Pre-visualization

[Ralph Thornton]

I find that I spend a lot of time, especially in winter, pre-visualizing what I want to shoot when the weather warms up. Here's an example:

I've known about the Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall Wilderness for a long time but had never been there. This well known feature, which has nothing to do with China, is a thousand foot high cliff face that extends for 12 unbroken miles deep in the wilderness. Finally in 2009 I made a trip in. Since then I've made seveal more excursions to the Wall and I'm finally building a descent catalog of photographs. It takes 2 days to reach the Wall and 2 more days to hike out. No roads, just trails.

Each time I go, I've already imagined just the photos I want to capture when I'm there. I never get just what I expected but I have managed to come up with some nice views.

Here's one that I really wanted to get. Would have preferred grizzly bears instead of black bears though.

Here's what I got. I saw lots of bear tracks on the trails but no bears.

I think the pre-visualization helps. What do you think?

To see more photos of this area visit my ChoteauCam.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Ralph - couldn't agree more - I spend a lot of non-photograpgy time thinking of locations and shots.

I research the location using Google.

I search for images of that location that are already online.

I use google maps satellite view to scout the area

I use 'street view' where available to scout shooting locations and views

I use Google Earth to view the topography and lines of site.

Then I use TPE (The Photographer's Ephemeris) to look at that location, pick the day(s) that I'll be there, and review sunrise, sunset, lighting angles etc - it's really a very useful piece of software, and the desktop version is FREE!

http://photoephemeris.com/

I have my plan of attack, ideas on locations and compositions, best times of day/year, and so when I arrive on site I can get straight to work.

The rest is luck - good light - good weather - something you didn't anticipate that you see while you are there...

Great image Ralph - well worth the 4 day round trip

 

[Darren Turner]

Stunning area you have there Ralph, captured really well I think the addition of the bears in your visualization really makes the original great picture it to an awesome picture.

Great work

Daz

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Thanks for the link to TPE. Haven't used that before.

You can't imagine how much time I spend (waste?) on Google Earth flying around the areas I plan to visit.

Glad I'm not alone in my approach. Are there any shots that any of you have pre-visualized and had come out close to what you thought you'd get?

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Posted this shot before - but this is a shot I'd visualized for ages before actually turning up and taking it.

Final approach to San Diego airport - flying over I5

When I got there, I found that there was now a mesh fence in the way, so I had to remove the lens hood and shoot through the wire.

 

[Ralph Thornton]

It's always something isn't it? Well at least you couldn't drop your camera onto I-5, eh?

 

[Hamish Gill]

Ralph...
Im confused... is the shot with the bears a real photo ... or are they superimposed?

 

[Ralph Thornton]

This is the photo I got:

In order to achieve what I pre-visualized I had to merge two separate photos of the bears onto my photo of the Chinese Wall. I should have made that more clear. I never use that merged image without describing that it is a merged photo.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Hamish,

when I went to the same location, after doing some serious visualization, I got the following shot

Sorry, couldn't resist pulling your leg

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Maybe the saucer will attract more buyers than the bears?

 

[Hamish Gill]

It certainly would be a very very impressive photo if you got it with the bears for real ... It's amazing without it, but with it... Well, if it was real it would be no doubt printable in the national geographic or the like...
I think it was fairly clear re-reading ... Put it down to a blonde moment

 

[Hamish Gill]

Hamish,

when I went to the same location, after doing some serious visualization, I got the following shot

Sorry, couldn't resist pulling your leg

We need to get this out there Chris .. People have been trying to prove stuff like this for years don't you know!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Anyone want to walk in to see?

 

[Pete Askew]

Ralph, You said there were bear tracks all over. Did they suddenly stop as if the bears had suddenly just disappeared?!! I'm thinking alien abduction here! It's the only explanation surely.

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Every time I visit that area I see bear tracks. And have seen bears too. So I don't think the alien abduction thing flies to well.

 

[Paul Lange]

Ralph, I've been looking at your website and saw the photographs bears and all! I did read the description though so hats off to you for confessing that you put the bears in later. However its a good shot with the bears and you did actually photograph them.

I think with the shot of the alien craft Chris might be pushing it a bit though!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Thanks Paul and I did photograph the bears just not in the same photo as the Wall. I put a print of this photo, with explanation, in an auction. Before the bidding started I had more than a few people interested in the photo. Once they discovered the bears were added later they lost interest. Still the photo sold for $375.

I consider my photographs as art. As such I feel I can manipulate them in any way I want. But most people looking to purchase a photograph do not want photographs that have been over manipulated. They don't ask about color correction, cropping or sharpening but most draw the line at merging two images into one like the Chinese Wall Bears. On my website, the Chinese Wall Bears is the only photo where I've taken images (like the bears) and merged them into another landscape photo.

 

[Pete Askew]

Every time I visit that area I see bear tracks. And have seen bears too. So I don't think the alien abduction thing flies to well.

What, you mean that shot of Chris' might be a fake!!?

 

[Hamish Gill]

it doesnt surprise me you still got so much money for it despite it not being technically real... it does make a very good shot... how ever it was put together!

 

[Mark Grant]

Then I use TPE (The Photographer's Ephemeris) to look at that location, pick the day(s) that I'll be there, and review sunrise, sunset, lighting angles etc - it's really a very useful piece of software, and the desktop version is FREE!

http://photoephemeris.com/

That software is great, now on my laptop.

Thanks !