Composing in my head

By the title of this rambling, you might think I was some talented writer and that I was humming into life a new musical compostion.  But, alas, I am not a talented musician.  I am however, an amatuer photographer, ( I will leave you to decide on the talented part or not!).  I have a photo running around in my head that I have been "composing" for days now.  Most think that photos are just snapped at the moment to "catch" whatever is happening for posterity.  But there are MANY of us who get an idea for a photo and we think about it ahead of times, sometimes for seconds, sometimes for days or longer depending on what is being photographed.  Ansel Adams would go to Yosemite at many different times of the year and  different times of the day to compose his shots based on the angle of the light and the weather.  For me, I will get an idea for a shot sometimes and will spend days thinking how to position the camera, when is the best time of day for lighting, should it be cloudy or clear, what fstop and speed to shoot at, would it be better closer or farther away.  So many thoughts for one picture.  Granted, when I actually go to take the picture, I will take several shots from different angles and with different exposures just to insure that I don't miss that moment and that I get that shot that I have been thinking of.  Then I  go to my trusty computer and see if I got "that" certain shot, or if I can maniuplate one of my photos through editing to become "that" shot. Part of my contemplation is my inexperience, but another part is pure compostion, no less than the composing of an aria, but maybe not as long lived or extravagant.  Sometimes the photo will be seen by just a few family and friends, but on the rare occassions when all the pieces fall into place and a shot works "just right", it may be seen by hundreds via social media.  Either way, just like the earlier statement I made about art or not, it comes down to me being satisfied with the effort I made to match the shot in my head with the one that comes out on paper when I print it.  I think I speak for a lot of photographers when I say that the brain shot and the print shot coming together is a rare, but exhilerating moment!