Travel and Planning - Part 1

I'm often asked about some of the trips that I've taken, not only questions about how the trip was, but also questions about how I was able to plan out what I was going to do when I got there.  Especially when I travel to places I've never been before that seem like they are way off the beaten path for most people.  I've realized that as time passes, I tend to forget a lot of details about my trips, so I think I'm going to start using this blog as a way to document them for myself as much as for anyone else that might be interested in hearing about them later.

I'm am honestly still surprised at how many people tell me they just finished reading my Iceland blogs and about how much they really enjoyed them.  I don't think of myself as a very good writer, and sometimes cringe when the subject of my blogs come up, since I never really tell anyone they are here, but I guess if you're reading this, you've either just discovered them, or you're one of the few people I know that tell me they check in once in a while to see if I posted anything new.

So I think I'll start a little "travel" series here to not only talk about how I prepped for a trip, but then to talk about it either when I get back or if I can find the time and internet connections, post from the road like I did in Iceland, while it's all super fresh in my head.  I can point out the good and bad things as well as things I might wish I had done differently or places I think I should have skipped because they just weren't as exciting as I thought they might be.

I hate to admit it, but do know that I have gone back and read my Iceland blogs a number of times myself now just to help re-live that trip and it's been fun each time I've done that, so maybe it's not a bad thing to at least use this as a travel log of sorts for myself.  Hopefully, I can make it a little interesting and funny for others as well.

To follow up on this, I might start with a few posts about my Fall trip to Vermont at the end of last year before those memories fade too much more than they already have.  Some of you will think I'm a little nutty at times I'm sure, when I admit to things like not having any hotel reservations at all or when I talk about how many nights I just slept for a few hours here and there in my car, but hey, it's all part of the adventure for me and a good way to not only save money, but to allow me to make the most out of the little bit of time I have to see as much as I can.

Enough rambling for now. I'll title this Part 1 as I'm sure I'll come back and add to the travel and planning parts of it this year as I prepare for a few trips already on the books, and then between those parts, I'll post about the trips as well... in the same style I did for my Iceland trip.  If you are actually reading these, I really hope you enjoy them and maybe even pick up a few ideas along the way for your own travels.

Perspective on perspective

Over the years, I've had people ask me if I could give some tips on how to take better photos and for me, that's always been a very hard request to fill.  There really are as many tips you could give, as there are types of photography.  Each tip you might give someone can also change from photo to photo, situation to situation because as with any art form, there is no single answer or right way to do something.  Sure there are some "rules" that many photographers try to stick to but some of those are hard to explain without having examples on hand to show someone.  I never have those handy when the question comes up because.... well, I don't carry a computer around with every photo I've ever taken, and even if I did, I surely wouldn't want to pull all those photos up and show someone how many horrible pictures I take for every decent shot I get, while I go looking for something to use as an example.

While I was looking for some old scanned images on my computer, I ran across a few photos that actually can be used for one of those tips and figured maybe I would write about that on here, in case anyone asks me again and I can just tell them to come and look here.  Fair warning, these aren't examples of "good" photos by any stretch of the imagination, but they do show one of the principals you can keep in mind while out taking photos, and that is one of perspective and leading lines.

Maybe you've already heard about the tip about trying to use leading lines to lead the viewer's eye into the photo and you've put that tip to good use in many of your photos, but you still feel like you're missing something in those shots.   Part of the problem with just being told to use leading lines is that many people forget to mention to also try changing your perspective and see how that affects those leading lines.  Most people tend to stand upright and shoot their images from eye level and that's all well and good, but you might be missing out on a great opportunity to really put those leading lines to much better use in your photo.  Go ahead and take that shot as you first saw it because it never hurts to have a few options to choose from when you get back home, but after you shoot that image, try getting a little lower.  Maybe just bend down a bit, or drop to a knee, or even get the camera all the way down to ground level......  see how that perspective shift changes your image and see whether it makes those leading lines work even better for you and that image.

Here is a quick example of shooting from three different heights, using a very popular subject as leading lines in a photo.  Look at each one and just see how the photos at different heights really change how powerful those leading lines are, and how your eye travels into the image differently in each shot.  Which do you like better?  Which shot pulls in you in the most?  What is it about that shot you picked that grabs your attention more than the other two?  Everyone will have different reactions to your photos but if you keep this tip in mind, you might find you get a shot that was pretty good from eye level, to one that is compelling if you just shoot from a lower angle.  Play around with this next time you're out shooting and see if you feel it helps your photos or not.

Standing Up

Kneeling Down

Camera just above the Ground