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By Jim Byous
…Tips to make your travel pics sing.
by Jim Byous
Calculate, anticipate, concentrate.
Sunrise plus 30 minutes. Gearin Road near Dahlonega, Georgia.
Mental notes were being jotted down in the back of my noggin’; light, sky, color, the fall of shadows. I had traveled down the same roads in North Georgia a number of times over several days. As is normal on any other trip, at home or on assignment, I am always searching for pictures. And, I always carry my Galaxy S 5 cell phone to capture scenes that I may want to photograph later with my Nikon. — In some instances, I don’t need the Nikon, but that’s another story. And no, neither company pays me to mention them. — Anyway… while traveling I watch the track of the sun and shadows… if I have time. Later I retrace my route and when the conditions are right I grab as many images as possible. It’s a bit like harvesting ripe fruit in one outing. Here’s the first part of my usual game plan. This series will run throughout the next few blogs here on Southeastern Bound.
1. Find the right locations
If possible scout ahead and plan your route. On a recent trip, I had passed this ancient mill site, photo 1, several times on trips to and from the gold mining town of Dahlonega, Georgia. The old Gilstrap Mill is on the road of the same name a few miles from town. Each trip the light is high, but the location and composition was natural and easily seen. The challenge is that the light does not “sing.” The sky is blue but dull. If time was tight I probably stop to capture what I could. In this instance, it is not an issue. Later in the evening clouds drift over the area. After a weather check, I make plans for a sweep through the area the next morning. Clouds should be dotting the sky in the pre-noon hours.
Photo 1, Sunrise plus 90 minutes. The old Gilstrap Mill near the gold mining town of Dahlonega, Georgia,
I’m not a morning person but getting great images sometimes requires a sleepy, early-morning, groping walk to the car. As I drive down the drive the dawn slowly brightened. As my tires hit the main road the sun’s first rays come over the ridge to the east. A few blinks-and-yawns later the lighting over the hilly terrain pumps a dose of adrenaline into my system… either that or the coffee finally kicked in. The day is started. Great photos seemed to be on every turn. So many shots, so little time.
Systematically I drive, shooting different locations as the sun slowly crawls above the horizon. I make sure my route keeps the mill scene within the acceptable time for lighting – the time from sunrise to sunrise-plus-two hours.
As a historian and photographer, this is a primary location on my list. The building has been partially restored by the owner with the historical integrity intact… a handsome relic that seems to freeze time. Snuggled in a gap beside a sloping hill, a bend in the road and the briskly-running, oddly-named Wahoo Creek, it represents a time in Georgia when many of the small rivulets in the area were harnessed to grind grain. It is now one of the few mills still standing.
Photo 2. The frame of the Gilstrap Mill water wheel remains in the shadows. The watercourse is now dry and flanked by trees, one decayed to a stump.
Sunrise plus 10 minutes. The intersection of Gearin and Gilstrap Mill Roads, a different angle of the same hill in photos 3a and 3b.
Both history and aesthetics are important to the records that I make. Too many historical images are simple uninteresting shots, images used for scholarly reports with little concern for artistic qualities of the scene. I want to record the building but to also create an image that will look great on my – or any – wall, photo 2. As is true in real estate, in landscape photography the most important thing is location, location, location. That and light.
Therefore, like finding the right storefront on the right street in the right town, finding the correct picture location can be broken down to within a few feet. You must find the area, then the site, then the spot, then the square foot that makes the best image in the correct light. In photos 3 and 4, the difference in showing power lines next to the trees was a matter of moving closer and several feet to the left.
You will notice the straight cut of limbs on the tree to the right of the frames. This was done by the power company because inches outside the edge of the photo the wires were obvious. My first position of choice, away from thorns and spine laden plants, was directly below the lines. Unfortunately, there was no way to get the photo without them showing. I had to buck up and push into the brush to get this image.
Sunrise plus 120 minutes, light cloud cover in the east blocking the direct light. The Moon with a Lady Reclining Over the Trees, photo 3a on left, was mildly difficult to capture. Positioning under power lines, guide wires, brush, and a barbed-wire fence required a determined photographer… who carefully watched for snakes. Taken in at the same stop along Gilstrap Mill Road in another season, photo 3b shows the same trees complete with power lines, wires, brush and fencing for comparison.
Calculate the light for your photos, the angle, the intensity. Where will the sun move if you wait or come back on another day? Will clouds enhance the scene? My most frequent suggestion is “pray for clouds.” Anticipate which locations you might want to capture at different times. Will the shadows be better in the morning or in the evening? Which is the most important scene to catch? Concentrate. Consider all of the above conditions, locations, and options. To grab a memory card or film roll of great shots, plan it out… even if you have to plan on the fly.
Coming soon, More of the Game Plan, Tips on composition.
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