With the variety of set subjects we set each year, plus the options of “open” subject, there should be heaps of variety of subjects to photograph you would think.
While we do see some interesting images over the course of a year we have a tendency to allow ourselves to stick with subjects that are “cliché” or are “safe” to get. Family, friends, pets, farm animals, and I could go on and on. What about landscapes, seascapes or mountain-scapes? Do you just take what you see, or do you go looking for the unusual the challenging, the hard to get, or the ones that require thought and, dare I say it, “cheek”!
I am not suggesting you stick your nose into someone’s private grief or difficulties, but why not use your camera in a more creative way?
One of the problems I face periodically is Janet’s concern for my health! Like, don’t get too near that edge, John!! Fortunately she is not always right there when I move into some of my “go get it” moods. Let me give you an example.
A few years ago Garry Marquand and I were climbing in the Mangatepopo Valley area with a couple of young men, including my son, Evan. Now he can vouch for this event. We climbed up Ngauruhoe Mountain – on the ice. Great stuff. We had not been on the summit long and had moved round to the south west side of the crater. No sooner had we got there and were staring down into the amazing throat of the volcano, when we sensed rather than saw, something appear to be happening down in the crater. And there was – it was a gas eruption. Then as the gas started to move quite quickly up the crater we realised we could be in for a spectacular if not positively dangerous situation. So we scarpered away from the crater rim 20 metres or so and watched. (It was no good running! If this was a serious eruption like a “Nuee Ardente”, that is, a superheated gas eruption, then running was far too late. We would have been incinerated almost instantaneously. A Nuee Ardente travels at very high speed and may be a thousand degrees Celsius.)
What an amazing spectacle. The steam moved relatively sedately into the sky and then subsided. So we went back to have another look. Then another one happened. We didn’t run so far this time though. By about the third or fourth one we were feeling a bit blasé about the whole thing and I asked Garry to stay on the crater rim while I took his photo (on film I might add), then Evan our son went and stood there too. More pictures, but not several as I would have got with a modern digital camera.
Now, get the message? If Janet had been there, I would probably have had to persuade her that it was OK. Actually, today she might have wanted a pic or two also. (Yes, she has climbed on ice).
Then she was with me in a chopper when we had a quite close call photographing a commercial operation for a forestry company (Carter Holt). I had been dropped off to get some pictures and was being picked up again. Janet was the ballast in the front of the chopper! I fastened my Camera-man’s harness and had asked the pilot to hold in a hovering position while I got as last set of pictures – I was sitting on the door step with my feet on the skids. All of a sudden the pilot spoke into my headphones, “Hold on, John”. We dropped rapidly down to just above the treetops until the drop was arrested and we headed for home. I asked the pilot what that was about? He responded that he had lost “air lift” on the rotor and a steep dive was the only way of overcoming this problem. Janet was a party to the conversation, as she also had the headphones on, but did not realise just then what the potential danger was.
The pictures turned out OK and my client was happy with the end result.
Was Janet happy? Well she didn’t complain so I assume she was happy to be driving back to Hamilton in one piece. It was a while before my hands stopped shaking, though.
Well, what is the point of this epistle? Don’t always expect fabulous photographs sitting in a safe place. Stick your neck out. You may be surprised what amazing images you get. Go for broke. A safe position isn’t necessarily the best spot to get that stunning “Honours” image. Of course, if you want to play it safe, then that is your prerogative. For me, I will try to push the boundaries as far as Janet will let me, and quite a bit further when she isn’t looking!
Good photography, and mind your back!
John
