CAUTION: Philosophical pontification ahead!

[JoeFriday]

isn't it funny how photography, particularly street photography, makes you see things so differently? and I don't limit that to just seeing objects, but also how we observe events

this afternoon I was driving my car through town, and as I got about a block from a railroad crossing, the lights started flashing and the gates came down.. rather than being annoyed that I would have to wait several minutes for the train to pass as I pulled up in front of the barrier, I was actually pretty happy.. I put the car in park and pulled my Contax T out of the glove compartment.. I hopped out of the car as a dozen cars pulled up behind me.. and shot a half roll of film of the train rolling by

what normally was considered downtime was turned into an interesting photo op.. and chances are, I was the entertainment for all the other drivers.. LOL

 

[Frank Granovski]

When I'm driving I usually keep the G2 beside me just in case I have to stop and take a cheap quick shot or 2 from the window (rolled down). Sometimes I can't stop, though, because of the traffic. 😎

 

[ch1]

When I'm driving I usually keep the G2 beside me just in case I have to stop and take a cheap quick shot or 2 from the window (rolled down). Sometimes I can't stop, though, because of the traffic. 😎

There was a sad post here a few days ago about a fellow in GB who had all his high-end Leica gear ripped off from his car.

That said, I'm now keeping a low-end SLR (Nikkormat EL) with a normal lens in the car at all times (out of view when not occupied of course). I've also got a low-end Graflex RF (little 35mm body made in Japan just before they "tanked") with a half-way decent fixed lens that I'm doing the same with.

As Brett notes, you just never know when a great shot will come along while driving around. Problem is, what do you do about film? I've been keeping B&W in the "car gear" but then I came across a spectacular sunset with mottled clouds, pastel blue and pink colors etc.

What to do? Well, I just shot it in B&W and hope I get another chance - next time with another camera holding 'chrome!

 

[dostacos]

isn't it funny how photography, particularly street photography, makes you see things so differently? and I don't limit that to just seeing objects, but also how we observe events

this afternoon I was driving my car through town, and as I got about a block from a railroad crossing, the lights started flashing and the gates came down.. rather than being annoyed that I would have to wait several minutes for the train to pass as I pulled up in front of the barrier, I was actually pretty happy.. I put the car in park and pulled my Contax T out of the glove compartment.. I hopped out of the car as a dozen cars pulled up behind me.. and shot a half roll of film of the train rolling by

what normally was considered downtime was turned into an interesting photo op.. and chances are, I was the entertainment for all the other drivers.. LOL

well that WAS street photography wasn't it 😀

did you get a good one for the contest? 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 [that is as close as I can get to hehehehehe]

 

[remrf]

After reading "Be Here Now" By Ram Dass back in the 70's when stopped or obstructed like that I usually take a look around me to see what it is I am supposed to learn from that moment.

Normally the answer is "Beat's me Sherlock".

I have not had great luck with shots from cars to date. But I do have a camera with me most of the time,"in case" something comes up.

Usually the shots I see from the car or motorcycle are of grand geographic vistas that I can crop in my head but that would difficult if not impossible to shoot in reality based upon position and distance to subject. However there are more than a few points along my route home that would make a great shot. Unfortunately they are seen when on a busy freeway and I have not yet had the ....courage to stop the car or bike on the side of I-10 or I-19 to snap the shot. Perhaps I am wrong but I think the police would take a dim view of the practice. Things are crazy enough out there at rush hour without me adding to the mix.

None the less I have been toying with the idea of hanging my Mamiya 645 with a 55mm wide angle lens around my neck and pulling to the right hand emergency lane on my motorcycle and grabbing the shot and taking off again. The one I have in mind would be from about the center of a big traffic loop that re-routes traffic from I-10 west to I-19 south on the outskirts of Tucson,Az.. At the center of the loop I would be about 70 ft from the ground and the view of the surrounding mountains and foothills to the southwest in the afternoon light is awesome. Until I got the 645 I was trying to figure out how to do the same thing with a 4x5 view camera. But even moving very fast I doubt I could pull that off in less than a few minutes. On the bike I can probably do it in less than 30 seconds.

