it only goes so far
Monday, March 29, 2010 at 02:25PM ;)
"Camping World" - click 'er for bigger
Some time back, it seemed as if Mike Chisholm was chiding me for "stalking" my photographs. Maybe I'm taking it personally, or maybe I'm not so very unusual in seeing compositions and planning in some detail how to capture a view imagined for some time in the minds eye. This view is a good case in point: I noticed this spot probably a year ago, but it wasn't until my recent return from mid continent that I had the time and inclination to stop and set up the camera. The location is at least two hours driving time from home and not really on the way to many places we head towards very frequently. This may not be the ideal time of day to have been here, but that's when I was passing by. Looks like we may be headed that direction again next week, so perhaps I can impose upon the fam to let me take some time to try again.
Reader Comments (2)
Don't worry in a few years it will be possible to buy an exo skeleton that will let you jump around as a gazelle ... he he he even with the view camera. But on the serious side. I understand pretty well the question. Only recently, after years of self imposed tripod and external light meter, I've started again to get around with the camera in hand. But in the end I do not think that it is a matter of gear. Problem is, as Mike described with great skill, the kind of approach. On one side the desire to obtain what we think may be a good picture on the other to devise what may be a good picture. If I was an oriental influenced one I would have said the Yin and the Yang of visual thinking. But each culture has its own metaphors.
Mauro,
Most definitely we're talking about the difference between the preplanned and the spontaneous. It's interesting that you mention you've recently started using a hand held technique after years of tripod use. I too run the extremes here: most of the pictures here are from digicam peashooters that never get set on a tripod. I've also begun using the medium format kit hand held, eschewing the need for so much DOF, and preferring to compose on the fly. And then there is the large format that goes on the tripod and requires a hand held meter. Each has it's place. Each is a different tool, and I know from my usage of tools in other trades that no one tool works in every situation.