The "Oh Yeah!" moment

**NaClH2O** · 02-01-2007, 09:03 AM

In my youth I was a professional musician. Every once in a while I would absolutely nail a break, putting out some really tastey chops. There was a feeling I would get, even before audience or fellow band member reaction, that was and almost indescrible "Oh Yeah!". The feeling was almost gut level. Every time I got it, and it unfortunately didn't happen often enough, I knew that what I had just played was special. The reaction I would get would reinforce that.
So fast forward about 30 years, and I'm starting to find that I'm very occasionally getting the same feeling when I hit the shutter. When I get back to my computer, and open that particular photo, I invariably find that I have indeed, "nailed it". Unfortunately, it's waaaaayyyyy less often than I would like, considerably less often than when I was a professional musician. Hopefully, as my skill level increases I'll get the feeling more and more. My question to all of you is, have you ever felt the same? When you clicked the shutter you just KNEW it was going to be a great shot? To those pros out there, do you feel it more often now that you shoot for a living?

NaCl(just wondering if I'm alone in this)H2O

WMBP · 02-01-2007, 09:08 AM

Originally posted by NaClH2O

My question to all of you is, have you ever felt the same? When you clicked the shutter you just KNEW it was going to be a great shot?

I never have that feeling. I think it's partly that I don't yet have enough confidence in my skills to know that I've gotten everything right in the camera. More than once, something that looked very promising on the LCD in review mode, turned out to be out of focus.

Glad you get that feeling. Maybe I'll get it eventually.

Will

PeterAM · 02-01-2007, 09:17 AM

I sometimes have that feeling and specifically remember/look for that particular picture when on the computer. Turns out to be right about 50% of those times, but is somewhat compensated for, by discovering that other pix shot at the same time are better than remembered. I also find that a month later, my viewpoint may change and I see some differently/better than during the first pass.
What I find most interesting is when the "well thought out" and planned shot turns out to be a stinker and the ones that I shot around it (unplanned) are much better.

Ed in GA · 02-01-2007, 09:25 AM

I get the "Oh Yeah" feeling sometimes right after I take the shot. Unfortunately, when I get home and see it on the computer, "Oh Yeah" becomes "On No".

GirlsGoneRacin · 02-01-2007, 09:44 AM

I understand the "oh yeah" feeling, only my expectations are still pretty low so what may be "oh yeah" to me, might be "what's that garbage?" to someone else!

**NaClH2O** · 02-01-2007, 09:51 AM

Don't feel bad Eddy, I still get those too!

NaCl(fortunately less often than I did)H2O

**NaClH2O** · 02-01-2007, 09:58 AM

Hi Val,
Keep shooting! and don't worry about what others think. One other thing I'm finding is that stuff I took when I was just starting out and I really liked, I look at now and go, "blew the highlights there, or underexposed this one, or this one is slightly out of focus" etc. But just like any craft, it takes practice. I play most of the woodwinds, about 4 or 5 of them at or near professional level. They all took a lot of practice. The key for me is to make the practice as much like fun as possible. Even when I shoot an "oh yuck!" I try to tell myself, "but hey! I'm learning!"

NaCl(it's work, but fun work)H2O

GirlsGoneRacin · 02-01-2007, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by NaClH2O

Hi Val,
Keep shooting! and don't worry about what others think. One other thing I'm finding is that stuff I took when I was just starting out and I really liked, I look at now and go, "blew the highlights there, or underexposed this one, or this one is slightly out of focus" etc. But just like any craft, it takes practice. I play most of the woodwinds, about 4 or 5 of them at or near professional level. They all took a lot of practice. The key for me is to make the practice as much like fun as possible. Even when I shoot an "oh yuck!" I try to tell myself, "but hey! I'm learning!"

NaCl(it's work, but fun work)H2O

I don't worry at all. Shooting for me IS fun, and I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't. The nice thing is, most of the racers I shoot are extremely happy for any exposure they (and their sponsors) get, so they never complain about a pic that isn't "just so."

During the winter, I'm practicing indoor shots on our high school varsity basketball team. The coach loves me for giving him a cd of each game so he can use them for the slide show at the end of the year banquet, and I'm learning so that I do a better job at my son's games. He's in junior high and plays on 2 teams.

People with musical talent, like yourself, simply amaze me. It's such a gift, and I think it's wonderful that you work so hard at it!

One of my "oh yeah" moments was back in December when I snuck my entire Pentax backpack into a concert and got a great shot of one of the guitarists for country up-and-comer Jason Aldean. We managed to work our way down to the floor, about six rows back, and this guy was really working it for the crowd. I just kept shooting until I finally caught him flinging his hair back out of his face, and it's my favorite shot of the night. I believe I looked at the screen and said, "oh yeah!"

