Going Back

I'm heading the the University of Washington Arboretum tomorrow morning with the sole intention of trying to visualize my photos before I capture them.

I have previously been to the arboretum three times to photograph it and have come back with only a few halfway decent images. I can feel that there is some real potential there even though I have not yet been able to capture it.

Two questions:

Do you do excersices like this and do you find yourself retuning to places that you have previously photographed numerous times without success because you feel there is something there worth capturing even though you have been unable to see it previously.

doidinho wrote in post #5676285
I'm heading the the University of Washington Arboretum tomorrow morning with the sole intention of trying to visualize my photos before I capture them.

I have previously been to the arboretum three times to photograph it and have come back with only a few halfway decent images. I can feel that there is some real potential there even though I have not yet been able to capture it.

Two questions:

Do you do excersices like this and do you find yourself retuning to places that you have previously photographed numerous times without success because you feel there is something there worth capturing even though you have been unable to see it previously.

Hey, Robert!

I lived in Seattle for nine years and visited the Arboretum a few times, but not as a photographer. I don't remember it as visually "photogenic", so I can understand your question!

I go back to places a lot, sometimes to look for the potential that I may have missed, and sometimes to experiment with different approaches to my photography. I may go one time with one camera and one lens, another time deliberately another lens for a different approach.

For example, you could go for one visit and concentrate on doing only macros (plenty of opportunities there) and then on another occasion take your widest aperture lens and experiment with the shallowest depth of field shots with different objects. Try sitting/laying on the ground and getting isolated subjects from low perspectives. Try finding things and positions where the lake is the background and working with larger apertures to see what kind of bokeh you can get with the lake, especially if it's a sunny afternoon with light reflecting from the water.

I guess that what I'm suggesting is that instead of taking pictures of the Arboretum, focus on things you can isolate and create your own environment for them!

I sadly have not been down to the Arboretum yet. I should do that sometimes.

tonylong wrote in post #5676428
Hey, Robert!

I lived in Seattle for nine years and visited the Arboretum a few times, but not as a photographer. I don't remember it as visually "photogenic", so I can understand your question!

I go back to places a lot, sometimes to look for the potential that I may have missed, and sometimes to experiment with different approaches to my photography. I may go one time with one camera and one lens, another time deliberately another lens for a different approach.

For example, you could go for one visit and concentrate on doing only macros (plenty of opportunities there) and then on another occasion take your widest aperture lens and experiment with the shallowest depth of field shots with different objects. Try sitting/laying on the ground and getting isolated subjects from low perspectives. Try finding things and positions where the lake is the background and working with larger apertures to see what kind of bokeh you can get with the lake, especially if it's a sunny afternoon with light reflecting from the water.

I guess that what I'm suggesting is that instead of taking pictures of the Arboretum, focus on things you can isolate and create your own environment for them!

Excellent advice, small DOF is something that I have not experimented much with. Your right about the arboretum not being outright photogenic, but you know that a good shot could be taken there.

KevinAldrich wrote in post #5676434
I sadly have not been down to the Arboretum yet. I should do that sometimes.

From your avatar I assume you are a student at the UW. You really should go check it out, its just a 10-15 minute walk from the main campus.

doidinho wrote in post #5676462
Excellent advice, small DOF is something that I have not experimented much with. Your right about the arboretum not being outright photogenic, but you know that a good shot could be taken there.

Your 17-55 would be a great lens for some shallow depth of field stuff, and even for semi-macro because it has a very close minimum focusing distance -- I believe about 6", right?

Even your 70-200 can be fun, at a longer distance, for isolating subjects with a shallow depth of field. And it's great for things like flowers with bees where you want to be a distance away, and this time of year there are plenty of them around!

Everyone should do that. Start with a plan & see where it takes you.