It's in the Lighting - Day Two Road Trip
Well, day two started as day one ended, raining. Though it messed the start of my day, the bright side is the area needs rain badly, so I'll suffer through a little inconvenience. My plans had been to be in Vicksburg, hoping to catch the sun as it rose over the Mississippi River bridge, get some shots in the historic area and to just roam around little for potential other subject matter. Not to be, the morning is shot, might as well head for my next destination, Canton Texas. Maybe I can catch something of interest as the sun as it sets in the west.
This brings up another topic. I've been asked on a many of occasions, why not just shoot all day long, what's so important about getting up at sunrise or waiting until the sun sets. Simply put, its all about the lighting the sun creates during two times of the day - the first couple of hours at sunrise and the last hour or so at sunset. Most of us call this the "Golden Hours", when the shadows begin to dance, the colors begin to change and "The Shot" in landscape and nature photography normally occurs. Any other time of day the sunlight is just to harsh. Spend the rest of the day sightseeing or scoping out locations that might be of interest when to light gets right.
Canton Texas, home of Trade Days, with the typical small town square surrounded by locally owned restaurants and shops. And just outside town, rolling farm land with pastures filled with cattle, horses and barns.
It's getting late in the day, the sun is beginning to go down and then there it is, a half fallen tree with spindly limbs and behind it, the sun is a fireball of brilliant orange. I stop and quickly mount the camera to the tripod and wait. Just as the sun starts to hit the top of the distant tree line, I push the wireless shutter release.
Day 2 covers some 450 miles and a handful of shots. Think I'm going to take it easy on Wednesday morning and wait for the afternoon sun again.
