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Chimping Photography

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Photographers are pretty good at delivering creative and self-deprecating insults. From GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) to pixel peeping, just look at any photography forum today and you’ll find a new term that can make you smile and cringe simultaneously. at the time. One of my personal favorites is Chimping- a word that describes photographers who revisit their photos too often, often at the worst of times. But perhaps the chimpanzee didn’t quite deserve the bad reputation it brought.

What Is Chimping?

Chimping is another word for reviewing photos right after you take them – usually while you’re still there with an exciting scene in front of you. Almost everyone has at some point unless you’re an all-film photographer. But he is still looked down upon by photographers.

If you ever wondered why it’s called Chimping, it’s supposedly based on “Ooh, ooh, ooh!” the sounds photographers make when they check out a beautiful photo they’ve just taken. I don’t know anyone who actually looks like a Chimping when looking at the pictures, but you have to admit, it’s a catchy name. (Some say it’s based on a stripped-down version of “Test Preview Image” if you like the boring possibility.)

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Why Chimping Has a Bad Reputation

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“Photographer is distracted” is almost a cliché these days. They always look at their most recent photo, never on the stage in front of them. You will periodically see images of a photographer at the Olympics or other major sporting event who missed the perfect moment because he was staring at his LCD screen. Chimping sounds silly, but it hurts if you get hit. Think of the wildlife photographer who sits for hours waiting for the right moment, then misses it because he looks away at the wrong time. Or the landscape photographer revisits his previous photos while waiting for the light to change, only to find himself running out of battery when that matters most.

In the same way, if you get in the habit of singing after every good picture you take, it could come back to bite you at a crucial moment. It’s like photographers saying “Ooh, ooh, ooh!” congratulate yourself at the wrong time. Chimpanzees have their uses, but sometimes it functions as little more than an early reward.

But It Isn’t All Bad

Sure, chimpanzees have a negative reputation, but that doesn’t mean you should stick to your LCD. Sometimes reviewing photos is the best thing you can do to improve photos taken in the field. That’s really one of the main advantages of digital photography over film – a way to correct your mistakes in the field while you still have the chance. So while it’s a bad idea to shoot fast action, it can be a very useful technique for slower shots. Some photographers will tell you that even a slow shot can change quickly, and it’s true; You must always be prepared. But sometimes being prepared means taking advantage of all the tools available to make the best possible next move.

Some large format photographers carry around a Polaroid instant camera for this purpose – to see what the final photo will look like, at least roughly. Photographers using the same equipment today often prefer compact phones or cameras for the same purpose, but the basic idea is the same. There’s no better time to improve a bad shot than while you’re still on the court.

Confession Time: I’m a Chimper

I’ve hinted at that so far in this article, but I think it’s time to be completely transparent – I’m a chimpanzee. Always so, probably always will be. I’m sure this got me in trouble a few times, although I can’t think of a specific case (maybe because the amazing event happened so quickly that I never even thought of it.) now see it). At a bare minimum, I know my battery life isn’t good as I cheat a lot and that has certainly contributed to a number of bugs over the years.

Again, some parts of photography are intrinsically associated with trade-offs, and I think chimpanzees are one of them. It’s often a good idea to spend time improving your next photo even if you haven’t captured anything new in the meantime. Think of it like a landscape photographer going from good foreground to better foreground in good lighting; they may miss a few hits along the way, but the trade-off will probably be worth it.

Conclusion

Ultimately, “chimp or no chimp” is a pseudo-dilemma. In many cases, there’s nothing wrong with that, because the chances of something crazy happening while you’re waiting are very low. At times, being non-chimp can be downright silly, such as in the studio, where you have as much downtime as you need from shot to shot. Many studio photographers take pictures strapped to laptops for exactly this reason: chimpanzees use steroids. But if you’re in the middle of a great moment and you think it won’t last long, you’d be crazy to start reviewing the photos before it’s over! The same goes for a wedding or other events in the most important moments.

If you chimpanzee in such cases, it can be a big disaster. However, this should come as no surprise to most photographers, and to be honest, I don’t think many people make this mistake. Like all things in photography, it’s best to find balance. I’m probably more of a chimpanzee fan than most photographers, but as long as you keep both sides of the coin in mind – avoiding distractions without limiting the tools at your disposal – you’re good to go. right direction. And if you’ve never heard of chimpanzees before, now you know another great photography term for starting the right business.

Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo

GET YOUR FREE DEMO

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