I like this one too. The colors are fun:

ccallana · 02-01-2007, 10:44 AM

I've had a few of those - they typically don't line up from LCD to computer though. What I see on the LCD sometimes is better/worse than what comes out on the PC screen.

Like this one:

On the camera the sky is all blown out - I didn't think it was that good - got it on the PC, did some tweaking/cropping - and it was like "wow - thats pretty good" - you may not like it - but I do

regken · 02-01-2007, 10:56 AM

I like it too! Took me back to my childhood in a flash.

Thanks,

Alvin · 02-01-2007, 12:16 PM

I got that while I was shooting some video footage last summer. It's a huge rush when you are in a spot you wanted to be and caught something that no one else would have caught.

I got that feeling at one event where I was shooting candid stills as well. It makes the night go really quickly and it's even more fun because you want to get more.

Photochop · 02-01-2007, 12:49 PM

I get that feeling before I even pull out my camera. The "oh yeah" feeling is what inspires me to take the camera out of its bag or stop the car in a hurry when I'm driving

For example, my hubby will be driving and I'll be scouting and scanning with my eyes, all of a sudden I see an old barn with hay stacks neatly scattered all throughout the field on beautiful green grass, the sun is just about to set and there's some wonderful colour happening in the sky, I take a mental picture and think "oh yeah" then I immediately yell "stop the car!"

Once I get out of the car and set up my shot I get the "oh yeah" feeling a second time, and this is precisely the reason why I love photography, I get a great sense of satisfaction from it even though most of my pictures are just average...it's a working progress!

**Sailor** · 02-01-2007, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by NaClH2O

In my youth I was a professional musician. Every once in a while I would absolutely nail a break, putting out some really tastey chops. There was a feeling I would get, even before audience or fellow band member reaction, that was and almost indescrible "Oh Yeah!". The feeling was almost gut level. Every time I got it, and it unfortunately didn't happen often enough, I knew that what I had just played was special. The reaction I would get would reinforce that.

NaCl(just wondering if I'm alone in this)H2O

Hey Buddy, based on this and other posts, it sounds like you and I have a similar history. I started the "compensation part" of my life as a musician playing tenor sax, flute and . . . . if the beer joint had one . . . . a B-3.
Like you, I constantly think of analogies between photography and its gear and music and its axes. There are lots of parallels. In fact, I do my RAW to TIFF to JPEG stuff sitting right next to a rack that contains a Yamaha ES90, a Korg CR-X (a B-3 emulator) and a Nord modeled analog synth.

Jer

**NaClH2O** · 02-01-2007, 09:14 PM

Originally posted by Sailor

Hey Buddy, based on this and other posts, it sounds like you and I have a similar history. I started the "compensation part" of my life as a musician playing tenor sax, flute and . . . . if the beer joint had one . . . . a B-3.
Like you, I constantly think of analogies between photography and its gear and music and its axes. There are lots of parallels. In fact, I do my RAW to TIFF to JPEG stuff sitting right next to a rack that contains a Yamaha ES90, a Korg CR-X (a B-3 emulator) and a Nord modeled analog synth.

Jer

Gosh Jer, you've got TWO joneses! Well maybe not two, I don't know where you are with LBA, but it sounds like you've got a good case of GAS. The only way I could afford both LBA and GAS would be to rob a bank or six. I've tried to curtail my GAS in favor of the LBA, but I'll have to admit I've been lusting after the new Yamaha Wind Controller.

NaCl(I've also been thinking about an oboe, a soprano sax, and a bassoon, just because they are such fun to play)H2O

*isteve · 02-01-2007, 09:58 PM

Originally posted by NaClH2O

In my youth I was a professional musician. Every once in a while I would absolutely nail a break, putting out some really tastey chops. There was a feeling I would get, even before audience or fellow band member reaction, that was and almost indescrible "Oh Yeah!". The feeling was almost gut level. Every time I got it, and it unfortunately didn't happen often enough, I knew that what I had just played was special. The reaction I would get would reinforce that.
So fast forward about 30 years, and I'm starting to find that I'm very occasionally getting the same feeling when I hit the shutter. When I get back to my computer, and open that particular photo, I invariably find that I have indeed, "nailed it". Unfortunately, it's waaaaayyyyy less often than I would like, considerably less often than when I was a professional musician. Hopefully, as my skill level increases I'll get the feeling more and more. My question to all of you is, have you ever felt the same? When you clicked the shutter you just KNEW it was going to be a great shot? To those pros out there, do you feel it more often now that you shoot for a living?

NaCl(just wondering if I'm alone in this)H2O

It gets worse. The more experience I get the more fussy I become, and what I liked last month I hate this month. At least with music each performance is unique and you dont have to keep going back and listening to it and hearing the mistakes.....

