Make sure you don't set your expectations too high in your photography

Monday 21 March 2022, 16:32 by Nando Harmsen | 5,282 views | 13 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Sometimes things don't go your way. You head out to take photos with high expectations, but they are not met.

The location turns out to be disappointing, the light is not good, or something else goes wrong and you cannot take the photo you were hoping for.

The problem probably lies with the expectations you had

My experiences photographing the Opal Coast

I love the Opal Coast, where the chalk cliffs of France look across the Channel towards the White Cliffs of Dover. With huge differences between high and low tide, it is a utopia for the landscape photographer who likes shooting with long shutter speeds.

This requires planning. You have to book an apartment, or a hotel. You go for a few days, because the distance is too great to do this in a single day. However grand your plans are, they always depend on the weather, because you cannot plan that.

Hmm, these are not exactly the conditions I had hoped for. What now?
I set off with the idea of photographing beautiful sunrises with the wreck that can be found somewhere on the beach at low tide. So I had taken the tides into account, making sure it would be low tide at sunrise.

But when I arrived at the Opal Coast, things were very different from what I had hoped for. It was raining, and when it was dry there was an even grey blanket of cloud that made the light diffuse and uninteresting.

There I was before dawn, on the beach, with a beautiful wreck in front of me, without any sign of a rising sun.

There you are, imagining a photo of the wreck against a fantastic sunrise. That is very disappointing.

At that moment, it can be depressing. It is not how you expected it to be, and the inspiration disappears like... well, snow in the sun. The reason this happened was partly due to the high expectations I had. I had not allowed enough for the possibility that things could turn out differently.

Were all the photos from this weekend a failure? No, not at all. It was difficult to get over the disappointment, and I had to accept that I would not be taking the photos I had wanted. Eventually, once I had adjusted my expectations, I saw other possibilities.

A photo in the late twilight. It was not a planned photo, but I saw it when we were there.

This applies to other types of photography too

I have used landscape photography on the Opal Coast as an example. But of course, this applies to all types of photography. It does not matter whether you are photographing a landscape or doing a model shoot. Even expectations for a wedding shoot can work against you.

Try heading out with a more open mindset. You can of course have ideas, but also bear in mind that things may turn out differently. The advantage of an open mindset is that you are less likely to be thoroughly disappointed and then lose your inspiration.

I had no expectations when I took this photo. I let the landscape sink in and saw the opportunity appear. I do remember that I could not stay there for long because the tide was coming in.

It is not a problem to come home without photos

In most cases, photography is not something you have to do. Except when you have been commissioned, of course. You take photos because you enjoy it, and because the conditions are photogenic.

If the conditions are not photogenic, you can also choose not to take any photos. Or, as in my case on the Opal Coast, simply enjoy a weekend away with nothing more than a few photos to remember it by.

The funny thing is that changing your mindset from having to take photos to putting aside that self-imposed obligation can lead to inspiration. Once you let go of the pressure to take photos, inspiration can simply take you by surprise.

You start seeing things in places where you would otherwise only look.

As grey as the weekend on the Opal Coast began, it ended with clear blue skies. This was not exactly the most photogenic situation either. But you take things as they come, and as long as your expectations are not too high, taking photos is a joy. And if it does not work out, there is always next time.
In this way, the disappointment of having expectations that are too high can still turn into photos you would never have imagined taking.

Have you ever had expectations that were too high? Do you come home with photos that are just not quite right, or with no photos at all? Share your experience in a comment below this post.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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13 comments

guest wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 10:44 | reply
I never set out with a plan in my head .I set out and see how it goes I like to be surprised .
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 11:56 | reply
A cool article Nando. Your experience matches mine. It was in December 2004 that my wife and I went on our honeymoon to South Africa. We rented a car there so we could travel around from our fixed base in Komatipoort near the border with Mozambique and close to Kruger Park. Compact camera with us (I didn't have anything else back then) to take lots of photos. Among other things, I thought I'd photograph lions, but on all 5 days that we were in Kruger Park we didn't see a single lion during the day. How do you think that came about? It was the height of summer, dense vegetation, tall grass. What a disappointment. We did enjoy ourselves though and took lots of photos. This story also shows that you shouldn't have overly high expectations. You can't force nature.
I learned from it. I take the circumstances of the moment as they are and still take photos too. I always come home with something worthwhile.
Nando, you've given me an idea: the Opal Coast. Unlike you, I don't really have to plan that. I can do that there and back in a day, because for us it's not that far to drive. The only thing I do want to take into account is the weather. If the weather is reasonable to good on a given day, we can get in the car in the morning and be back home in the evening.
One thing we leave at home: overly high expectations 😃
Translated from Dutch.

