Fast Is Slow, Slow Is Fast
Fast is Slow, Slow is Fast
The Photographer’s Paradox
Faster cameras. Faster lenses. Faster workflows.
We shoot more because we can. But here’s the paradox: the faster we shoot, the slower we work.
Every burst, every “just in case” frame, compounds into hours of culling and indecision later.
We trade the thrill of the moment for the grind of the edit, with hundreds of near-identical frames, milliseconds apart, all waiting for us to decide which one was the one.
The Irony of Motion
In photography, we slow down shutter speeds to reveal motion — to make time visible.
A slower shutter transforms chaos into calm: water becomes silk, traffic becomes light trails, movement becomes emotion.
But when we as photographers move too fast, when we shoot without slowing down to see, we lose that same clarity.
We might capture motion, but we miss the meaning.
Burst Mode Isn’t the Villain
Burst mode is a brilliant tool.
When something truly unpredictable is happening, fleeting expressions, fast action, moments that exist for a fraction of a second, burst mode can save the shot.
But it’s a scalpel, not a hammer.
It’s there for when anticipation meets uncertainty, not for every click, every walk, every look.
If the scene doesn’t demand speed, the tool can become a trap.
You end up with 47 versions of the same image, all technically fine, none emotionally distinct.
The Discipline of Deliberate Shooting
There’s a quiet power in slowing down.
Planning your frame before you lift the camera.
Anticipating instead of reacting.
Letting the moment unfold instead of chasing it.
When you work that way, your edit becomes faster, not because you’ve automated it, but because you’ve already made the decisions that matter. You saw the shot before you took it.
Fast is slow. Slow is fast.
You save time not by rushing, but by being intentional.
You finish your edit earlier not by shooting more, but by shooting better.
The Real “One Weird Trick”
It’s not an AI plugin.
It’s not a Lightroom preset.
It’s not the latest camera body.
It’s simply knowing when to stop.
Because sometimes the most efficient thing you can do for your workflow, and your creativity, is to pause, breathe, and take one photo that means something… instead of fifty that don’t.
In Practice
✅ Use burst mode when timing is critical: sports, fast action, genuine unpredictability.
❌ Don’t rely on it for safety shots or filler.
⚡ Anticipate instead of react.
📷 Shoot with intention.
⏱️ Spend more time seeing, less time sorting.