Got way off track I suppose. Good for you guy. Making lemonade out of lemmons and being in the moment.

 

[dostacos]

There was a sad post here a few days ago about a fellow in GB who had all his high-end Leica gear ripped off from his car.

That said, I'm now keeping a low-end SLR (Nikkormat EL) with a normal lens in the car at all times (out of view when not occupied of course). I've also got a low-end Graflex RF (little 35mm body made in Japan just before they "tanked") with a half-way decent fixed lens that I'm doing the same with.

As Brett notes, you just never know when a great shot will come along while driving around. Problem is, what do you do about film? I've been keeping B&W in the "car gear" but then I came across a spectacular sunset with mottled clouds, pastel blue and pink colors etc.

What to do? Well, I just shot it in B&W and hope I get another chance - next time with another camera holding 'chrome!

I currently have a Yashica GSN that rides under my arm reat, the problem with that is I have not used it enough to be comfprtable with using it fast stress shooting, guess it is time to put the bessa in there too.....

 

[bmattock]

I keep an Olympus XA2 loaded with color print film in my car at all times. I used it today, in fact. I find the XA2 to be a great little knock-around camera. I'm sorry it is not a rangefinder, but it's fast, light, has a nice lens, and it's not too expensive if you have to replace it.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Bertram2]

isn't it funny how photography, particularly street photography, makes you see things so differently? . LOL

Joe,

since I started my second approach to photography some years ago I watch my environment different from former times , much more carefully, sometimes I really I see "pictures".
Funny , even the way I watch TV has changed now. Travel reports for example I watch with the eyes of the cameraman now and again and again I have to admire the great job these guys do related to composition, perspective, standpoint and so on !! Great craft, and each time I watch these movies they tell me how much I still gotta learn.

Bertram

 

[Frank Granovski]

copake_ham, I never, never leave anything in the car unless I'm there with it. 😎

 

[ch1]

After reading "Be Here Now" By Ram Dass back in the 70's when stopped or obstructed like that I usually take a look around me to see what it is I am supposed to learn from that moment.

Normally the answer is "Beat's me Sherlock".

I have not had great luck with shots from cars to date. But I do have a camera with me most of the time,"in case" something comes up.

Usually the shots I see from the car or motorcycle are of grand geographic vistas that I can crop in my head but that would difficult if not impossible to shoot in reality based upon position and distance to subject. However there are more than a few points along my route home that would make a great shot. Unfortunately they are seen when on a busy freeway and I have not yet had the ....courage to stop the car or bike on the side of I-10 or I-19 to snap the shot. Perhaps I am wrong but I think the police would take a dim view of the practice. Things are crazy enough out there at rush hour without me adding to the mix.

None the less I have been toying with the idea of hanging my Mamiya 645 with a 55mm wide angle lens around my neck and pulling to the right hand emergency lane on my motorcycle and grabbing the shot and taking off again. The one I have in mind would be from about the center of a big traffic loop that re-routes traffic from I-10 west to I-19 south on the outskirts of Tucson,Az.. At the center of the loop I would be about 70 ft from the ground and the view of the surrounding mountains and foothills to the southwest in the afternoon light is awesome. Until I got the 645 I was trying to figure out how to do the same thing with a 4x5 view camera. But even moving very fast I doubt I could pull that off in less than a few minutes. On the bike I can probably do it in less than 30 seconds.

Got way off track I suppose. Good for you guy. Making lemonade out of lemmons and being in the moment.

remrf,

I hear wherefrom you speak. While my Tucson visits are all too brief and scattershot right now (boy I'm thinking retirement!!! :bang: ) I know what you mean - how do you just STOP to shoot that pic?

