Well, who does not like to shed a few pounds to get into shape? Getting on a diet is not about starving yourself but rather reducing your meal intake. In turn, with the right workout, you get fitter, your mood uplifts, and overall, there is a sense of joy. Now, what if we apply the same principles to cameras? Does it sound ridiculous? It does, but it will only be your creativity to become better. Still not convinced? Let us give you a few more examples.
Sharper Attention
In our digital era, people tend to shoot over 1,000 images and then store most of them on their hard drives. While it is true that shooting more is a good practice, the downside is your lack of attention. You will shoot the shot “to check later,” and that later most of the time results in your picture going to trash or needing excessive editing. If you limit yourself, you will push yourself to be more attentive, to see and compose the scene better, and tell a story within a frame. It is time-consuming, but you become more selective and then more confident. Thus, you will spend less time on the edit table.
Overthinking Every Image
If you have shot a scene on burst mode, you are likely to spend hours figuring out which one works better. This is particularly the case with new photographers, who are confused about which frame is better. To an untrained eye, everything seems perfect. After all, why would you want to kill your darlings? The best, thus, is to limit yourself. If you give yourself that challenge, you will, with time, find it easier to shoot sharp and edit sharper.
More Instrospection
Have you noticed that when you go for a review, you are asked to bring about 10-12 of your best shots? Why is that? For starters, a smaller, tighter edit will not only give one a glimpse into your work but also more time to discuss what can be improved. The same goes for shooting less. If you have fewer powerful images, you can always print them and make a cohesive dialogue. This also means you spend more time introspecting on what may or may not work for your series, and where and how an image can contribute to your narrative. This is something most photographers fail to understand. It is not just about shooting aesthetic images; it is about shooting photographs that touch your viewers.
So, How To Put Your Camera on a Diet?
There are multiple ways to achieve this. But remember: once you begin, you should follow through. No diet has ever worked if you refrain one day and overeat the other. It will crash your system.
The 1 GB Solution
This is a good way to reduce quantity and focus on quality. A small SD card with 1GB can hold a few images if you are shooting big RAW files. If you have a 45MP camera, then you will have about 18 images. Think of this as your ‘digital film roll’ and work to get the best images, within these constraints. This also means you limit your burst rate to 3 images. And viola. Greater challenge.
Tape the LCD
If you have an LCD that can close, do that, or use gaffer tape to shut the LCD off. You can access your menu via the EVF and set your playback to a 5-second preview to check the exposure. This way, you can work on getting the best shot in real time without pixel peeping too much.
30-Minute Edit
Spend these 30 minutes of your day with utmost attention. On the edit table, put a timer, and see how quickly you can swiftly sort through the pictures to pick the best. You already have a smaller edit to work with, which means you will not spend an additional amount in post-processing. Make your edits as minimal as possible.
You can always start with one challenge and then add another if you feel more confident. However, stick to the 30-minute edit rule wherever you go. The idea here is to make you more mindful of your practice and your experience. Your authenticity and practice will win in the end.
