When I was an adjunct photo instructor, I had an assignment for my students that really challenged point of view and perspective. Find the best shot in a given scene, fine tune it until you're satisfied that you have the best shot possible given your surroundings. When you're satisfied that you have the best shot, find three more.
The point I was trying to make is that there are usually other great shots to be obtained if we simply open up our minds and allow the possibility of other shots. Sometimes, it's a micro shift moving slightly one way or another, and other times it might be a dramatic 180 degree swing. Often times, our egos get in the way of allowing the possibility of other shots, and other times it's just pure laziness.
A few years ago, we were adventuring across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming and hit up Yellowstone for a couple of nights. There was a new moon, so I was looking for a great location to do some astro photography. I found this 'perfect' spot in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Everything seemed to line up for a perfect shot. So, we enjoyed our day hiking and then got to the parking lot/trailhead a little after sunset. The nice thing about shooting at this time of day is there are no crowds. Our van was the only vehicle in the lot.
I gathered my gear and hiked down the trail and set up my shot. The stars were amazing, to say the least, and after determining my exposure, I began working on my composition. I worked it for 20 or 30 minutes, experimenting with some panoramic compositions that would be stitched together in post, some light painting of the canyon, and some vertical shots that would include the river raging below. Nothing was really working. The shot that I had previsualized in my head was just not materializing. It's ok. I'm learned a thousand times over that I do what I do not just for the final shot, but for the experience of trying to get the final shot. Being there, alone, at the top of the canyon on an unbelievably gorgeous night, was so valuable. The shot wasn't working and I finally gave in to that and just sat back to enjoy the beauty of my surroundings.
I hiked back down the trail to the van and loaded up my gear. As I was getting ready to go, something right in front of me caught my eye. There was a pair of pine trees with amazing root structures seemingly climbing out of the boulders in front of me. I got out to look at the roots and the trees and the stars and the canyon in the background. This wasn't the shot that I had scouted, but this could be the shot. So, I got my gear back out and got set up, and began exploring.
Every astro shot I have made has the power to transport me back in time to a beautiful night in the wild. This particular one always makes be chuckle because I had worked so hard to get another shot, which didn't work, and this one was created about 5' from the front bumper of my van.
The next morning, I hiked down to the bottom of the canyon at sunrise and got to enjoy another quiet moment before the park came alive with tourists in every direction. Here are two more shots taken from about the same spot, but tell two totally different stories.
There's always another shot- another moment, if you just take the time to open your eyes.