Forget about I-10 and I-19, last week we were 'tooling about Bisbee and up to the Fort Huachuca area and then over to Sonoita. I am so wanting to start shooting the old, weatherbeaten barns and stockcades ets. but so often I just zoom by and by the time I think "damn, I should have stopped" it seems too late to do so.

Gotta slow down the car, I guess.

What I have been doing is making "mental notes" of places the first "fly by" and then keeping them in mind as places to make a point of stopping at later. Admittedly, this is a lot easier to do out in two-lane country than on the Interstates!

But by doing this, I was able to remember last week to "capture" an old settlement house and barn just west of Fort Huachuca on the road up to Sonoita.

Just hope the "bio-based memory cells" stay intact so I can remember all the other places I need to slow down for! 😱

Will be back out in Tucson in mid-Feb. Please ensure good weather. 😀

Regards,
George

 

[back alley]

i have a camera with me most of the time.
i carry at least one camera and lens in my bag to work & back.
sometimes i use my 'stealth' oly 35 complete with genuine black leather covering...🙂

 

[ch1]

i have a camera with me most of the time.
i carry at least one camera and lens in my bag to work & back.
sometimes i use my 'stealth' oly 35 complete with genuine black leather covering...🙂

Joe,

How does one choose which camera and (more important) lens to carry on a given day?

Because we here on RFF are all suffering from the horrible results of too much prior GAS, I don't think that I am alone with this problem....

Sometimes I get "paralyzed" as to what to pack. Should I just take one camera (fairly easy choice) and one lens (much harder - which child will be chosen) or take the whole damned family (c'mon lenses let's all of you jump in the bag!)? When I know that b/w work and everything - my weekday shooting time is going to be very "limited".

Do you just say - today it's this camera and this focal length and if I miss the greatest shot in the world - so what?

Not really expecting an "answer" but thoughts are appreciated.

George

 

[Frank Granovski]

I take my 35RC with me where ever I go, but often I also bring along the G2 when I'm driving---for shots from the car because it's auto everything. Now that I have the Bessa R3A, that'll be the camera I take with me where ever I go (coupled with the 90mm lens). 😎

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

How does one choose which camera and (more important) lens to carry on a given day?

Because we here on RFF are all suffering from the horrible results of too much prior GAS, I don't think that I am alone with this problem....

I know it too well; both "the problem" and GAS. I got a new acquisition yesterday, against my best judgement. I had to consciously leave my M6 behind. It felt really weird, but I had to. Sometimes one must learn to not depend on the "tool of choice".

I took the Sonnar I got from Rover last week, for a test spin today...two full rolls. And I still wish I had had my M6 with me. Sometimes one must choose despite one's inertia/habits. The results may surprise you.

And Brett: last time I did something like that I almost got arrested. Was ist yor secret?

 

[reagan]

isn't it funny how photography, particularly street photography, makes you see things so differently?

I don't always keep a camera with me, but most of the time. I take whichever one I'm in the mood to carry... usually, one camera, one lens. If I see something I want to shoot, I approach it with that gear in mind and don't fret about the lens I left at home. Another train comes by tomorrow, so I try to focus on the subject, not the stuff... get the shot.

And I agree, Brett, I look at things and people more intently when I have a camera along. When I’m thinking about creating, I notice what has been created around me. I drive and walk slower noticing minute mundane things and events that I at other times would just zoom on by. I think that in itself is a very positive characteristic of our pursuits.

I notice how the waitress in a coffee shop interacts with other customers... besides me. I listen to the conversations of shop owners with their clientele, observing their facial expressions, hand gestures, smiles and occasionally I strike up a short dialogue with strangers - "What used to be in that abandoned building across the street there? What did they make? Have you lived around here for long?" Again, I take the time to be interested in the surroundings as opposed to sailing full-tilt in a hurry to get to the end of “just another day.” That, I’m afraid, would be such a waste.

