Well, it is late on the last night of this vacation.  I have just completed my last round of Lightroom imports and am currently syncing my files over to my external hard drive one last time.  I have to be up in a few hours to drive back to Portland to catch a plane, but I thought that I would note a couple of things before I hit the sack.  

This vacation has been fantastic on several levels, and getting back to the daily grind will be a bit of a kick in the teeth.  Above all, the last twelve days has been a fantastic adventure in pushing my photographic comfort zones.  One example of this was the constant grey weather and bright overcast skies.  The couple of times that we did actually see sun, we were almost perplexed as to what to do with ourselves.  In the coming weeks, there will be some journal entries about some of the challenges that I came across as well as some of the techniques I employed to still walk away with some decent shots.

Durning this time, I have also taken the opportunity to work on some different ideas as to how the site web galleries should be organized.  So don’t be surprised if you come by to check out the photos and they have been moved around or grouped differently.  As per usual I’ll be giving the heads up via email, Twitter and Facebook when these changes take place.  

For now, I had better shut it down as it has quickly turned into a late night with an early morning.  As always, thanks for reading, and keep photographizing!

The last few days of being on vacation have been fantastic for me.  Being able to spend day after day photographing interesting subjects, and being challenged by the weather and lighting conditions has been a great learning experience.  

This trip has been different from other trips that my wife and I have taken.  Both of us are more advanced in our photographic technique, and we have been allowing for more time to be spent in locations to ensure that we enjoy the setting, but capture the best images that we can.  For the most part we are visiting places that we have been too at least once before, and have been exploring on a very casual schedule, mainly based on the weather is like.  To that my comment would be that lugging the tripod along has been very rewarding.

During our travels, we have run into a couple of different types of “photographers:”  Tourist “snapshooters,” the wannabe serious photographers, and legitimate photographers.  There isn’t anything wrong being segregated into any of these categories, and some may think that I am overly critical here, but I hope that my position is at least understood.  In fact it doesn’t really matter what category you may fall into, I know that I pass between all three myself.  

Read the Signs… Seriously READ THE SIGNS!

Really what it comes down to is basic common sense, civil behavior, ability to read, pay attention and follow rules.  A lot of common tourist destinations have specific rules concerning photography. The common request that I’ve seen is quite simply not to use flash or lighting setups, but others may limit the use of tripods or other accessories.  The reasons for this can vary from visitor safety, protecting artwork, or simply to ensure the same experience for all visitors at the location.

I am thankful for these restrictions at times as they may help me get the shot that I want.  I do not need to use flash for most of my travel work, and there is nothing more frustrating in setting up a shot and having someone walk up and fire off a flash at the same time.  Sure, you just delete and retake the photo, which is no big deal; but I find that it is a big deal when there is a big sign close by that says, “No Flash Photography.”  Even if you are not a serious photographer, and only use the “Auto” mode on your camera, the one thing you should know how to do is turn off your flash.  If you can’t figure it out, then still respect the sign and don’t take any pictures.  It’s nobody’s fault except yours if you are ignorant to your camera’s basic functions.

 A Good Anecdote

Charlotte and I ran into a really nice gentleman while visiting the Portland Japanese Gardens the other day.  He saw that I was setting up for a shot of a bridge over a pond and as he started setting his tripod up jokingly said, “Patience, it’s all about patience.”  I waited for some people to clear the bridge and quickly took the five shots I needed to compose a HDR shot.  I picked up my camera and tripod and moved out of his way so that he could move into the prime spot that I had used.  He carefully composed his shot and even pulled out a small level to check his horizon.  Just when he was going to take his shot an attractive woman walked onto the bridge just into the right side of his frame. Under his breath he muttered, “Are you kidding me?”  I turned to him and said, “Don’t worry, I’m heading over there.  I’ll tell her to get off the bridge!”  He looked at me with shock and horror, and his eyes got even bigger when I started to turn and walk down the path towards the woman.  He exclaimed, “Don’t do that!”  To which I replied, “Why not, it’s MY wife!  She didn’t see that she was in your shot.”  At that sudden realization, he cracked up laughing and I moved off in the direction of Charlotte who was in the process of taking pictures from the bridge oblivious to what had just transpired.  A few minutes later he had finished his shot, and came over to compare gear and talk about the garden.

The moral of this story is that it truly is always about patience.  While you’re waiting to get your shot, look around and soak in your surroundings, you may be surprised at what you may find.

 A Not So Good Anecdote

When you are talking about etiquette, it is important to realize the significance of the location that you are at.  If you are visiting a location of religious significance, remember that even if you do not ascribe to the practices of the represented religion, please realize that other people do.  As well, be mindful of other photographers that are also be shooting in the same area.

While spending time at The Grotto in Portland a few days ago, I was shocked to see another photographer acknowledge me, and then walk into my shot to shoot the same subjects, while talking on a cell phone the entire time.  This took her about five minutes and then when she walked past me asked if I was getting any good pictures.  Seriously??  Yes, that’s what happened.  I was happy when she moved on as the peace of the garden was disturbed, and due to the moving clouds changing the light, I lost that shot. 

Why didn’t I say anything?  I simply did not want to disturb the sanctity of the garden any more than it already had been.  Considering that there were people praying in the area, I felt that it was better to just blow it off and let her get caught by the nuns for talking on her cell phone (which was a posted rule). 

I wonder why she decided to visit The Grotto that day?  If that had been me it would have been a waste of time, money and effort.  The conditions were cloudy, and two hands or tripod were definitely requirements for a good shot.  I guess it amazes me that someone who was suited up as a more serious photographer would settle for substandard images, or maybe that’s what she was going for.

Conclusion

Really in the end, this is more of a general PSA on common sense than anything.  Sure we all make mistakes and we may miss the occasional sign, but by paying attention we all should be able to figure things out before you get written about on someone’s blog or removed from a location. 

Leave a good impression on the people that are around you.  Being prepared, having patience and practicing some common sense will get you places; I know it works for me. 

Well I am happy to be able to say that I’m on vacation right now.  For some, this may mean that they wouldn’t be posting at all, but since I am not like most people, I plan on taking this time to focus on rest, relaxation, and photography.  I think that it’s pretty awesome to go someplace and be able to spend some quality time on things that one enjoys doing.  It’s even better when your spouse enjoys some or most of the same activities.  (I’m very lucky in that respect!)  

So over the next couple of weeks you may notice an actual increase in the amount of activity on this website.  Please check back often, as there will be new pictures going up in the Oregon Vacation  area, as well as some occasional postings here on the journal.  

As always, thanks for checking Radarland out.