Photoclubalpha

I had an idea for a new thread that people might enjoy. I thought we could tell each other what sort of photo opportunity we would love to have someday. Let's keep it in the realm of the possible, okay? In other words, if your dream photo op would be to shoot a 24-year old Sophia Loren in the studio or document the construction of the Great Pyramid or do wildlife photography of the big dinosaurs then those things are probably not realistically going to happen. But, what would you like to do? Maybe travel someplace to shoot? Maybe you are into portrait photography? Macro? Landscape? Wildlife? Birds? Architecture? Tell us about what you want to do. Yeah, it might just be a dream and you may never actually do it, but you can at least hope.

By the way, to keep the interest up then go ahead and tell us what gear you would hope to use for this photo opportunity. Including gear may give the thread a bit more life.

Very good idea Henry! I will go first then.

I will split my photo op wish list in to short, medium and long term.

In the short term I am hoping to find a field of red poppies. It would be ideal (but selfish ) if there was no one else there, and a dawn and dusk shoot would be great for the light. Can I have rain the night before for some nice water droplets in the morning please? The A99 that I have is fine, but it would be nice to slap on the 135 STF and maybe the SAL 70-200/2.8 just to check them out.

Medium term. Back to the West Coast of the Hebridean Western Isles. Somewhere like this.

Luskentyre Reflections by Birm, on Flickr
A month of morning and evening shoots should sate my appetite for a bit (or least fill up my hard drive). A99 again please. Be fun to try a Medium Format digital for really big files as well.

Long term / fantasy shoot. Round the world, Photoclubalpha trip ! Flying west heading to Canada to meet up with DA for some birds of prey, big mountains and proper snow would be good. Down to Texas (but not in the summer- too hot!) to meet up with John. Trips to Monument Valley and anywhere else that Ford filmed Wayne . Over to California for beers in Sury's backyard and then trips to the Vineyards. Next up to Seattle for forest and beach shoots with KB. Carrying on Westwards. Over to Queensland for rain forest excursions with Greg, then Perth for windsurfing with Bruce (and I should probably visit my Brother and his family while there!). Then North to Japan for Tokyo street shooting with Henry, and it would be nice to time this with the Cherry Blossom as well. Ever westwards. Next to Armenia of course for the mountains and monasteries with the Doc (and his homemade fruit brandies I hope!), and then on to Istanbul for Turkish coffee by the Bosphorus with Yildiz. Apologies if I missed any people and locations out. (Perhaps I missed Redsim in NZ for Peter Jackson location shooting?) EDIT: Just remembered that I'll need another trip Westwards to New York at the end of the trip, timed to fit with an Adorama sale on photo books, and bagels and cheesecake with Pako.

Gear for the Long term trip would be the A99 (of course) with the Alpha CZ primes. Nex 6 with a full set of SEL lenses, and you can toss in a M9 with a 24, 50 and 90 (your choice of the actual models) just to see what the fuss is about .

Keeping my fingers crossed for the lottery win to implement the third photo op.

Hey, Birm buddy, may I join you?

Great idea Doc! Let's make it a PCA tour

Birma wrote: EDIT: Just remembered that I'll need another trip Westwards to New York at the end of the trip, timed to fit with an Adorama sale on photo books, and bagels and cheesecake with Pako.

You are missing Gary Friedman in Southern California - a must because Gary is such a guy, and because the landscape in that area is wonderful.

Otherwise, cheesecake anytime.

Pako

bakubo wrote: But, what would you like to do? Maybe travel someplace to shoot? Maybe you are into portrait photography? Macro? Landscape? Wildlife? Birds? Architecture? Tell us about what you want to do. Yeah, it might just be a dream and you may never actually do it, but you can at least hope.

This is the kind of photo-op that any photographer would like to have, and that launch Sebastiao Salgado carrier -impossible today...

http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2012/ ... mpt-contac t-sheets/

pakodominguez wrote:You are missing Gary Friedman in Southern California - a must because Gary is such a guy, and because the landscape in that area is wonderful.

Otherwise, cheesecake anytime.

Pako

Good point Pako. We must put Gary in the itinerary .

Birma, you have some great ideas there and clearly you have given this some thought already.

Anyone else?

I don’t really have any specific photographic objective, I like birds and bird photography despite how difficult and time consuming they are, I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to do that or even watch someone else do it if they have a good system happening.

I’ve always been fascinated with human behavior and evolution, why people do the things they do, (are we fundamentally a design with no future?), I would like the authority and immunity (from above) to go places too document and ask questions that have to be answered truthfully (with no escape and no weasel words or lies) with questions such as why are you doing this? or that? when you know in advance what the result will be…i.e. more of the same.

I can’t go back and interview Lucy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Australopithecus) of course and find out if she had aspirations of evolving into humans that could end the world with the press of a button (or alternatively suffocate it to death with plastic junk) or dreamed of going to the stars, or just swinging over to the next branch instead.
Today’s humans are the obvious alternative for intense scrutiny, if only to find out how much we still drag our knuckles while ambling across to that button.

