Why You Should Shoot Alone

I am very privileged to be part of this wonderful photography community and have the opportunity to shoot with many different people. However the longer I do photography the more I value shooting on my own and in thus blog I want to share with you 3 reasons why that is and why maybe you should consider it too. Let me start by saying that I am not against shooting with friends or in groups. I think they bring their own benefits and there is nothing like seeing how someone else shoots in real life. As a matter of fact I encourage you to find other photographers within your immediate location, reach out and meet up. It will really do you and the community a world of good. So I am definitely not saying you should only shoot on your own and never meet up. I shoot with friends multiple times a month and love every minute of it. However I would argue that at least 50% of your photography should be done on your own. Also if you are introverted like me and love being on my own, to you this will be a piece of cake. However if you are extroverted then you might find this a little boring to start with, but hang in there because I promise it will be worth it. 

Less Distractions

Whenever I go on photo walks with any of my friends, I always end up chatting so much that my focus slowly shifts away from looking for photos to the conversation. I then find myself walking for at least a mile or so and not only do I not take any pictures but I am not even looking for any photos or compositions at all. When you are alone, you are 100% focused on looking for photos. You are constantly scanning the scene and your attention is not split between finding a picture and listening to what your friend is saying and thinking of what to answer. Now and again this is not an issue but if you only go out with other people, then the amount of actual practice you get will be far less compared to if you were on your own. By now I am sure you know that there is a direct correlation between how many actual hours of Photography under your belt and how quickly you progress. Another aspect to this is that how many times did you see a great scene, then all of you went to shoot the same scene but ended up dancing around because everyone was getting in everyones frame and quickly trying to get out of it. Finally everything I mentioned just exponentially amplifies the more people you are shooting with.

Original Ideas

Let’s say you and your friends are walking down the road and you see a wicked composition that you like. You then go to take it but your friends start suggesting different angles or maybe a different lens and you either get discouraged and start doubting yourself or you lose the idea that you had in the first place. Same can work in reverse where you see your friend taking a photo from a certain angle and rather than looking for your own unique perspective you just copy what your friend is doing. A lot of this can be subconscious but the more you shoot with others the more you absorb how they shoot.

In moderation this is fantastic, however if all you do is see how others shoot, then you will not really develop your own voice within photography and just end up copying what your friends are doing without even realising. 

Taking Your Time

Those of you who love to travel alone will relate to this point. Basically when you are shooting with others, you have to respect their time and their wishes. Let’s say you’re shooting a particular street, it is your favourite kind of light and you really feel confident about getting a wicked photo. So you are working the scene, fully in the zone but at the corner of your eye you see your friend is patiently waiting because maybe this kind of location or light is not their cup of tea. Even though I am sure they are ok to wait, at the back of your mind you know that it would be rude to just take your time, so you end up rushing. Because you’re rushing, you either miss an opportunity or maybe get the wrong camera settings or even just don’t stay around long enough to wait for the right subject and get the shot you want. So you end up with 1 or 2 mediocre photos and move on. Now and again this is not an issue, but if his is how you shoot most or all of the time, I don’t think you will progress very far to be honest.

Standing Out Less

This applies more to street photography or any kind of photography in a built up area. Let’s just imagine there is a fantastic street with the best light and some old geezer with a massive cuban cigar, smoke everywhere, the sun piercing through the smoke in the process silhouetting the guy and overall the scene just looks mega. Let’s also imagine that you and 3 of your mates are out shooting and you all see that scene and all go to shoot it. I can bet my house (I don’t own one but let pretend I do) that the guy will notice and wonder “wtf is going on here, I feel weird let me go back inside” 

Just like that you all lost that shot. Also if you are walking around with your cameras out and there is more than 2 or 3 of you, I can guarantee everyone will be looking thinking why is that group of people taking photos, who are they. So although you can still walk away with great photos, your chances of getting pure candid moments in the street is much lower. 

Not to mention that in this current society full of arrogant security guards, if you are in a group you have no chance of shooting in a more “private” part of town without them running over and telling you how important they are.

Time To Think, Learn & Relax

This last point can be applied to anything really and to just photography. When you are just walking around on your own, you have time to think. You can think about your photography or even about anything else that’s going on in your life. In today’s busy always switched on world, it can be so easy to just get caught up in the daily task list ticking frenzy that we forget to just think. Maybe you are struggling to think of a photo project or even what you should do about your job. You see after a while walking around looking for photos will at times become a subconscious activity. 

You will almost do it on autopilot. This means that your best ideas or just thinking through problems will happen whilst you’re walking around looking for photos. A bit like being in the shower and getting a wicked idea for something. So bring a small notebook just in case after a while you will definitely reap the rewards. Even if you don’t think about anything worthwhile you will definitely find this experience a huge stress reliever. Finally if you are more on the extroverted side and being on your own in silence is difficult, then I suggest a good audio book or podcast. At least that way you will also learn something new. Failing that, music is a great way to zone out. 

Important Caveat

All the above is assuming you live in a fairly safe area and shoot during the day. If you are going out at night, or maybe if you are going to shoot in a rougher part of town, then I encourage you to not go on your own for your safety. This is even more critical if you need to hike somewhere, shoot in nature or the location is remote….. so should something happen you have someone with you to help.