Are 71 pictures of the same location too much? I don’t think so.
Before you archive this story as the manifestation of an obsessive compulsive disorder, please allow me to provide you with some context.
The unwilling object of this story is one of my favorite spots in Copenhagen, called Børnehusbroen, a little bridge (just next to Christianshavn metro station) over the Christianshavns Kanal, which I have been crossing quite often between 2017 and 2020, when commuting to the office.
In one of my recent posts I wrote about the importance of not holding back shots, waiting to have the perfect tool, as the camera of your smartphone may just do the trick. This very story is intended to share my experience as a concrete example of what I meant.
Don’t run away just as yet … I did not post 71 identical pictures. I created three sections, one for each of the cameras I utilized, to group images so that you can shape your own opinion and draw your own conclusions.
Section 1 — shots taken with my Full frame Reflex Camera. Out of the 71 total, 10 shots were taken with my Nikon D5, out of which I selected the following 3, as the other ons where so close that could be hardly distinguished.
If I had not taken any picture with my smartphone, in three years this is all I would be left with. Decent shots, but not particularly different one another.
Section 2 — Shots taken with my current smartphone. Out of the 71 total, 22 shots were taken with the iPhone 11 Pro Max, out of which I selected the following 12, as I tend to take twice the same shot so to have the option to chose the one I like the most (and trust me on this one, you will always find reasons to prefer one image out of all the ones you took).
As you can see, the quality of the image is not necessarily on par with the Digital Reflex, but the variety of the shots is way greater and the nuances make each shot stand out, when compared to the earlier group. Always having at my disposal the camera of my smartphone allowed me to capture shades of an ever changing view that I would have otherwise lost (or at least unable to go back to).
Section 3 — Shots taken with my jurassic iPhone 6s. Out of the 71 total, 39 shots were taken with this device, out of which I selected the following 19.
Yes, quality of the pictures is dropping a notch in comparison to the earlier group, specially for those pictures taken in low light situation (which reminds me that size does matter, specially when it comes to sensors) but each of these images tells me a story that cannot be told by the other two groups combined.
Conclusions. Yes, I took several shots that are at times very similar one another, but:
- you don’t know if or when or how you will have the opportunity to capture what’s in front of you now. If you miss it, consider it gone for good
- When you take a burst of pictures (quick sequence of shots), you will always find one you prefer over all the others. If you shoot less, you have less options. Options are your friends. If you take only one picture and that is affected by something (anything can easily disturb it) … that’s it … you are stuck with that only shot. When it comes to portraits, to capture the expression you are after with one single shot qualifies — in my case — above “miracle”.
- Pictures in the third group are of a much lower quality than the ones in the first group, but I shoot to capture the moment, not an award. I shoot for myself, and so I believe most of us amateur photographers.
- It’s basically for free … hence why not?
No, I don’t think that 71 pictures of the same location is too much!
Last but not least I owe a big THANK YOU to Anupama Mathew, as her comments to my recent story triggered a wave of thoughts that I had to put here, “on paper”.