But in reality I think I’ll just finish refurbishing/rebuilding the house and try to have the boat ready as well in case Birma or DA or someone else drops in one day. And perhaps go for a photographic walk in the rainforest also, although it really requires a morning daybreak type stay over to appreciate it at its best.

I suppose my photographic efforts are just confined to taking a photo that people might find interesting enough to look at for more than half a second, I’m aiming at a whole second. For me the challenge is about content not creating a painted masterpiece, something that is rather a challenge when your horizons are limited somewhat by circumstances at the present time.

But no matter where you are there is always the very small to be photographed, it’s time consuming as well but it can be quite fascinating to see what’s under that rock or behind that leaf.
I harbour no illusions about ever being paid to do photography, thus I will won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t happen.

I think it’s the story accompanying the photo as well, a good photo by itself is good for sure but sometimes the story is the real icing on the cake.
Like the time when Henry captured a once in lifetime photo of the Ghost Elephants of Tanzania (or was it Botswana?) hiding in a hollow log covered in Elephant dung as a disguise and being attacked by tsetse flies, a hollow log already occupied by a Boomslang if I remember correctly, and still capturing the photo regardless of the distractions.

That’s what I mean, its content and the background story that makes the photo extra interesting.
Greg

Ps it is a pristine looking place Birma, it’s a wonder it doesn’t have more people in evidence in your photos.

Greg Beetham wrote:I don’t really have any specific photographic objective

Well, you might as well join Birma and me in Tokyo then.

Greg Beetham wrote: But in reality I think I’ll just finish refurbishing/rebuilding the house and try to have the boat ready as well in case Birma or DA or someone else drops in one day.

Documenting all the work you are doing might be a pretty good photo project. If you have trouble doing the work and taking photos then maybe you could pull a Tom Sawyer and persuade others to do the work while you take the photos.

Greg Beetham wrote: Like the time when Henry captured a once in lifetime photo of the Ghost Elephants of Tanzania (or was it Botswana?) hiding in a hollow log covered in Elephant dung as a disguise and being attacked by tsetse flies, a hollow log already occupied by a Boomslang if I remember correctly, and still capturing the photo regardless of the distractions.

The Ghost Elephants were in Botswana in 1993.



Elephant dung lasts a surprisingly long time. My wife was complaining recently that I just didn't seem to hear her sometimes. She checked and Lordy, Lordy, what did she find? Some of that elephant dung still in my ears.

I'd love to be able to go back in time and meet Eugene Atget, (surprise, surprise!), and learn his craft, using his equipment, as well as showing him the digital future. I know we'd both be astounded by what the other had to teach. Of course, I need a TARDIS, and to improve my French first!

Good grief where does one start. Nature and science I think.
Sunrise or sunset at Grand Canyon and Uluru.
A time machine to take me to the last shuttle launch.
And to continue an aviation theme the same time machine to shoot the famous SR71 Blackbird in full reheat. I can still visualise the latter if I close my eyes. Stunning to see.

Mike

PS and to join Birma on his world tour.

Nice choices Mike. The Grand Canyon sounds good, as does the Blackbird.

You're of course very welcome on the 'tour' .

bakubo wrote:
Elephant dung lasts a surprisingly long time. My wife was complaining recently that I just didn't seem to hear her sometimes. She checked and Lordy, Lordy, what did she find? Some of that elephant dung still in my ears.

Greg
ps I still like that photo.

At the weekend I managed to realise the first of my photo ambitions described above. You can see the result in Aster's Challenge thread here http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... 637#p81637 .

It was almost perfect. A glorious summer day with just a few clouds to make the sun interesting as it rose, mist in the surrounding fields, and lots of red poppies. I was not alone, but there was only one other photographer when I arrived, and one other turned up later on. I will relate the embarrassing, but funny story of my arrival at the field.

I arrived in good time, but struggled a bit to find the 'way in' which involved a lot of brambles, fences and thick vegetation. I got in to the field but was at the bottom of the hill and I wanted to be at the top for the sun rise. I started walking up the hill, sticking to the field boundary to protect the flowers. The field edge was filled with very tall thistles - waist high and wet with dew. The field was also very rutted, and my legs were quite wet as I picked my way uphill. As I approached the 'pitch' of the other photographer I noticed he had a serious set-up. Big tripod and head, Nikon Dn with the 14- 24 and the huge filter holder you have to get for it. I was just at the point where I was going to say "Hi" when, losing concentration from where I was stepping, I lost my footing and fell flat in to the thistles! Several expletives were whispered under my breath, before I managed to jump to my feet amidst the thistles. "Are you alright?" my fellow early-bird asked. "Fine, fine!" I said. "Lovely morning isn't it?" I said as I walked past him up the hill dusting myself off. He was very polite and didn't laugh out loud . He also showed me a much easier way to get back out of the field.