Traveling and photography...

Dexter · May 31, 2005

As I m getting a feel of my camera and the whole art that is called photography,I m realising that my need for traveling grows.Has anybody else experienced that?
I really love landscapes , so I think that this is the main reason for this urge.
If you are going for landscapes it is vital that you move far enough for the next set of photos.
(In my last photo run I almost ended up doing 70km for what was intended a simple walk.I just couldn't keep my self from jumping into the car when I took the camera in my hands!!

)

Chase · May 31, 2005

That is absolutely the way it goes. When I first started to feel the photo bug, my weekend plans changed to being nothing more than "where can I go to take some nice photos"? Its almost funny the way that happens!

Hertz van Rental · May 31, 2005

Dexter said:
If you are going for landscapes it is vital that you move far enough for the next set of photos.

Why?
If you look at the great photographers their work comes out of observation. If you know how to look and you think about what you see you can find just as many pictures travelling 100 yards as you can travelling 100 miles.
It is quite easy to be seduced by novelty - to think that because something is new to you it must make a good picture. This is not necessarily the case.
I am not saying that travelling and seeing unfamiliar places and things is bad - far from it. But you need to balance it with the familiar.
To work with what you see every day to produce interesting images is much harder and takes more discipline and imagination. Instead of seeing fresh things all the time you need to learn to see things with fresh eyes as well.

Dexter · Jun 1, 2005

I guess its because I m totaly new to photography and I want to have as more "input" as possible.I ve walked many times around my house to get some photos but I feel like I cant get any more out of it.Of course in the future I will have another go to see what has changed in the way I understand things

Hertz van Rental · Jun 1, 2005

:thumbup:

ksmattfish · Jun 1, 2005

It can seem easy to shoot exciting photos in new and exciting locations. The real trick is to see your everyday surrounding in new and exciting ways.

craig · Jun 2, 2005

I am a firm believer in exploring a favorite location. I try and keep those locations close, because I like shooting photos not driving. No mater how close or far; exploration is key. Visit on a rainy day, visit during spring and fall, maybe at 6 am as opposed 7 pm. landscapes generally encompass so much land that you could visit for years and never get the same photo twice.

Seeing the world around you is mandatory. The best way to understand that is to shoot a ton of photos all the time.

Hertz van Rental · Jun 2, 2005

craig said:
Seeing the world around you is mandatory. The best way to understand that is to shoot a ton of photos all the time.

You have to be careful it doesn't turn into 'doing without thinking'. You have to strike a balance.

craig · Jun 3, 2005

Too true Hertz!!! To reiterate: Take a ton of photos all the time, go to School of Visual Arts in NYC. Joking of course, but... guidance during our photo journey is equally important as camera experience. Said guidance can be found in peers, TPF, books, the web etc.

We are all our own worst critic. Personal work has the strong advantage of the reshoot. So... shoot it, print it, study it!

Dexter · Jun 3, 2005

thx guys.

craig · Jun 4, 2005

What does thx mean? George lucas's first feature was THX1138 and is still the name of his amazing sound process THX.

Hertz van Rental · Jun 4, 2005

craig said:
What does thx mean? George lucas's first feature was THX1138 and is still the name of his amazing sound process THX.

Please don't be clever when someone is saying 'thanks'. If you want to act the pedant in my forum then I'll start correcting your grammar and spelling: Lucas has a capital 'L', and THX1138 was a film not a 'feature'!

craig · Jun 4, 2005

My apologies to Dexter and the forum. More often than not my so called humor is less than appropriate. No guarantees, but I will try and be more thoughtful.

Lensmeister · Jun 8, 2005

ksmattfish said:
It can seem easy to shoot exciting photos in new and exciting locations. The real trick is to see your everyday surrounding in new and exciting ways.

I can't seem to find much to photograph in my locale. Mostly it's Urban so not a chance for landscapes.

But having said that I have found the odd flowers and things to shoot now and again.

But I always love shooting a roll or two away from my own area, as I see things with fresh eyes ..... whereas locally I see the same old boring streets.

But that's just me ...

Hertz van Rental · Jun 8, 2005

It depends upon how you define 'landscape'. If you take pictures of towns it's called 'urban landscape'. It's quite challenging to try to photograph a city the way you would a field - give it a try.