Picky Strategy

Even though I planned to shoot one event at WinterCity yesterday evening, I ended up photographing two of them, along with a few “practice” shots. In reality, there were a few events I could have photographed, ranging from the skating party to the performances of the Flaming Lotus Girls. However, I deliberately decided to concentrate on two of these events as opposed to spreading myself thin for the sake of quantity.

One of my reasons for doing this was the cold weather. Mind you, I had a new pair of gloves; along with my good old Hot Paws, they helped me keep my hands warm and shoot dexterously. Even with those facts, the chill can still get to you when you’re not at one of the warming stations. My other reason for this strategy was the desire for optimal positioning. As I found out the hard way at Faber Drive’s Cavalcade Of Lights concert, if you’re not in optimal proximity to the event, you might as well not take any photos. This ultimately depends on the lens you’re using, but don’t forget that my main lens is a 50mm prime. As a result, I’m forced to zoom with my feet.

The majority of people crowded around the events right before they began. If I followed this crowd, I might have photographed more events, but the resulting shots would have been from lackluster viewpoints. I instead found out where the shows were set up so that I could better position myself before they started, thus leaving the spectating to the spectators.

I don’t mind giving my cameras a break, but I prefer to make this decision before I leave home.