As I was processing this image, I noticed I’ve started developing a bad photographic habit. When I go for walks, I usually take a small camera bag in the car containing my camera and a couple of lenses, usually the 24mm and 50mm focal lengths. The bag only carries two lenses and I figure these would capture a majority of what I would shoot. When I come across a subject I want to photograph, I’ll run back to the car and choose one of the two lenses for the photo. So carrying my camera has become a good habit I’ve developed.

One of my favorite photographic genres is macro or close-up photography. So a lot of times on my walks, I’ll see something that neither of these two lenses are designed to shoot. So I cut corners. I take the shot with what I have. The tiny subject is virtually lost in the larger image. Then in Lightroom, I will super-crop the image to compose the tiny subject. Fortunately, my camera has enough resolution to do this and maintain integrity to the image. Then I will use software to increase the resolution so the cropped image now has about four times the resolution than the original image.

The better process would be either to carry a larger bag so I can take my macro lens and shoot those close-up subjects appropriately or leave either the 24mm or 50mm at home in place of the macro lens. That way I’m better prepared for these moments.

One part of me thinks “What’s the problem with your current practice? At least you’re getting the shot.” But the other part of me knows I would create better images with greater resolution if I took the photo properly. And like all habits, I know a future moment will rest upon the kind of habits I’ve created.