At 49, you inevitably start thinking about such things. Gray hair? Whatever. Reading glasses for looking at the screen? I can live with that. But what if my reflexes are slowing down and I'm missing those crucial moments?
Here's the good news upfront: Science confirms that our reaction time decreases by a few milliseconds each year after age 20. But honestly, who needs milliseconds when you're trying to capture moments?
Back in the day, I thought a good photographer was simply the fastest one to press the shutter. As if the magical moment would dash past like a shy deer, requiring lightning-quick reactions. Today, I know better: The real art often lies in waiting patiently for the right moment to develop in the first place. Whether I release the shutter a second earlier or later? No big deal.
Over all these years behind the camera, I've noticed: The best shot is rarely the fastest one. While some colleagues frantically hammer away at their shutters, I wait calmly for exactly that moment I've already seen before it even exists. Call it intuition, experience, or just well-timed doing nothing.
The most beautiful moments? For me, they're the genuine ones. Those where the model has completely forgotten about the camera and is simply being themselves.
It's funny how differently people approach this topic. Some swear by their 20-frames-per-second cameras. I, on the other hand, prefer to rely on my internal clock, which tells me pretty accurately when the moment is ripe. When I can feel it. Sometimes I feel like an old weather frog, sensing the rain before the first cloud appears in the sky. And sometimes I miss the right moment and frantically tell the model: "Don't move, don't move!"
So what about reaction time? Should it be trained? Is it important? I think so: As a photographer, you definitely need good reflexes. And you need to stay alert. That means staying physically active and eating healthy. But good photos only happen when you stop thinking about reaction times altogether.