Look Back – Is the Best Shot Behind You?

On our Disney Cruise vacation, they announced that we would be arriving in Tortola (BVI) near sunrise, and the view of the ship pulling into port would be worth getting up for.  I was the only one in my family interested (no surprise there).

Walking around on the upper deck with a handful of other passengers at shortly after 6am, I looked over the front of the ship as we approached the islands.  The view was pretty, but not spectacular, mostly because the beautiful sunrise was behind the ship.  The “approaching” shot I had envisioned was not there.

Initial view approaching Tortola - www.tressiedavis.com

Growing bored, I turned and walked toward the back of the ship, and noticed immediately a better view was behind us.  Adjusting my camera settings for the more intense light and stunning color, my next shots evoke an entirely different feeling and memory of that morning – and my images do not do it justice.

Look back - the better view may be behind you - www.tressiedavis.com

Once the sun rose high enough in the sky, I again moved toward the front of the ship to catch our final approach to Tortola.  Was it worth getting up for?  Absolutely – a beautiful beginning to the day.

View Approaching Tortola - Disney Fantasy - www.tressiedavis.com

These three very different images were taken in the span of 30 minutes or so.  Lesson learned – sometimes it’s a good idea to look back…before facing forward once again.

She’s a Photographer

I released a relaxed exhale as we left the cruise ship and began our walk down the path to the beach, enjoying the happy laughter of our kids as they raced ahead, cool breeze flowing through my hair when…”excuse me, will you take our picture?”.  I awkwardly accepted the offered point and shoot and even more awkwardly try to figure out how it works as my dear husband says “you picked the right person, she’s a PHOTOGRAPHER“.

I wanted to slap him.

I don’t know why I am so uncomfortable with the title being blurted out like that. Is it because I perceive that other people will assume I should know how to work ALL cameras as I stupidly fumble with theirs?  Is it because I know in this moment, this light, this location they will get nothing more than a snapshot (some photographer, they will think when they review the photo) or is it in fear of the dreaded “me too!” As every Tom, Dick and Sally is now a “professional photographer”?  Or horror – if they really ARE a photographer, are they secretly judging me by the quality of their requested snapshot?

At that moment, it was a little of all of the above I think.

Am I a snob?  Maybe. Sometimes. But paradoxically I am also supremely insecure about my own abilities and wonder what my place is in the photography world.  Permanently ensnared between confidence and insecurity, flowing one way or the other with the wind – I’ve heard enough stories to know that I am not the only photographer/artist to feel this way.

So the next time I’m on vacation and I am the one that stops an unsuspecting passerby with “excuse me, will you take a picture of us?”, and she looks at me awkwardly as her husband pipes up “you asked the right person, she’s a PHOTOGRAPHER!’, I will smile warmly and say “me too”.

Riley and me in Grand Cayman (2011)
Riley and me in Grand Cayman (2011)