RePost : “Tree In A Pasture”
Photograph By John Roycroft Focal Length 200mm 1/60sec F/5.6
During my drives taking service calls, I often find myself traveling through rural Georgia. For the past several years I’ve taken Hwy 16 west headed for Griffin. There is a tree that sits alone way out in a pasture. I believe it to be an oak tree.
That tree for some reason has always caught my eye when passing, and I keep telling myself to bring my camera. I’ve told myself that for the past 5 years, but never seem to have it on the right day.
Well a couple of days ago, camera ready, I again headed down Hwy 16, except that day was very rainy and a bit foggy. My hopes of getting a good photograph were very low. The tree is in a very rural area in a small town named Hollowville. There is no place to park anywhere, so I knew that when I arrived I would have to be ready for a quick shot as I passed.
As I got closer my hopes were growing dim with the weather being so poor. Lighting was not adequate for a passing shot without stopping. That stretch of Hwy 16 is a very dangerous two lane highway with lots of traffic so when I stopped it would have to be quick.
Arriving to the stretch of road that passes in front of the pasture where the tree sits, I was in luck. No cars coming either way, so I pulled my 4Runner off to the road side and quickly prepped my camera with my 200mm lens. The rain was coming down and a bit of fog still in the air. In my rear view mirror I could see traffic approaching about half a mile away. Setting my NIKON at – 1/60 sec F/5.6 , I fired away. Pulling back onto the road not sure if the shot was good or not. Arriving at my service call in Griffin I reviewed my photo and to my surprise it was great. It was a successful drive by shooting.
Lindsay and I will take off into the mountains of north Georgia or just head somewhere with no destination in mind with the hopes of getting a good drive by photograph. That rain and fog added something to my tree photo that would probably otherwise be just a picture of an old tree in a field with no character.
The weather and lighting all play into your scenic photographs. Don’t let a rainy day stop you. Nature will help paint your picture. Natural lighting is a beautiful thing.
