TEMPE TOWN LAKE – 

“Throughout my photographic career, I’ve discovered that most travelers aren’t chasing perfect photographs. They’re chasing EXPERIENCES… remembering how a place looked, how it sounded and how it felt.

The desire to better understand those experiences is what inspired BOARDNG PASS – an online series that prepares you for the unexpected moments every traveler encounters on-location. Together we’ll discover how to adapt to changing light, respond with confidence and capture emotion.

Each month, I’ll take you to a new destination, sharing the decisions I made, the moments that inspired me, the frustrations I encountered and the lessons I learned along the way.

To help you put these ideas into practice, every BOARDING PASS also includes ‘Your Turn’ (Questions & Answers) and ‘The Pool Room’ (Smartphone Settings, Controls & Modes), features designed to help you become a more intentional photographic traveler.”

WELCOME ABOARD…

“The Full Monty…”  – Tempe Town Lake

THE MILL AVENUE BRIDGE – COASTLINE

“Some of my favorite travel photographs didn’t happen because I arrived at the perfect moment. They happened because I arrived before the perfect moment.

When I scout a location, there are always conversations about light, story and composition going on in my head. What is the main subject here? Does this frame show the true feel of the place? What can I remove to make this shot cleaner? Does the shot have good depth?  Does it invite viewers into the scene? Is the light where I want it to be? And more…

I finally found a Mill Avenue Bridge image that checked most of the boxes. All but one. The box entitled ‘Human Scale.’ To appreciate the massive scale of the arches, I could have set the smartphone timer and become a silhouette. This would have connected viewers to the scene…

Once the sunset arrived, the Blue Hour added the dramatic overlay that was well worth the wait. This is what developing a friendship with an historical landmark feels like.”

THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE –

“By the time I walked up to the Tempe Center for the Arts, I could see photographic opportunities EVERYWHERE. This suspension bridge  had no secrets. All the cables, connections and framing formed this amazing sculptural geometry. The more I shot, the more unified everything felt. Every cable, connection and curve had a purpose, and I needed my images to reflect that. Capturing those details was my intention. The white finish of the bowed steel framing was blinding and the shadows literally danced across the deck and over the curving frames. Those walking on the bridge were destination driven. But that was about to change…

One of the challenges of travel is how and when to mix photography in with daily vacation schedules, dinner reservations and events. Travelers rarely have the luxury of waiting for perfect light.

People arrive. Cloud banks form. Shadows lengthen. The light changes. Personality changes.

As dusk began to colorize the horizon, I noticed the bridge pace began to SLOW DOWN. People weren’t walking. They were strolling leisurely along the edges. Often stopping, looking and pointing. This was the second bridge personality. The one I had been waiting for.

I found a tight corner, lowered my camera to within six inches of the deck. Crouched down, got close to the railing and waited for someone to walk under the light…”

“Hog Heaven…”  – The Hideaway, Cave Creek

THE MILL AVENUE BRIDGE – EXPERIENCE

“Sometimes the best photograph of the day isn’t the landmark itself… it’s what’s happening above it.

I never saw this coming. Moments like these can’t be scheduled. They can’t be staged. They simply appear for those who are paying attention. Sometimes the best travel photographs don’t ask for an explanation. They invite viewers to tell their own story.

I was walking back to my car across the Mill Avenue Bridge after a full afternoon of shooting. Past the Pedestrian Bridge. Past the Art Center. Past the lakeside park. Past the paddle boats. Oncoming traffic crossed the bridge in the outside lane, then suddenly began slowing into one. A few voices drifted across the bridge. My internal conversations immediately changed. Why are the cars slowing down? Are there any racing teams on the lake?” Has the Golden Hour provided another story? Is there another story crossing this bridge?

Then I turned around…”

THE ARIZONA BEACHFRONT  –

I was on the beach that afternoon as the rowing team carried their racing shell from the hillside storage area down to the lake. Instead of following them, I stayed back near the street and photographed the launch as an interested bystander.

Later, I found similar racing shells stored on a hillside behind a tall security fence. There wasn’t an obvious way to photograph them, so I set my smartphone timer, raised the camera over my head and hoped I had framed what I couldn’t see.

BOARDING PASS Lesson 5:  People in a frame can turn a travel destination into a visual story. Photographic details give those stories personality. Our job is to find them… 

• Which photograph made you stop and look a second time?
• Which image required the most patience to capture?
• Which scene would you have photographed differently?
• Was there a moment when the light became more important than the subject?
• Which photograph made you feel as though you were actually there?
• If I handed you a smartphone and gave you one hour at Tempe Town Lake, where would you begin?

1  Experiment with BLACK and WHITE:  For the Travel photographer, make a Duplicate of your native image file, select Filters from your Editing menu, scroll all the way to the right, and select the Noir filter. Practice often. Send BW Travel photos to your friends. They will never stop talking about them…

2 Seek out REFLECTIONS: No matter where you travel, find and capture them. On water, windows and everywhere on cars. After the rain, find puddles, move around them and find the artistic reflections. Rain storms become photographic opportunities…

3 Study COMPOSITION: If you haven’t already, open your Settings App> Camera> Activate ‘Grid’ and ‘Level’. The Grid places a 3×3 grid over your camera screen to use the Rule of Thirds. Locating the subject of your image at a grid intersection improves composition. The ‘Level’ is a horizontal line that helps keep your horizons perfectly horizontal. Experiment with each and add another level to your technical skills.

4  Control FOCUS and EXPOSURE: This is a smartphone skill I use with every exposure. Referred to as ’Tap & Swipe’ it is a touch screen gesture. First, tap on the screen where you want the camera to lock focus. (A yellow box with a sun icon will appear.) Second, tap and hold on the small sun icon while sliding your finger up and down on the screen to adjust  exposure. With practice, Tap & Swipe gives you greater control over where your camera focuses and how light or dark your image appears.