Vbruggeman wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 12:59 | reply
Nice article, I always leave without an idea, and to be honest without preparation (which means I run into disappointments on another level). Long exposures…you can take wonderful photos with them …as long as you’re not a tripod hater like me (which is already a first limitation) My only preparation is: which lens do I take with me: wide-angle or telephoto. Opal Coast: stunning, in my opinion, beautiful in any kind of weather… the photo at dusk: Boulogne - sur - mer?
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 13:07 | reply
@guest, that's not so good, letting yourself be 'cremated'.😂😜
Translated from Dutch.

Liesbeth Verkade wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 13:16 | reply
Soooo recognisable! When we moved here more than 6 years ago I thought: great, I can take brilliant photos here, especially of the roe deer. To this day, not a single one. Over the years I have managed to take quite a few photos that I am happy with, sometimes very special ones. Until recently, that was always when I was just out and about. If I went out to take photos I always came back empty-handed because, indeed, the light wasn't right, there were too many people walking around, etc.
The last year I have done things differently: when I go out to take photos I make myself come home with at least 2 photos. Light not right, a macro shot is almost always possible. The surroundings not what I expected, walking around for a bit often still produces an interesting angle. This has helped me enormously not to get too stuck in what I had imagined.
And if it still turns out to be nothing .... oh well, at least I got out for a bit!
Translated from Dutch.

Liesbeth Verkade wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 13:17 | reply
Beautiful photos in your article, by the way!
Translated from Dutch.

Kees wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 18:09 | reply
very relatable. last week I rented a lens to take photos of my little sister's reception with her husband. when I arrived at the location it turned out the whole thing was taking place in a tractor museum and I immediately noticed how poorly lit that shed was. with the mindset of just making the best of it I started documenting things. I soon noticed that the results were disappointing me. but no worries, I kept photographing and played around with back button focus. good learning moment.
Translated from Dutch.

peter heins wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 19:12 | reply
On March 16, I unexpectedly found myself at a beautiful little jetty by the Amstelmeer. The 2 days before that had had beautiful sunsets. However, when I was there, the sky completely clouded over, and there was Sahara sand too. But I did enjoy myself, what a cool place for next time. I just saw it as location scouting, it was a surprisingly beautiful spot for next time.
Translated from Dutch.

martinphili wrote on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 21:52 | reply
I would like to turn it around for once. During car club meetings I regularly walk around taking photos and by now people know me here and there. I invariably get the question 'if I'm making those beautiful photos again', which creates an expectation pattern. When I'm out for a car magazine, too, people expect me to come back with good material and often there is no second chance. I also have days when things don't go my way, the light sometimes doesn't cooperate or whatever. Exactly what was described above.

The headline of this article could therefore also be aimed at those others: Make sure you don't create too high expectations of someone's photography.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Thursday 24 March 2022 at 10:30 | reply
@martinphili:
With your last sentence, you say that you shouldn't look up to a photographer and their work. Isn't that a bit strange?
You can certainly have high expectations of someone's photography, why not? If that photographer then doesn't meet those expectations, then that photographer may not be as good as you thought after all.
As a photographer, you can influence people's expectations. Only show your best work and people look up to you. Also show the less good work and you're 'just' an ordinary photographer.
Translated from Dutch.

martinphili wrote on Thursday 24 March 2022 at 19:24 | reply
No, that's not what I'm saying. So it's not strange.
What I am saying is that the public often has a (too) high set of expectations. No photographer can always meet those high expectations. Not you and not me. So...., and that is what I'm saying: people shouldn't think that we always just take beautiful pictures. See the first paragraph of this piece. Sometimes you're just not having your day and it doesn't work out.
And then you can say that you should only show your best photos but of course that's not always how it works.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Monday 28 March 2022 at 10:26 | reply
@Martinphili:
The point of the story is clear, isn't it? Only show your best work, not the mediocre work. If you have nothing more than mediocre work on one occasion, then show nothing. If you only have mediocre work, then that best work was an exception.
If you're not having your day, don't show anything.

What others think or expect, you have no control over that and you can't change anything about it. Don't worry about that either, because you can't please everyone anyway, and you shouldn't want to. If you worry about that, then photographing will by definition no longer work.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Monday 28 March 2022 at 12:55 | reply
@Nando, I quote: 'because you can't please everyone anyway', end quote. Isn't it the case that as an artist/photographer you should ALWAYS do what you want? Unless you have to carry out a precisely defined assignment. In your personal work, in my view, you always do what you want.
Translated from Dutch.

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