Mind Set & Image Cache.

[Greg Blank]

By this time, close to 27 years into my large format photograohy I had an ah ha enlightened realization yesterday. When your driving around looking for images, as we all know its hard to get the exact image one sees from behind the wheel to manifest on a piece of film. Usually I find what I fact make in a landscape image is a compromise from what I wanted when I stopped, to do with angle the image is possible and the lenses that I carry (Usually a fairly broad range).

When I drive and see something worthy to stop for, it seemingly vanishes. I think as you drive around you take in small segments of the big scene, and your mind is piecing them into a best of the best scenario....sort of caching the views all together. Then at some point the compulsion to make an image overrides wether the thing you are idealizing really exists. So what do others think?

[Nathan Potter]

Blank Greg, I think your vision is in conflict with reality. When you are driving around you're only seeing glances of what is hidden to the casual observer. You can't really get at the substance of what is there unless you take the time to study it. I think you can only construct a memorable image after you infuse your own life experiences into the scene in a way that imparts an unmistakable and personal statement about what you saw.

I know your dilemma exactly. Well I'm a photographer, not a wordsmith but maybe you get my jist.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Michael Graves]

Never underestimate the value of a car top platform strong enough to support your weight and wide enough to support you and your tripod. Half the time I find that the scene I caused a six-car pileup in order to shoot does not look as good from ground position because I didn't notice the underbrush in the way, or the %$^&%^%^% fence post just can't be cropped out. Getting four feet higher is a small, but very powerful distance in many cases. Of course, if you fall, don't blame me.

[Greg Blank]

I have actually been toying with that, I guess AA knew something after all

Never underestimate the value of a car top platform strong enough to support your weight and wide enough to support you and your tripod. Half the time I find that the scene I caused a six-car pileup in order to shoot does not look as good from ground position because I didn't notice the underbrush in the way, or the %$^&%^%^% fence post just can't be cropped out. Getting four feet higher is a small, but very powerful distance in many cases. Of course, if you fall, don't blame me.

[jp]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-Lange_car.jpg

Dorothea Lange likes the view from atop the car better too.

I'm thinking the issue the OP is experiencing is that we don't get all details of a scene just driving along. I am often asked by my wife if I noticed on my way home if certain people were home or if I noticed someone's flowers. Of course not, I was driving and most of my attention went to keeping an eye out for children or animals in the road, bicyclists, cops with radar guns, deer, etc...

Being drawn to the scene means you have working eyes of a photographer, then the work begins.

I think if you are drawn to a scene along the road, it's capable of producing some nice photo results, but it takes time, effort, and repeat visits. There is a marsh a few miles from my place that has a very nice scenic road going through. It's the type of place I think about stopping at. I've stopped and made photos 4 times, and done aerial photos once. Each time I stopped, even though I didn't go far, it ate up an hour. There's lots of places like this. I know I could go back a whole bunch more times for different great photos.

Here's two LF images from two visits.





dslr from above



dslr shooting cars along the route (IR filter)


As you can see the variety of possibility are huge. Google "weskeag marsh" or "r waldo tyler" for more images from other people which are different too.

[Jeremy Moore]

Majestic tripod w/ a small step-ladder works pretty well for doing the same thing.