Photography and the Art of Being Early

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I've added a new step to my morning routine, EVERY morning. I make sure I'm never too busy to take a scroll through my Facebook "Home" page and catch up on what everyone has been sharing. Last night Ed Heaton shared the image below from Grand Teton, and I loved it so much I wanted to share it as an SCU guest post this morning. Ed is no stranger to SCU, and I've shared a few of his images over the years. 

​What I loved about this one was the stunning image combined with the point he made about arriving on the scene early. Ed and his son are award-winning landscape artists, but it occurred to me that "arriving early" needs to be every artist's mantra. For Ed and Zach it was about securing a good spot without the crowds, but for many of you, especially wedding photographers, it's about being prepared and just possibly capturing those first special emotion-filled moments of a couple before they officially start their life together.

Click on Ed's shot of Grand Teton below to see more of his work and Zach's. And, check out his workshop schedule. Whether a workshop or private instruction, Ed Heaton Photography offers some of the finest educational support in photography.

by Ed Heaton

One might say “there’s no need to get there early, we have plenty of time before the sun rises”. Well, anyone that knows Zach and I will tell you that we always arrive early to capture slightly different images and to secure a good spot. I’ve done this since I’ve been teaching workshops and I will continue doing it because I do not like fighting for a good spot in line 😊

Here we were first to arrive which allowed us to capture the stars over the Grand Teton with the full moon lighting the scene. Not long after we got our shots, people and headlights started showing up polluting the scene. I’m not complaining about other photographers per say, the problem I have is the lack of courtesy and common sense.

Don’t walk in front of other photographers and don’t keep shining your light around the whole scene (someone certainly could have the shutter open). It’s just a fact of life these days and I’ve learned to deal with it but that doesn’t mean I like it! 
 
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