How do you prioritize your photography time?

[Hobbzz]

I recently decided to engage in a futile exercise in a depressing subject and look up just how many days per year my area has sunny days. With over 300 cloudy days per year, and most weekends being among those days, I have to do a lot of planning.

For instance, tomorrow morning is predicted to be sunny and cloud free for exactly one hour at sunrise. If the forecast ends up being correct, this will be the first cloudless morning on a morning that I have off in about 3 weeks, so I'm going to have a big decision about where to go. I've got an area I can go to that will likely have subjects to shoot, but I'm not sure if it's too close to the tree line to get the sun low on the horizon. I've got another location where I can get the sun almost on the water, but less likely to have a subject to photograph.

How do you prioritize your free time and make decisions about what you're going to do with it? Is it based solely on what you've already shot, or future shots you have in mind? Do you tend to go with the safe bet or take chances? I'm wondering what others people's thought processes are for planning their photography time.

 

[jfredrick]

I like to shoot early morning or in the evening mostly. The sun is lower and it is not so hot. Cloudy or mostly cloudy days can be a blessing many times. The clouds act as a big soft box and allow for nice rich colors. Harsh shadows on sunny days can create challenges a lot of the time. I say enjoy the hunt, the time you have, and what Mother Nature provides.

 

[bleirer]

Bright overcast lets you shoot all day. Sleep in and enjoy the afternoon light that would be too strong on a sunny day.

 

[Hobbzz]

I like to shoot early morning or in the evening mostly. The sun is lower and it is not so hot. Cloudy or mostly cloudy days can be a blessing many times. The clouds act as a big soft box and allow for nice rich colors. Harsh shadows on sunny days can create challenges a lot of the time. I say enjoy the hunt, the time you have, and what Mother Nature provides.

Bright overcast lets you shoot all day. Sleep in and enjoy the afternoon light that would be too strong on a sunny day.

I'm aware of what options there are in different conditions. To that end, 30 years of photography in dark cloudy conditions is taking its toll and I'm looking to move.

As for my original query, perhaps I didn't explain myself well, I edited the original post in hopes of getting my point across. What I'm wondering is, when you have a limited amount of time, how do people choose what to do with it? Is it based on likelihood of getting the shot you want with a subject or what you have already taken? Basically I'm wondering how others make their decisions, the thought process behind going with option A versus option B etc (nothing specific to my scenario).

 

[NorthernFocus]

How do you prioritize your free time and make decisions like this?

I'm married.

 

[Hobbzz]

I'm married.

I do plenty of that too lol. I've got 2 different styles of photography. My favorite is what I would call "artistic" and requires a lot more time. Time waiting in a blind perhaps or traveling for better light. Then the other style I shoot which I jokingly refer to as the "I like to spend time with my wife" style. More documentary, grabbing quick pics when we're out hiking.

 

[bleirer]

I'd say do things you enjoy with your family and friends, and if being outdoors is something you enjoy then do that, and if the weather is bad go to a movie. Same if you enjoy having time to yourself. I guess I don't understand the question. It's leisure time, do leisure stuff.

 

[Hobbzz]

I'd say do things you enjoy with your family and friends, and if being outdoors is something you enjoy then do that, and if the weather is bad go to a movie. Same if you enjoy having time to yourself. I guess I don't understand the question. It's leisure time, do leisure stuff.

Basically when you've decided you want to go out and photograph stuff, how do you decide where to go and what to do when you have a limited amount of time...

 

[carbon]

It seems like you can prioritize in at least two ways. Intuitively or analytically.

Go with your gut and instinctively course-correct as need be or break out Excel and do whatever people do in Excel (assign numerical data points to uh, something and then add it all up).

Personally I think feeling trumps most things but some people cover up those choices with rationalizations. Because for some people, simply saying, “I just really like doing X” might not sound satisfying. (Not saying you are one of those people!)

I say choose a course (any course) of action and then (during, afterwards) really pay attention to how you feel. Break paralysis through direct action.

Treat your life as a prototype, for they are forever being redone.

 

[DRM]

For me, photography often isn’t the main goal. If my main goal is to spend time in nature an/or to slow things down, then I generally head to an out of the way piece of private land and the camera comes along. Or perhaps I glide along in my canoe when the waters have opened up and the camera comes along. If conditions then aren’t suitable for great photos, I don’t care. However, if my priority is capturing a specific image, then I generally plan ahead and let the conditions dictate when and where I go and how I set up.

Admittedly, there’s often an intermingling of priorities, so it‘s not always so cut and dried, black and white, one or the other.