There Are No "What Ifs" in Life
You just have to live with what is happening right now
I get so disappointed every time I miss a shot while I do street photography. Sometimes I see a really cool candid picture opportunity and I get so bummed when the moment passes by in the twinkle of an eye. Sometimes my shutter speed isn’t in the right setting. I don’t have time to change my lens or the aperture is off.
A prime example is when I stand at the corner of the bus station in downtown Cuidad Quesada, Costa Rica where the busiest scenes happen.
You would see prostitutes walking past in mini skirts and strappy high heels, street vendors sitting on their benches at the corner of restaurants and bars handing out tickets, you would also see homeless people begging for money on the street. A lot of pedestrians walk through this section and it is a great spot to get raw shots of real life in Cuidad Quesada.
However, I’m scared. I have to admit it. I can’t do it alone. As a petite woman on the street with my 35 mm Nikon I would never take out my equipment in broad daylight for all of these people to see. I feel so awkward. Pickpocketing is real in any largely concentrated location in the world.
So I fantasize about portraits of the details of a fast paced life. Pedistrians walking past with their cell phones. Vendors selling colorful fruit on the street and wrinkly old men whose tanned skin looks like aged leather, or the multiple layers of a tree’s trunk telling a story of his age. With his bear shining white as snow from the length of his chin while he smokes a cigarette who’s smoke lifts in the air in a spirally whisp. I am so mad I couldn’t capture all of it.
I would love to go out and take pictures with people who share the same sentiment. However, there are just some places I wouldn’t go into alone even if I did have the freedom to explore independently.
So, what if I did take it? I guess I can’t beat myself up and just be thankful for the photos I could capture. After all, there are no what-ifs in life. Only what is. And I have taken some great photos on my recent trip to Costa Rica that you can find, here.
Even so, I guess I have to live with my disappointment. There are so many great details I have captured mentally that I would have loved to document with my camera. It’s not the same to only describe what I have seen to actually show you. Nothing makes me happier than to find a complete story to share. Excuse me for talking about my what-ifs in life I know it’s not the same. I just care.
With that said I’m looking forward to new stories to write. I start class in a few weeks but I’m itching to travel again. There are so many great places I want to see. Here’s to new stories in the future. Thanks again for following along.