I've written then... at least I know I'm not alone in my lameness.
Here's a few of my shots from this week that got me thinking along these lines.


I know I'm beginning to have a toilet theme on the blog - I'll try to keep that in check.

These are all my incandescent bulbs that got replaced with fluorescent ones this week. They're finally reasonably priced at Home Depot. I did this strictly for my utility bill, not for Al Gore - he's not banging on all cylinders.
ADDED:
Two days after I wrote that last line, Big Al wins the Nobel Peace Prize for "educating us all on the climate crisis". The guy flys to his engagements in a private jet each time using more energy than an American family does in a year. Then he buys an imaginary carbon credit from some guy who actually does care about the environment by riding his bike to work. Total energy saved - 0% Total guilt absolved - 100%
I spent a few hundred dollars and 3 hours blowing in 42 bales of "green" insulation into my attic today.
Have a nice flight Al.