Alright, so today I finally got around to testing out Eliot Jacobson’s advice from his workshop guide. Figured I’d share how it actually went down, step by step, ’cause man, real-world practice is a different beast compared to just reading stuff.
Getting Started – Like Walking Into A Fog
Grabbed my old camera bag this morning feeling kinda pumped but also skeptical. Like, how much difference could these tips really make? Dusted off my main lens – honestly forgot the last time I cleaned it properly. Charged two batteries ’cause you always run out at the worst moments, right?
Set out aiming for “street photography” vibes downtown. Stupidly picked the busiest lunch hour. Crowds everywhere, shadows all wrong. Eliot talked about “understanding light,” so I literally stood there squinting at buildings like an idiot trying to find softer light pockets. Felt awkward as heck.
Actually Trying The Advice Out
So Eliot mentions “getting closer is free zoom.” Laughed at that one first. But I shoved my pride aside and shoved myself closer to a taco truck line. Snapped some messy-handed people shots. Felt invasive. Moved behind an alley dumpster instead. Weird angle. Got stubborn about messy backgrounds ruining shots.
Key thing I tried:
- Waited for backgrounds: Saw a fire escape ladder against a graffiti wall. Stood planted like a stubborn mule for like 10 minutes waiting for someone to walk through that space. Almost gave up ’til this lady with bright pink shoes shuffled by. Click. Best accidental shot of the day.
- Forced the simplicity rule: Found one crooked flower sprouting from a sidewalk crack. Crouched awkwardly, elbow on concrete, ignored people stepping over me. Zoomed in so tight all you see is cracked concrete and petals. Simple? Maybe. Probably deleted it later but felt proud while doing it.
Changed locations to the park. Kids screaming, cyclists whizzing by. Tried “capturing motion” like Eliot said. Panned with a skateboarder. First five shots: blurry disasters. Sixth one? You could actually see the wheels spinning and his tongue sticking out. Sweet relief!
Frustrations & Tiny Wins
For every decent frame, felt like I blew twenty others. Wasted half a battery taking blurry pigeon shots. Experimented shooting toward the sun – got mostly lens flares or pure black sillhouettes. Not artsy, just bad.
Got weird looks from security guards twice. Packed up quick. Thought about packing in early.
What Actually Stuck
Back home loading pics onto my laptop… realized I shot more “misses” than hits. But the hits? Man. That pink shoes lady and tongue-out skater? Never would’ve caught those last week. Eliot’s obsession with patience + background hunting finally clicked when I saw those shots.
Still suck at manual settings – leaned heavy on Auto mode like always. Lighting ain’t my friend yet either. But actually stopping to look before clicking? Huge. Didn’t suddenly turn into a pro, but caught a few frames that felt… intentional? Weird feeling.
Conclusion? Workshop advice worked… when I actually forced myself to practice it painfully slow. Gonna keep chasing pink shoes tomorrow.
