I never have been one to over-shoot or take pictures I didn’t need. I bristle when I hear an alleged photographer make a statement such as, “I just shoot ’til I’m out of film/card, ’cause it’s usually the ‘accidental’ shots that turn out best.”  Such a naive statement is a sure sign of someone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing. I was taught, and reminded frequently, that time (and film) has value, and one should know what they’re going to shoot and how to shoot it before the camera ever leaves the bag.

At the same time, I was also taught that if you see a good shot, take it, even if it’s not part of the assignment. News doesn’t always schedule itself, and that Pulitzer-winning shot (which I’ve yet to take) may be waiting where we were planning on shooting something totally different. As a result, I have more than a few files with single, totally unrelated images, dropped in the middle of a fashion editorial.

Even among cohesive sets, there are often shots that, while intentionally included in the shoot, are left out of the final set because they don’t quite match the tone of the other shots, or don’t provide a specific element, such as the model’s face. These are frequently detail shots, focusing on something specific such as a piece of jewelry, or a unique combination of curves. I always hate leaving those shots behind and promise myself to go back and work them later. Unfortunately, later rarely happens.

Until now. The gallery that follows is a brief collection of those details that have been “left behind,” stuck, unprocessed, in the middle of sets that have been finished and perhaps even forgotten. There’s no real cohesiveness to the gallery, other than all the shots are black and white. They come from a variety of sources, scattered across several months well back into 2011. They’re just single images that deserve their own chance to be seen and appreciated.

So please, view the following pictures as you might an exhibition, and enjoy the uniqueness of each one.