f/8 and Be There!
JUNE 17, 2024
Photo by david breslauer
Sometimes I am asked how I make my photographs, as I know many of my fellow photographers are often asked. The answer, now a mantra of many a photographer is “f/8 and be there!” Attributed to Weegee (Arthur Fellig, well-known for his stark black and white street photography in New York City in the 1930s and 40s), the well-known saying among experienced photographers is shorthand for know your equipment, know how to use it, know your subject and don’t just be physically present, be mentally present as well.
The “f/8” actually came from when actually selecting “f/8” for the lens aperture was actually a thing. It was a lens opening that a flash could properly expose and also had sufficient depth of field to have both foreground and background in focus using the lens typically used in news photography on a large format camera as was common at the time of Weegee. It allowed the photographer to preset the camera before walking into a photographic situation.
In the old days of film, an experienced photographer would be able to change film without looking at their camera. Going back to the time of Weegee, this meant changing film holders…each holder had two sheets of film. Being able to quickly insert the holder, pull the dark slide so the film could be exposed, putting the dark slide back in the holder to protect the film from light and then either reversing the holder to photograph on the second sheet of film or swapping it for a second holder, all without losing mental focus (being there). An experienced photographer could change their film holder in much less time than it took to write this.
Being able to reach in a pocket or camera bag, grab a roll of film and exchange it for the film just rewound in camera was no small feat for 35mm photographers that came later.
Experienced photographers often carried more than a single camera body with different lenses so as not to lose their focus taking time to change lenses. They know their equipment and are able to make changes to settings without looking away from the viewfinder. Modern cameras have made this easier, as often critical information is displayed in the viewfinder or on the back of the camera. It may even be possible to control what information is displayed. Being able to push the correct button to control functions such as over/under exposure, autofocus modes and other routine tasks without looking (i.e. using muscle memory) is critical so the photographer can stay in the moment and not lose mental focus, not to mention actual focus on the subject at hand.
This is why it is important to get out there and make images even if you are not that thrilled with the subject at hand. Just like athletes practice before competition, photographers need to practice maintaining their edge and ensuring they remember how to control their camera’s functions without thinking about it. In other words, it should be second nature. The camera must become an extension of your body, doing what you want it to do. Many of my former colleagues, now retired, go out every day to make images to stay sharp. The same might be said about post processing as well.
Staying in touch with your computer skills is equally important. I will bet there are useful undiscovered features in your image processing program.
Now about “Being there.” This is all about being prepared both physically and mentally. Doing your homework ahead of time, knowing what to expect when you arrive for your “event,” whether it is an actual event like a baseball game, wedding or news conference, or waiting for the wolf to emerge from the trees or the light to fall perfectly on the mountain landscape in front of you. Knowing about the game, event, location in advance will help prepare you mentally for your photographic endeavors. When I was making photos for the Associated Press I was often assigned to baseball games. After about a week, no one wanted to see second base action, one of the easier and predictable situations at a game. So it was important to learn about the game before it was played…any other stories of significance; records about to be broken, players about to be traded. This mindset is appropriate for all photographic endeavors. While my focus has changed from journalistic photographer to capturing wildlife and landscapes, the notion of “f.8 and be there” could not be any more important. Know what time the sun comes up or sets. What is the weather expected to do? “Be prepared” as the Scouts would say.
In a little more than two weeks from now the Union Pacific engine 4014, also know as “Big Boy” will be coming to Utah. The historic steam locomotive was built in 1941 and was designed for the grades of the Wasatch mountains in Utah. It has been restored and will be making a tour of the West. Many in our local photographic community have expressed an interest in photographing it. I have suggested they drive the roads and highways along the route ahead of time to figure out where a suitable place to be might be found and what lens they may want to use. Since trains actually use this track, photographers that are doing advance work may actually get a chance to photograph a stand-in. And then, they should plan on arriving early to ensure they can park their car and get an appropriate shooting position. Photographers will likely only get the one opportunity as the train comes through because of all of the train enthusiasts expected to arrive. Might be a good photo opportunity.
Taking care of the f/8 part, preparing my camera for the current circumstances, and the “be there,” making sure I am at the right place at the right time (usually ahead of time), and having completed my preplanning, I can focus on making the actual image, leaving nothing to chance. This is how I make my photographs. “F/8 and be there!”