
I learned a long time ago that when you see a photo opportunity, don't pass it up thinking you'll come back to it later and take the picture. Almost certainly it won't be there. It doesn't matter what it is, if you don't make the effort to capture the moment, more than likely it will be gone forever when you decide it's finally time to go back and take the shot.
A case in point is this photograph from India. I was leading a photo tour and my group and I were driving past this temple complex in Jaipur. I spotted this group of women on the balcony and I thought to myself it was a great shot, but we were on our way to a restaurant about 3 blocks away. I knew it would be a lot more convenient to reach our destination and park, and then after lunch walk back to the temple to grab the shot. I also knew, though, that this scene could very easily evaporate. Upon our return the graphic architecture would still be nice to shoot but the women might not be there. So, I asked the driver to stop in a very inconvenient place and we all got out of the vehicle and quickly took the picture.
It pays to push yourself to get the shot. A missed opportunity sticks in your mind forever, and you remember the incident with a bitter sweet sting.
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