17 Aug The Walk-around
There is something about the leisurely walk-around shoot that usually makes me feel like one of those dorks in the tourist herd. You know… THAT guy, who drops a grand on an entry level DSLR (only to use it in full automatic mode) to compliment his pleated shorts, nurse-white sneakers, knee-high socks, completing the ensemble with the all-important fanny pack. Wandering without a mission, just taking pictures of anything that catches my fancy, I could see how I could appear like a lost soul, taking pictures of walls, flowers, and architecture from awkward angles like I have an equilibrium problem. Well, minus the heinous outfit and plus a decent amount of camera knowledge, that’s what I looked like last Sunday afternoon. On second thought, a hefty fanny pack that could lug a 3lb lens around without too much of a fuss wouldn’t be a bad idea for a quick lens change… or maybe I could market something like that and put my stamp on it. The “matty fanny” does have a good ring, right? Anywho, I really don’t mind blending in with the other joe’s with DSLRs in-hand, it’s a nice change of pace from my normal shoots with all the lights and equipment (and sometimes a half-clothed model) that tend to gather onlookers.
I enjoy going to touristy places and taking pictures of everything but the attractions there. Where you see Captain Fanny Pack taking pictures, I’m snapping one the opposite direction. People will notice the attraction, but will overlook a really well-designed staircase they climbed to get there or other structures designed to compliment the attractions, yet get not time from the usual visitors. I pay attention to a lot of the details, even if it is just a blank wall with a funky pipe running up it, as it makes an interesting background for a subject to pose with.
Getting away from the flash lighting can be fun, being creative with only available light, I don’t do that enough. Flash lighting has become such a dominate aspect of my photography that even when I’m out taking natural light pictures I’m thinking of how I could light a scene to give it more pop.
I was driving home on the NW corner of Tacoma as the sun was setting and I had to stop and snap a couple frames. Looking at the pics in post, even I would have swore that these pictures where exaggerated in post, however, I didn’t even touch these. The colors are amazing, panning my camera from one side of the horizon to the other, the colors blended from a blue to red and orange to purple.
