Wednesday, December 14, 2005

the photographer's lament, or why truck driving and photography are uneasy companion activities

it seems to me that a lot of my favourite chunks of landscape are actually composite views, memorized incompletely from multiple whizz-by glimpses

today this difficulty imposed itself twice, because you see so many things from up in the cab that aren't always accessible on the ground

last week i saw two archaic and sunlit dappled pigs under some trees at burwash, and then a line of youthful oaks where a hedge had been removed to create a lovely long undulating wheat field just north-west of flimwell sloping towards the reservoir

taking the trouble to park and walk this morning was a huge disappointment, the sun kept hiding and i couldn't break through the bushes and brambles to get the perspectives i needed

so i'll be going back ... if the customers down there stay loyal !

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I had a similar problem: I found that a house I was trying to photograph would present its best face, if only I could stand where that van was parked in the street. I snapped a couple photos anyway, but they weren't what I wanted. Frustrating when you can see in your mind's eye what you want, but you find it's physically impossible to get to the necessary vantage point.

tristan said...

absolutely right !

but we must persevere !