 

[FrankS]

As Brett notes, you just never know when a great shot will come along while driving around. Problem is, what do you do about film? I've been keeping B&W in the "car gear" but then I came across a spectacular sunset with mottled clouds, pastel blue and pink colors etc.
QUOTE]

That's easy George. Use B+W film. The world does not need another colourful sunset photo. 🙂

 

[ch1]

As Brett notes, you just never know when a great shot will come along while driving around. Problem is, what do you do about film? I've been keeping B&W in the "car gear" but then I came across a spectacular sunset with mottled clouds, pastel blue and pink colors etc.
QUOTE]

That's easy George. Use B+W film. The world does not need another colourful sunset photo. 🙂

Yes, Frank, I made that shot. But if only I'd had some 'chrome in the camera! :bang:

Hey, no problem actually.....

Just have to get another camera! 🙂

GAS time, GAS time.... 😀

 

[wlewisiii]

I've been carrying something with me everywhere for a couple of years now. It's gotten to the point where I feel naked and people comment if I don't have one with me. It's generally a single body, one lens and a couple of rolls of film. I may get out, I may shoot from the car, sometimes I don't stop - there's a shot of a tree in front of an old barn and house in my gallery (the one I submitted, Brett) that was shot by holding the Kiev up at arms length with the Skopar set for f16 hyperfocal distance and the shutter set to 1/500th as I drove by with an open window.

More typical is not getting any shots during the day, but as the saying goes, you can't win if you don't play the game.

These days it's my Canon 7 w hooded 50/1.8 hanging off my mother's old hippy strap. Beat all to heck (had to have it resewn recently) but it's one I'm used to and it's got the elastic to hold 3 rolls of film in their plastic cans. That's a good combo for alot of shooting if the oportunity presents itself. It's well known that you have to be ready before the situation happens. Just simply having a camera along increases the chances you have to look at the world tremendously.

William

 

[Steve B]

You said it!

You said it!

CVBLZ4 I think you've said it better than I could. The thing about how having a camera on board makes you slow down and look at the world. For me its not even necessary to actually take any pictures but if I have the camera handy and know that I could then I take the time to be more in the moment and observe the nuances in the world around me that I would likely run pell mell over if I didn't have a camera with me.
I have both digital and film cameras in both SLR and more compact styles but for my "walkabout" camera I usually take the Bessa R2 with a Konica 35mm f2 loaded with Velvia 100. I like the velvia as it has great color, scans well and I can always experiment with b&w on the puter.
Sunsets, I know they're over done but I rarely take a pic of the sunset itself but prefer to focus on what that magical light is illuminating. But if I do I make a silent promise not to show it to anybody. I enjoy the act of composing and taking the picture even if I don't even keep it. On the other hand the most amazing sunset I have ever seen found me in Joshua Tree National Park with all my gear and plenty of time to photograph, no excuses. But it was so stunning that all I could do was watch. I think I would have ruined the experience for myself if I had been running frenetically around trying to "get the shot". As it is I have this fantastic memory of sitting on a big rock with my wife and just being amazed. As I said, it is not always necessary to actually take the picture.

 

[reagan]

But it was so stunning that all I could do was watch. I think I would have ruined the experience for myself if I had been running frenetically around trying to "get the shot".

Yep. Done that. The fact that I had a camera made me really look at what was going on. The fact that I chose not to shoot allowed me to really experience what I was looking at.

My granddaughters spent 3 weeks with us last summer. I got LOTS of shots I really cherish. On one of our many trips to the park, I of course took a camera instead of a book to keep me occupied while they ran like wild animals around the slides/bars/etc. So, of course I was REALLY watching them looking for "the shot." But as I was watching, it dawned on me, "I"ve got plenty of good shots at home. I think I'll just put the camera in the bag and enjoy the kids." And I did. No regrets of missed shots. And I still chuckle remembering their antics that day... some I might have missed had I been framing, focusing, f-stopping and fiddling with a Zorki.