p.1 #1 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
Hi all,
On my previous thread on visualization and planning Dan (gdanmitchell) wrote an excellent post on a somewhat opposing point of view. I did agree with him that, even with very careful planning, photography outings can go south on you and then it’s time to improvise.
This happened to me on the same outing as when I made the B&W images of the rapids. As part of the shoot I had planned to make an image of a suspension bridge that crosses the river. When we got there the setting was nothing like what I had envisioned. The area was very overgrown, limiting vantage points and visibility. At first I was disappointed, but I kept looking around and found a small area on the bank that showed the middle of the bridge. What struck me was how the bridge glowed in relationship to its surroundings, and how rich the greens were. The glow on the bridge was such that I immediately visualized an image with lots of vignetting and dark edges.
I found a composition with the 210mm lens that naturally darkened the edges of the frame with a dark tree on the right and dark forest ground on the opposite side. It was a difficult composition with such a long lens. To get everything in focus I had to use a lot of vertical tilt and had to close down the lens to F32.6. I metered on the bridge and overexposed that reading by one stop
I grinned when I first saw the slide on the light table. It was exactly like I had visualized it at that moment.
So yes, Dan is right. Sometimes we need to improvise on the spot. Still, we need to have a good understanding of what our systems can do, and how we want the images to turn out.
Dan, sometimes photography is, as in the words of Forrest Gump, “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” .
p.1 #2 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
Nice take.. I agree with you & Dan but feel one need not forget "Luck"... Sometimes we stumble upon an excellent image that was not planned / improvised.. As we say in Texas, "Even a blind acorn finds a hog occasionally.".. Jim
p.1 #3 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
I still would never discount the high value of planning. Viewing outstanding pics from the area, using Google maps, topo maps, TPE, etc. goes a looong way towards visualizing a composition - especially for sunrise/sunsets as well as moon rise/set. Weather, clouds, terrain and flora however still rules.
Dave
BTW - gorgeous capture!
p.1 #4 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
The darker edges created a mysterious mood on this one Jose. Very appropriate title.
IMO, visualization is crucial. We all do it in our heads. Some pictures need more time..for others it comes faster.
However, in the field, we can't control the elements and before capturing the first frame, intuition takes a bigger role.
Fred
p.1 #7 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
Jose,
This is ridiculous man! WOW. I need to shoot some green stuff now...
I totally agree with you and Dan...there have been way too many "crap!" moments..not because i was not prepared...but more because it was...not where i wanted it to be and or the light being different.
It is a box of chocolates...hope you pick the right ones.
p.1 #10 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
jsuro wrote:
... Sometimes we need to improvise on the spot. Still, we need to have a good understanding of what our systems can do, and how we want the images to turn out...
Basically, all attempts to reduce the making of photographs to one approach fail, especially when applied in a general way.
Competence in this, as in most things, requires a great range of skills and the development of a set of instincts about when and where to apply them. "Just knowing" is also very important - in fact, it is probably the most important thing - though it doesn't start that way.
Dan
May 19, 2013 at 01:46 PM
Mark Metternich Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #11 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
Great shot man!
I love to be prepared as much as possible. My favorite way to shoot is to spend a lot of time with my subject matter. White pocket is one example. I have been there a total of 30+ days, and although I have gotten some great shots from there, it was not until the last time I went I really felt like I could say "I know how to shoot this place" (for my style). But of course having said that, improvising, trying stuff totally out of the box and necessarily reacting to the conditions makes some of our best work.
p.1 #12 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
Mark Metternich wrote:
Great shot man!
I love to be prepared as much as possible. My favorite way to shoot is to spend a lot of time with my subject matter. White pocket is one example. I have been there a total of 30+ days, and although I have gotten some great shots from there, it was not until the last time I went I really felt like I could say "I know how to shoot this place" (for my style). But of course having said that, improvising, trying stuff totally out of the box and necessarily reacting to the conditions makes some of our best work....Show more →
Thanks Mark. I too do a lot of preparation, And, shooting LF I don't have the luxury of looking at the screen on the back of the camera. I have to make it work from the get go. Plus the image is upside down and backwards left to right. You do get used to that but it is still weird. I do all the Google Earth stuff and send the GPS stuff to my car and phone. That helps, but it's not enough. Doesn't give you weather. You need to know more. And I do, sort of. I used to fly airplanes and the helps because I can pinpoint weather, that's a big key.
p.1 #13 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
If you "knew" everything you could know about a place in advance you would still not know many of the most important things until you showed up and looked around. All your research can do is increase the odds.
I also learn places very well, look over maps, think about the direction of the sun and moon, try to understand seasons. And more often than not I discover photographs while I am on the scene that I had not anticipated, or I only really understand how to "see" the thing while it is in front of me.
Dan
jsuro wrote:
Thanks Mark. I too do a lot of preparation, And, shooting LF I don't have the luxury of looking at the screen on the back of the camera. I have to make it work from the get go. Plus the image is upside down and backwards left to right. You do get used to that but it is still weird. I do all the Google Earth stuff and send the GPS stuff to my car and phone. That helps, but it's not enough. Doesn't give you weather. You need to know more. And I do, sort of. I used to fly airplanes and the helps because I can pinpoint weather, that's a big key.
p.1 #18 · Visualization and Planning – Dan’s (gdanmitchell) POV
I will chime in my .02.
I love preplanning, its part of the fun,,I will pre visualize, look at the angle of the sunrises and sunsets in relation to my locations and view many shots others have taken of an area..This helps alot because it gives me a "pre-scouting" opportunity to know what type of things I can shoot. Granted things change alot when I get to the areas and I do lots of improvising, but it also pays off immensely..The shot below was preplanned months in advance, looking for foreground interests in yellowstone..I searched and found one great spot..
Then Again, my wife does nothing,,she just shoots what she finds
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