Learning from an imperfect sky

One last dance
Delay Beach, FL
December 2008
Click here for more Thematic sunrise, sunset

I used to stay inside whenever cloud cover threatened to disrupt a planned sunrise or sunset shoot. I figured the ideal for this kind of thing was a perfectly clear sky and a perfectly clear view of the sun.

Not so much.

I've since learned a number of key truths about photography - and, let's be frank, about life - that have prompted me to shift my perspective somewhat:

1. Time. Most folks don't get too many chances to do shoots like this. You know the drill: we're so busy leading our day-to-day lives that taking the time for stuff like this simply isn't realistic. And opportunities to just get out and shoot are rare luxuries indeed. If you're going to wait for so-called perfection, you might never get to shoot at all. So even if a thick cloud deck threatens to ruin your meticulously planned moment, get out there and see if you can't perhaps capture another kind of moment. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you bring back.
2. Definition. Your perfect may not align with my perfect. We all see things differently, and trying to fit your photos into someone else's definition of perfection is kinda silly. Follow your own path and let the optical chips fall where they may.
3. Failure. The sad truth is not everything you shoot will rock your world. Some days, you'll swing for the photographic fences and have little to show for it. But even failure is part of the process, because we learn from the experience, and apply those learnings the next time we head out (see #1 above, Time). Keep heading out there. Don't be afraid to mess things up. Don't not shoot because you're afraid of making mistakes. Relish the failures instead.

This shot was light years removed from what I had hoped to capture when I first headed out the door. But I remember hesitating as I wondered whether the clouds would wreck the experience. In the end, they didn't, and to think what I would have missed had I simply headed back inside.

Your turn: How do you overcome imperfection...in photography or otherwise?