The Touring Photographer
The Touring Photographer
One of my hobbies/passions is taking pictures on my trips in the US and overseas. Most of the time my wife and I book a tour and let the company take care of the details. This relieves us of transportation, lodging, and some dining decisions. But it also acts as a constraint on what images I capture (is it on the tour?) and when I can get them (if it’s Tuesday, it’s Avignon). And then there is the matter that there are another 36 or so souls who are traveling with us and cannot be ignored...even when I am about to frame the “perfect shot.”
In contrast to this is the assignment photographer can take his or her time to get the set of pictures needed for the assignment. This is not to say that this is easier that the scheduled tourist. It is just a completely different mode of operation. An assignment photographer can concentrate entirely on the work at hand. He or she can afford to wait for the best condition for a shot with no tour guides, companions, and the pull of the rest of the group causing him or her to abandon the site or event and move on to ABC (“Another Bloody Castle/Church”).
Although the constraints are quite different the goal of all serious photographers, amateur or professional, is essentially the same: to capture an image that represents a moment, a personality, or a landscape that reflects the reality of the moment. Later, someone may modify, enhance, or distort that image, but that is in the future. Touring photographers most resemble exhibiting artists in that they are satisfying their own interests and vision. They want to be known as the creators of the photographs and are selective in showing their best work and burying the rest.
Because of these different modes of picture taking, I want to describe some techniques and tools that a touring photographer can use to get the most of out of a tour using a modest amount equipment. Then I will demonstrate the software and procedures I use to produce a set of Web pages for each trip. Finally, if I can make it to the end of the series, I will show some of the techniques I use to bend Aperture to produce an attractive photobook. If all goes according to plan I hope to provide a guidebook for camera-toting tourists.
On Assignment vs. On Tour
1/8/10
Cortina