Photographer Michael Gordon, in a recent piece on his blog, discussed “getting the shot.”  The primary focus of the post covers the notion of “getting the shot” as a kind of conquest or triumphal experience.  A related, but distinct, concept covered near the end of the article is the implication that the term “the shot” implies that there is merely one, single shot to be had at a given photo location.

If you read the original post, you’ll see that Michael is less than complimentary about each of these ideas.  I wholeheartedly agree with him, and I’d like to share a few thoughts of my own on the subjects.

Chimney Rock Overlook, Red River Gorge, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky

Photography as Conquest

Proceeding with the notion that there’s a specific shot to identify and obtain from a given location makes me think of having a to-do list and…