What do you do in the 'off' hours?

Don't know if this topic has been discussed before, but I haven't seen it if it has. And maybe no one cares.

As outdoor photographers, we like to shoot in the 'prime' hours around sunlight and sunset. That's a generality of course, but let's go with it for now.

What do you do in those non-prime hours? Do you scout potential opportunities for later that day or the next day? Do you take in other things that might be of interest in an area?

If I'm hiking, particularly during the summer, I'll typically either slow my pace down or stop for extended periods so I don't get overly tired from the heat. Might even find a secluded spot to take a nap. That works well until a bunch of school kids comes and ruins the day. If I'm driving and doing short hikes, I'll spend those non-prime hours driving to my next destination or taking in other things in the area. For example, when I was in the Finger Lakes this past fall, I'd get up early to go hiking/shooting and then come back to my hotel, take a shower, get some lunch and tour some of the wineries in the area or do some research for what I wanted to do the next day. Didn't do much hiking/shooting later in the day because I didn't really want to get caught on the trail in the dark (although that has happened).

If i'm in an interesting location i'll usually start shooting macro, or even think about b&w landscapes.
I don't really like the driving / shooting / driving /shooting thing, so i'd rather stay in the area for the whole day, even if that means from 5am to 22pm.

Wim

I am an avid fly fisherman and the places I like to fish are very photogenic so I can usually combine the 2. However, it can get cumbersome carrying a tripod and camera along with the fishing gear while wading up a boulder filled mountain stream. You can also shoot a lot of interesting waterfalls and flora in the middle of the day

For me it depends on the weather and who I'm with. Usually after a sunrise shoot I usually have breakfast and either go on a hike, go kayaking, etc.
Sometimes if it's overcast I continue shooting closeups and other scenes that work best in overcast light. If the light is harsh I scout around looking for opportunities for sunset, another sunrise, or for when the light is more appropriate.
Other times, I like to just relax and enjoy being out there. I find a nice spot and read a book.

Robert,

Good topic and one where I would expect to get a variety of answers. Everyone is different, but here's my standard operating procedure. If I'm lucky, I'll get maybe a half dozen opportunities for a multiple day photo trip. I do shoot locally, but it's often just a quick trip near the house and there's no "off time" per se. When I'm on a photo outing, I'm usually 100% zoomed in on photography (and being out in nature of course.) I do plan and try and scout for the golden hours, but in between my mind and I are constantly in search of images.

If it's a bright mid-day, I may emerse myself in an aspen grove or look for water images or as someone mentioned, closeups where light can be diffused, etc. If it's windy, I'll switch gears and try images the use motion or blur. Go with what is given to you.

Last summer I went photo-camping with some fellow NPNr's. High in Sierra, the sun is hot, bright and harsh in the summer, so we usually hung around camp, had lunch and shot the bull and waited for better light. But I got antsy went out on my own, midday, looking for images. And I found them.

But that's just me. Like I said, I don't have that many opportunities and I try to make the most of them when I'm out.

Lon

ESS&S.

That's not Earth Sea and Sky, BTW.

It's eat, shoot, scout and sleep.

I'm a night photographer. For me, the "off hours" are when it's daytime. That's when I work my job, help my kids with homework, and keep my wife happy. Oh, and check eBay for deals on big monolights that are going too cheap! I suppose that sometimes conflicts with keeping the wife happy though. During the daytime I do my "responsible adult" stuff. At night I do my thing, out in the snow & dark.

I suppose I'm most like Lon in attitude. All light is good, you just make photos to match it. If there is no light at all, I simply create my own. I can do that.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3189056635_75f3cbb853_o.jpg


Kent in SD

"Last summer I went photo-camping with some fellow NPNr's. High in Sierra, the sun is hot, bright and harsh in the summer, so we usually hung around camp,

I was one of those NPN'ers. Picture, if you will, four LF photographers sitting in camp chairs, all in a line, under the shade of a red fir tree, gazing out past fir and juniper covered slopes to granite crags under a bluebird sky, We told jokes, talked about photography, snoozed, and watched the shadows change as the breeze sighed through the boughs in harmony with the chattering creek and notes from my guitar. It doesn't get much better than that!

I can't wait to do it again!

-P

Thanks for the responses to all. To be clear, I wasn't looking for ideas or insights. It's just interesting, to me anyway, to hear what others do.

Preston, sounds like a good time to be sure. Having been chided many times in the past by many people for being a 'lone wolf' when it comes to photography, that's a type of experience I'm not likely to have.

Since I'm not predominantly a landscape photographer and not only a wildlife photographer, I use the whole day whenever I can. Those can get to be really long days here in mid summer.

One of my photographic loves is wildflowers/plants, so I often spend the middle hours on those subjects. Harsh overhead sun doesn't bother me here with closeup work. I just use diffusing fabric to even things out, and if it's cloudy, even better (as long as it's not windy). If I'm guiding photo clients in the woods of summer, these middle hours also make a great time to have lunch and relax for awhile and talk about what we learned that morning and plan to do in the afternoon/evening.

Years ago I called it "shooting in the dead zone":

http://guytal.com/pdf/sw_jan_04.pdf

I still remember a chat with Tony Kuyper somewhere in the desert a while back. One of the things he said really stuck with me: "there's always a picture."

Guy

I drink lots of beer. Sometimes tequila. It helps me focus when the light finally gets right.

I switch over to b&w, subscribing to Tony's philosophy as expressed by Guy. There's always something to shoot, and contrasty light works just fine for b&w. I also think that shooting b&w in between the golden hours is a good way to strengthen compositional skills and keep the eye honed for locating textures, shapes, lines... those things that can benefit all types of shooting.

Of course, just relaxing and enjoying the outdoors, taking a nap, or Stan's beer and tequila regimen works for me as well!

I think Stan's idea is the best I've heard in awhile. Sure, there's always a picture to be taken, but there's also always a pitcher to be poured.

Honestly? I keep shooting. I get the "Try it in Black and White" comment frequently. That is a polite way of saying, "The light was terrible." I do try to travel, cook, and set-up camp in the middle of the day or in the dark, but I also willfully abandon those activities when I see an arrangement of shapes that shouldn't be ignored.

Pete D.

I've never believed that photography in only for golden hour. When I am out, I try to shoot all the time - quality of light is just one ingredient. There is always an image to be found. But completely agree that scouting and planning for an image is extremely critical and when it pays off that way, it's very satisfying

I head for shade to shoot wild flowers and other macro subjects, or I take advantage of the strong light to shoot birds in motion.