Improve Your Photography by Staying Longer

I live in a very scenic part of the U.S. Within an easy day’s drive, I can set up my tripod just about anywhere in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area or at the photogenic Oregon Coast, or I can photograph Mt. Hood from a variety of locations. I feel very fortunate to be so close to these world-class destinations. However, some of my very best images over the last 30 years as a professional photographer have come from destinations further away, for which I have had to travel and spend several days away from my home.

Being away from home forces me to photograph more intensively. I find that being on an extended trip of 3 to 10 days or more encourages me to focus my efforts in a way that I usually don’t do when I’m a short drive from my home. Long ago in my photographic career I recognized that traveling far and photographing is expensive, time consuming, and can be lonely at times. All of these factors push me to gain as many images as I can when on a trip. Because of these limitations I feel compelled to photograph for as much of a day as I can find the energy. As a result my efficiency and creative production is usually much better when I am on an extended photo outing. I understand that not everyone can afford the time for an expensive foray into a location, and I feel totally blessed that I am able to make several extended trips each year. I’m just saying…

There are so many distractions when photographing from my home base. It’s easy to give in to the comforts of home, or being with friends and family, or thinking there will be better conditions another day. Occasionally, I photograph when on a family outing or vacation, and although I do sometimes come away with a few good shots, my production is way down. When I am with my family, my first priority is to spend time with them, and any images I happen to get I consider gravy. Sometimes I go to a distant location a week before my family is scheduled to arrive. This ends up being the best of both worlds because after a week’s worth of intense photography, I welcome the family’s arrival. Photography is more out of my system by then, and I’m more able to relax and give photography a rest when I greet them at the airport.

When on an extended photo trip, if the lighting is not optimal, or the flowers are not in bloom, or the wind is too strong, or whatever preconceived conditions are not there, I usually force myself to look for “something” to photograph. This forces me to create photographs I normally would not have sought out, but these are sometimes the best images of the trip. Another way to make the best of an extended outing when conditions are not perfect is to consider creating black and white images. Mid day shots are frequently worth shooting when rendered in black and white.  Mid day lighting can often be turned into wonderful shades of black and white tones.

When I travel from my home for a one day outing I pay particular attention to the weather, looking at several different forecasts and using the view from weather or road cams when they are available. But when I go for longer periods of time, I pay less attention to forecasts. Instead, I just go out each day and work with what is there. If it is mostly cloudy, I exclude the sky and look for close-ups and small scenic vignettes.  If there are interesting clouds patterns, I look for photos at sunrise or sunset or even midday and sometimes seek out the grand scenic. Totally sunny conditions have me thinking black and white or shooting very early or late to take advantage of the shadow areas, or perhaps even getting a sunburst in the frame when I partially hide the sun as it peeks around a rock or tree. The point is, there are always subjects and situations to photograph whatever the weather conditions are, and extended trips have the potential of making your outings more productive.

Extended trips also allow me more contemplative visits to scenic locations. Because I have extra time on my hands, I frequently consider possibilities that I might otherwise overlook. For example, I might consider using various lenses or filters that weren’t my first, obvious choices. I usually spend more time walking around my subject or trying to reach alternative vantage points, something I could easily skip when time is short. And of course, extended trips allow me to revisit the spot when the light is more complimentary.

Sometimes I use my motel as a home base and travel long distances to a place with better conditions if the situation is not good where I originally planned to photograph.

Occasionally I photograph on extended trips alone and sometimes I am accompanied by another professional photographer, and of course photography workshops are another way to get one into the filed for extended times. I see advantages to both being alone or with others. When I am alone I am really able to focus on my subject without any distractions. But being alone isn’t all that enjoyable day after day or week after week. I often find that I am injected with additional energy when I am with someone else. We feed off each other with ideas for subjects and locations to photograph. In addition, it’s always enjoyable to have someone to share the down times with. I find that when I am with someone who is as intent as I am to create images, I am able to focus quite well. The point is to allow yourself to be more contemplative with your photography, which can happen when you’re alone or with someone else, but in either case is much easier to achieve on extended trips.

I used to camp a lot and even backpack with my camera gear to remote locations. There are still times that require camping or backpacking because of an area’s remote location, but all things considered, I’d rather return each night to the comforts of a motel room. I find I am much more rested and motivated to photograph when starting from a motel room rather than a tent. The disadvantage, of course, is that I usually have to commute to get to where I want to photograph, whereas with camping I can get really close with my subject matter, allowing me opportunities to photograph that could otherwise be missed. As far as meals are concerned, I frequently eat out when on a long trip, and usually eat two large meals a day – one at mid morning and the other at mid afternoon. This frees me up to take advantage of first and last light. Of course, I always carry extra food in case I can’t pull my self away from an area in time to make it to a restaurant.

For the professional photographer, frequent extended photo trips are not as glamorous as some might think. Days can be long and boring at times, but the rewards of putting in the time are well worth the effort for anyone who is passionate about photography. For the professional photographer, extended trips are about work, but these trips will greatly increase your productivity and will add new imagery that you otherwise would have missed.

Dennis Frates
February 2016

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