02-01-2007, 09:03 AM	#1
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631	The "Oh Yeah!" moment In my youth I was a professional musician. Every once in a while I would absolutely nail a break, putting out some really tastey chops. There was a feeling I would get, even before audience or fellow band member reaction, that was and almost indescrible "Oh Yeah!". The feeling was almost gut level. Every time I got it, and it unfortunately didn't happen often enough, I knew that what I had just played was special. The reaction I would get would reinforce that. So fast forward about 30 years, and I'm starting to find that I'm very occasionally getting the same feeling when I hit the shutter. When I get back to my computer, and open that particular photo, I invariably find that I have indeed, "nailed it". Unfortunately, it's waaaaayyyyy less often than I would like, considerably less often than when I was a professional musician. Hopefully, as my skill level increases I'll get the feeling more and more. My question to all of you is, have you ever felt the same? When you clicked the shutter you just KNEW it was going to be a great shot? To those pros out there, do you feel it more often now that you shoot for a living? NaCl(just wondering if I'm alone in this)H2O

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02-01-2007, 09:08 AM	#2
WMBP Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,482	Originally posted by NaClH2O My question to all of you is, have you ever felt the same? When you clicked the shutter you just KNEW it was going to be a great shot? I never have that feeling. I think it's partly that I don't yet have enough confidence in my skills to know that I've gotten everything right in the camera. More than once, something that looked very promising on the LCD in review mode, turned out to be out of focus. Glad you get that feeling. Maybe I'll get it eventually. Will

02-01-2007, 09:17 AM	#3
PeterAM Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Litchfield, CT Posts: 539	I sometimes have that feeling and specifically remember/look for that particular picture when on the computer. Turns out to be right about 50% of those times, but is somewhat compensated for, by discovering that other pix shot at the same time are better than remembered. I also find that a month later, my viewpoint may change and I see some differently/better than during the first pass. What I find most interesting is when the "well thought out" and planned shot turns out to be a stinker and the ones that I shot around it (unplanned) are much better.

02-01-2007, 09:25 AM	#4
Ed in GA Guest	I get the "Oh Yeah" feeling sometimes right after I take the shot. Unfortunately, when I get home and see it on the computer, "Oh Yeah" becomes "On No".

02-01-2007, 09:44 AM	#5
GirlsGoneRacin Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	I understand the "oh yeah" feeling, only my expectations are still pretty low so what may be "oh yeah" to me, might be "what's that garbage?" to someone else!

02-01-2007, 09:51 AM	#6
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Don't feel bad Eddy, I still get those too! NaCl(fortunately less often than I did)H2O

02-01-2007, 09:58 AM	#7
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Hi Val, Keep shooting! and don't worry about what others think. One other thing I'm finding is that stuff I took when I was just starting out and I really liked, I look at now and go, "blew the highlights there, or underexposed this one, or this one is slightly out of focus" etc. But just like any craft, it takes practice. I play most of the woodwinds, about 4 or 5 of them at or near professional level. They all took a lot of practice. The key for me is to make the practice as much like fun as possible. Even when I shoot an "oh yuck!" I try to tell myself, "but hey! I'm learning!" NaCl(it's work, but fun work)H2O

02-01-2007, 10:26 AM	#8
GirlsGoneRacin Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Originally posted by NaClH2O Hi Val, Keep shooting! and don't worry about what others think. One other thing I'm finding is that stuff I took when I was just starting out and I really liked, I look at now and go, "blew the highlights there, or underexposed this one, or this one is slightly out of focus" etc. But just like any craft, it takes practice. I play most of the woodwinds, about 4 or 5 of them at or near professional level. They all took a lot of practice. The key for me is to make the practice as much like fun as possible. Even when I shoot an "oh yuck!" I try to tell myself, "but hey! I'm learning!" NaCl(it's work, but fun work)H2O I don't worry at all. Shooting for me IS fun, and I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't. The nice thing is, most of the racers I shoot are extremely happy for any exposure they (and their sponsors) get, so they never complain about a pic that isn't "just so." During the winter, I'm practicing indoor shots on our high school varsity basketball team. The coach loves me for giving him a cd of each game so he can use them for the slide show at the end of the year banquet, and I'm learning so that I do a better job at my son's games. He's in junior high and plays on 2 teams. People with musical talent, like yourself, simply amaze me. It's such a gift, and I think it's wonderful that you work so hard at it! One of my "oh yeah" moments was back in December when I snuck my entire Pentax backpack into a concert and got a great shot of one of the guitarists for country up-and-comer Jason Aldean. We managed to work our way down to the floor, about six rows back, and this guy was really working it for the crowd. I just kept shooting until I finally caught him flinging his hair back out of his face, and it's my favorite shot of the night. I believe I looked at the screen and said, "oh yeah!" I like this one too. The colors are fun:

02-01-2007, 10:44 AM	#9
ccallana Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Folsom, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 321	I've had a few of those - they typically don't line up from LCD to computer though. What I see on the LCD sometimes is better/worse than what comes out on the PC screen. Like this one: On the camera the sky is all blown out - I didn't think it was that good - got it on the PC, did some tweaking/cropping - and it was like "wow - thats pretty good" - you may not like it - but I do

02-01-2007, 10:56 AM	#10
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377	I like it too! Took me back to my childhood in a flash. Thanks,

02-01-2007, 12:16 PM	#11
Alvin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,517	I got that while I was shooting some video footage last summer. It's a huge rush when you are in a spot you wanted to be and caught something that no one else would have caught. I got that feeling at one event where I was shooting candid stills as well. It makes the night go really quickly and it's even more fun because you want to get more.

02-01-2007, 12:49 PM	#12
Photochop Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 455	I get that feeling before I even pull out my camera. The "oh yeah" feeling is what inspires me to take the camera out of its bag or stop the car in a hurry when I'm driving For example, my hubby will be driving and I'll be scouting and scanning with my eyes, all of a sudden I see an old barn with hay stacks neatly scattered all throughout the field on beautiful green grass, the sun is just about to set and there's some wonderful colour happening in the sky, I take a mental picture and think "oh yeah" then I immediately yell "stop the car!" Once I get out of the car and set up my shot I get the "oh yeah" feeling a second time, and this is precisely the reason why I love photography, I get a great sense of satisfaction from it even though most of my pictures are just average...it's a working progress!

02-01-2007, 05:20 PM	#13
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,203	Originally posted by NaClH2O In my youth I was a professional musician. Every once in a while I would absolutely nail a break, putting out some really tastey chops. There was a feeling I would get, even before audience or fellow band member reaction, that was and almost indescrible "Oh Yeah!". The feeling was almost gut level. Every time I got it, and it unfortunately didn't happen often enough, I knew that what I had just played was special. The reaction I would get would reinforce that. NaCl(just wondering if I'm alone in this)H2O Hey Buddy, based on this and other posts, it sounds like you and I have a similar history. I started the "compensation part" of my life as a musician playing tenor sax, flute and . . . . if the beer joint had one . . . . a B-3. Like you, I constantly think of analogies between photography and its gear and music and its axes. There are lots of parallels. In fact, I do my RAW to TIFF to JPEG stuff sitting right next to a rack that contains a Yamaha ES90, a Korg CR-X (a B-3 emulator) and a Nord modeled analog synth. Jer

02-01-2007, 09:14 PM	#14
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Originally posted by Sailor Hey Buddy, based on this and other posts, it sounds like you and I have a similar history. I started the "compensation part" of my life as a musician playing tenor sax, flute and . . . . if the beer joint had one . . . . a B-3. Like you, I constantly think of analogies between photography and its gear and music and its axes. There are lots of parallels. In fact, I do my RAW to TIFF to JPEG stuff sitting right next to a rack that contains a Yamaha ES90, a Korg CR-X (a B-3 emulator) and a Nord modeled analog synth. Jer Gosh Jer, you've got TWO joneses! Well maybe not two, I don't know where you are with LBA, but it sounds like you've got a good case of GAS. The only way I could afford both LBA and GAS would be to rob a bank or six. I've tried to curtail my GAS in favor of the LBA, but I'll have to admit I've been lusting after the new Yamaha Wind Controller. NaCl(I've also been thinking about an oboe, a soprano sax, and a bassoon, just because they are such fun to play)H2O

02-01-2007, 09:58 PM	#15
*isteve Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 1,187	Originally posted by NaClH2O In my youth I was a professional musician. Every once in a while I would absolutely nail a break, putting out some really tastey chops. There was a feeling I would get, even before audience or fellow band member reaction, that was and almost indescrible "Oh Yeah!". The feeling was almost gut level. Every time I got it, and it unfortunately didn't happen often enough, I knew that what I had just played was special. The reaction I would get would reinforce that. So fast forward about 30 years, and I'm starting to find that I'm very occasionally getting the same feeling when I hit the shutter. When I get back to my computer, and open that particular photo, I invariably find that I have indeed, "nailed it". Unfortunately, it's waaaaayyyyy less often than I would like, considerably less often than when I was a professional musician. Hopefully, as my skill level increases I'll get the feeling more and more. My question to all of you is, have you ever felt the same? When you clicked the shutter you just KNEW it was going to be a great shot? To those pros out there, do you feel it more often now that you shoot for a living? NaCl(just wondering if I'm alone in this)H2O It gets worse. The more experience I get the more fussy I become, and what I liked last month I hate this month. At least with music each performance is unique and you dont have to keep going back and listening to it and hearing the mistakes.....