October 14, 2008.......................................................................HOME.......... ....................................................."In Search of Greener Grass"
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In Search of Greener Grass.
We all know the quote so I won't even waste the space.
I’m also pretty confident that we’ve all been guilty of searching for something better than what is at hand. From a photographer’s perspective, the attraction of greener grass can be especially alluring. "If only I had that 22 megapixel body. My images would really rock."
OK. Reality check. You can make images that rock with a 4 megapixel camera.
Yes, its true that higher end equipment can make getting great images easier, but the serious hardware for making images is between your ears. (Well sort of, I mean having done lots of autopsies I can tell you that the cerebral hemispheres are closer to soft, but you get the idea).
We usually don't think about the "grass is greener" quote in reference to taking photographs in the field. At least most people don't. Vincent Versace did in his book Welcome to OZ.
"The grass is greener on the other side because it's backlit."
Spoken like a true photographer.
But the idea that a better subject or better lighting may be just down the road is a temptation with a wicked propensity to warp the space time continuum. If you're anything like me it goes like this...
You're driving down the road in photo mode, suddenly intrigued by what appears to be unfolding around you. The light starts to get magical so you begin looking in earnest for a subject worthy of the fleeting moment. Your inability to find the necessary subject manifests itself as increased pressure on the accelerator. "Surely within the next mile I'll find that break in the trees and get the unobstructed view". There is a Nature's Best award winning shot out there! You spend the next 10 minutes in hot pursuit of the unknown, and then realize, "Damn, the light is gone."
It's not always a 10 minute fling down the road. Sometimes the feeling builds for hours, because you know you are in an area of real wonder and you do have some time to invest in finding just the right place to capitalize on good light. But the end result can be the same. You waste so much time looking that you're not making images. Don't get me wrong, it IS worth the time to find the best possible combination of subject and light. But don't fall prey to the search in and of itself. At some point it is important to realize what good photography is all about. A good photographer can look at a scene or subject and because of his experience and expertise, craft a powerful vision from what is at hand. Under conditions that may not be ideal. Even with equipment that may not be optimal for the situation. Anyone can take a great photo when everything falls into their lap. Good photographers "take the lemons and make lemonade".
Recently I had the pleasant fortune of visiting Oregon to teach at a photo event. At the conclusion I made arrangements to stay in the area and explore. One day was spent visiting Crater Lake National Park. I couldn’t get there until about 2:00 in the afternoon. Realizing the best light was hours away, I decided to take in the scenery at a leisurely pace and find where I really wanted to be late in the day. It takes quite a while to drive around the rim of the crater and vantage points with good views are scattered, separated by a lot of hillside blocking everything. I was getting a little antsy as the sun began dropping toward the western horizon. Just as the angle of light cast serious shadow into the crater I found my spot and made a satisfying panorama.
We all know the quote so I won't even waste the space.
I’m also pretty confident that we’ve all been guilty of searching for something better than what is at hand. From a photographer’s perspective, the attraction of greener grass can be especially alluring. "If only I had that 22 megapixel body. My images would really rock."
OK. Reality check. You can make images that rock with a 4 megapixel camera.
Yes, its true that higher end equipment can make getting great images easier, but the serious hardware for making images is between your ears. (Well sort of, I mean having done lots of autopsies I can tell you that the cerebral hemispheres are closer to soft, but you get the idea).
We usually don't think about the "grass is greener" quote in reference to taking photographs in the field. At least most people don't. Vincent Versace did in his book Welcome to OZ.
"The grass is greener on the other side because it's backlit."
Spoken like a true photographer.
But the idea that a better subject or better lighting may be just down the road is a temptation with a wicked propensity to warp the space time continuum. If you're anything like me it goes like this...
You're driving down the road in photo mode, suddenly intrigued by what appears to be unfolding around you. The light starts to get magical so you begin looking in earnest for a subject worthy of the fleeting moment. Your inability to find the necessary subject manifests itself as increased pressure on the accelerator. "Surely within the next mile I'll find that break in the trees and get the unobstructed view". There is a Nature's Best award winning shot out there! You spend the next 10 minutes in hot pursuit of the unknown, and then realize, "Damn, the light is gone."
It's not always a 10 minute fling down the road. Sometimes the feeling builds for hours, because you know you are in an area of real wonder and you do have some time to invest in finding just the right place to capitalize on good light. But the end result can be the same. You waste so much time looking that you're not making images. Don't get me wrong, it IS worth the time to find the best possible combination of subject and light. But don't fall prey to the search in and of itself. At some point it is important to realize what good photography is all about. A good photographer can look at a scene or subject and because of his experience and expertise, craft a powerful vision from what is at hand. Under conditions that may not be ideal. Even with equipment that may not be optimal for the situation. Anyone can take a great photo when everything falls into their lap. Good photographers "take the lemons and make lemonade".
Recently I had the pleasant fortune of visiting Oregon to teach at a photo event. At the conclusion I made arrangements to stay in the area and explore. One day was spent visiting Crater Lake National Park. I couldn’t get there until about 2:00 in the afternoon. Realizing the best light was hours away, I decided to take in the scenery at a leisurely pace and find where I really wanted to be late in the day. It takes quite a while to drive around the rim of the crater and vantage points with good views are scattered, separated by a lot of hillside blocking everything. I was getting a little antsy as the sun began dropping toward the western horizon. Just as the angle of light cast serious shadow into the crater I found my spot and made a satisfying panorama.
Moments later the crater was in shade and over for the day. But there was still a good hour before sundown, and lots of western view with forested landscape that could yield compelling vista. I just needed to get in the car and find it. That's when I heard the siren's call.
"You'll have a better view around the bend, hurry up."
Before I knew it I was a third of the way back around the crater getting into a bad angle for anything productive. Fortunately, I calmed down and decided to head back to where I'd come from, park, and walk around where there was at least some vista to see.
As I was standing there waiting for the sun to drop low enough to backlight clouds, and bring out the good colors, I realized the sun was in my eyes, bothering me. So I stepped into the shadow of the single tall tree in my field of view, and thought, "Hmmm. That's kind of interesting." Since I had my tripod and wasn't rushed I decided to play with HDR (high dynamic range) technique and shoot multiple exposures to deal with the harsh lighting conditions caused by the sun still somewhat high in the sky.
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As time was passing I noticed the cloud coverage building and thought backlighting might not be too far off. I happened to shoot another quick HDR sequence with the sun still near the edge of the clouds.
Two minutes later it was completely behind the clouds and everything went flat. I had hopes that as the sun reached the "cloud crack" near the horizon there might be at least one more image. I tried this with a longer lens just before the globe of the sun actually dropped into the narrow space of cloudless sky and became uselessly bright. A totally different feel.
So now the show is pretty much over, and I'm thinking about the 2 hour drive back to my hotel and dinner at 9:30 because I stayed for the end. As I turned to head toward the car, I see the moon over a tall tree silhouetted against the dimming sky. Who knows how many miles away, an airliner was rising into the night, leaving amazing rust colored contrails in a perfect diagonal right across the moon. The camera was still on the tripod. Now that's my idea of a photo finish!
Be critical. Take a judicious amount of time to find and plan your images. But don't become a victim of looking for "greener grass" when there might be great shots right where you are. I'm reminded of a line I heard from Bob Krist, "Never leave good light, looking for better light."
Spoken like a wise photographer.
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Spoken like a wise photographer.
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Mark Alberhasky is a Nikon Mentor for the Mentor Series Worldwide Photo Treks.
Join him as he travels and share his enthusiasm for photography and learning.
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