Posted by Derek Sedillo on December 30, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Ok,
How often do you go out with a previsualized scene in mind and it just aint happening? The light is all wrong and nothing seems to work well. Well thats what happended to me this past weekend when I hiked into Point Lobos headed straight for Weston Beach. There are some cool tidepools and rocks I have been wanted to capture at sunset especially with large waves. But so far the light has not cooperated. And though the surf was big and spectacular to watch explode over the rocks nothing I did seemed to come together.
So as I headed up the cliff for a higher view of things I heard the large waves breaking behind me from a completely different location/angle than I had planned to shoot. But since my camera was still attached to the tripod I quickly sat it down and fired off a shoot. After eveluating the images at home I realized that all the carefully planned ones were a bust and the 'snapshot' was the only one of the evening I liked at all.
I guess the moral of the story for me is while its ok to have a plan, stop and take a look around at something completely different.
Posted by Lon Overacker on December 30, 2009 at 5:38 PM
A great lesson for all Derek and should be second nature for all of us...
This was one of my favorites from your series. This really captures the rugged beauty of the California coastline. Excellent "snapshot."
Lon
Posted by Paul Duval on December 30, 2009 at 7:02 PM
When opportunity taps you on the shoulder it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Very nice shot that really gives the sense of this rugged coastline.
Paul
Posted by Debjit Ghosh on December 31, 2009 at 3:29 AM
Derek, sometimes I do have pre-conceived ideas and sometimes I don't. the pre-conceived ideas more naturally comes from those famous places or you might have visited before. I don't set any expectation nowadays to make things easier for me
now you will really make us envious of staying so close to the most photogenic pacific stretch of CA nicely done on this one.
Posted by Greg Cope on December 31, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Thats a sweet shot Derek. I love the turmoil the water has. I can't count the number of times a preconceived idea has melted away into another shot, and I can't count the times I've kicked myself for being stuck in a single idea that I miss what's going on around me.
Posted by Reno DiTullio on December 31, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Derek, kinda like the ol' Boy Scout tip when hiking, always look back, see where ya came from, makes it easier to find your way back. Anyway, good tip and very nice photo. I spent years sneaking into PT Lobos before the gates opened, before daybreak on most occasions, hiking to my favorite locations and setting up before the sun came up; the park usually opens after the sun is up.
Posted by Mike Ryan on December 31, 2009 at 4:20 PM
There is a lot of truth to what you here Derek. To borrow from a classic...when mother nature give you lemons make lemonade. Point Lobos is great for photography and it's good to see more images from there. Nice work!
Posted by Eric Good on December 31, 2009 at 8:43 PM
Love the soft light and colors captured here. I think I may even like it more as a pano without the fg rock. Good stuff!
Thanks for the reminder. While I often go to a location with a general preconceived shot, I've found it is much more interesting and less stressful to explore other possibilities during the outing than bank on a particular shot. I like to think of it more like hiking, rather photography now days.
Posted by Derek Sedillo on January 1, 2010 at 12:30 PM
Yeah,
I thought most of you guys have experienced this. For some of us like myself it is a little more difficult. As a software engineer by profession I tend to look at things logically and like to analyze, plan, etc... But there comes a point when letting go of that at least once there can prove much more rewarding. Its a left brain, right brain kind of thing which actually draws me to photography.
But I just find that for some ppl this comes more naturally like my artist/photographer friends. I can think of one in particular I met while in Colorado, Jesse Speer, who never ceases to amaze me with his creative eye for things both large and small. While shooting with him at the Maroon Bells during prime Fall colors I remember hundreds of photographers focusing in on the lake while he was looking all around him, composing things no one else even bothered to consider.
I guess this is a life lesson for me which I continue to learn. I noticed Eric Good talking about shooting more intimate scenes, something which I have done very little of. But none the less it intrigues me. And there are so many more things like that such as pano focus blurs, etc... Anyway I guess with the new year I am thinking about different way to approach things.
Derek,
Thanks for sharing the beautiful image and thoughts. How true we often miss the obvious, because we have something else in mind. As Lon said, a good lesson for us all. Happy New year.
Discussion
9 repliesHow often do you go out with a previsualized scene in mind and it just aint happening? The light is all wrong and nothing seems to work well. Well thats what happended to me this past weekend when I hiked into Point Lobos headed straight for Weston Beach. There are some cool tidepools and rocks I have been wanted to capture at sunset especially with large waves. But so far the light has not cooperated. And though the surf was big and spectacular to watch explode over the rocks nothing I did seemed to come together.
So as I headed up the cliff for a higher view of things I heard the large waves breaking behind me from a completely different location/angle than I had planned to shoot. But since my camera was still attached to the tripod I quickly sat it down and fired off a shoot. After eveluating the images at home I realized that all the carefully planned ones were a bust and the 'snapshot' was the only one of the evening I liked at all.
I guess the moral of the story for me is while its ok to have a plan, stop and take a look around at something completely different.
Here is angle of Weston Beach I have been trying to capture with clouds/sunset light: http://landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/Locations/Northern-California-2009/7049912_hqPLs#717477875_4JDEn-A-LB
Here is the larger version of the above image looking the opposite direction (same cliff): http://landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/Locations/Northern-California-2009/7049912_hqPLs#751943564_fXsHA-A-LB
Derek
This was one of my favorites from your series. This really captures the rugged beauty of the California coastline. Excellent "snapshot."
Lon
Paul
now you will really make us envious of staying so close to the most photogenic pacific stretch of CA
Thanks for the reminder. While I often go to a location with a general preconceived shot, I've found it is much more interesting and less stressful to explore other possibilities during the outing than bank on a particular shot. I like to think of it more like hiking, rather photography now days.
I thought most of you guys have experienced this. For some of us like myself it is a little more difficult. As a software engineer by profession I tend to look at things logically and like to analyze, plan, etc... But there comes a point when letting go of that at least once there can prove much more rewarding. Its a left brain, right brain kind of thing which actually draws me to photography.
But I just find that for some ppl this comes more naturally like my artist/photographer friends. I can think of one in particular I met while in Colorado, Jesse Speer, who never ceases to amaze me with his creative eye for things both large and small. While shooting with him at the Maroon Bells during prime Fall colors I remember hundreds of photographers focusing in on the lake while he was looking all around him, composing things no one else even bothered to consider.
I guess this is a life lesson for me which I continue to learn. I noticed Eric Good talking about shooting more intimate scenes, something which I have done very little of. But none the less it intrigues me. And there are so many more things like that such as pano focus blurs, etc... Anyway I guess with the new year I am thinking about different way to approach things.
Derek
Thanks for sharing the beautiful image and thoughts. How true we often miss the obvious, because we have something else in mind. As Lon said, a good lesson for us all. Happy New year.