Cross Training

I stood in the middle of the railroad tracks casting hurried glances towards the sky. Whenever I would look
away even for a short time and then gaze again toward the sky it seemed to have undergone a dramatic change. The thick overcast was beginning to split apart and the upper currents of air were pushing and forming the remnants into elongated rolled cylinders. What I hoped would happen was for the setting sun to fill those formations with a golden hue, but where the sun hovered the clouds were too thick for any such magic to happen. The beauty of digital cameras is that you can impart some magic of your own with a few simple tweaks and settings.

I call it 'Jumping Light'. It's not a term you will find in any photography text book, just something I made up a couple years ago while experimenting with the white balance settings. I do that a lot; try something just to see what happens. Pushing the WB toward the upper end of the Kelvin scale I artificially forced the sky and clouds to look as though a golden hue was indeed being cast across their rolling forms.

I do not always know what I will discover when I head out. No amount of planning ahead can always guarantee the results you hope for. More often than not, the light doesn't cooperate so I have to adapt. The important thing here is to get out and there are times regardless of the conditions that I just have to get out and try. I have discovered that by diversifying what I do photographically opens up a lot of opportunities that might otherwise not be fulfilled. I know a lot of good photographers. They are very good at what they do, but tend to shy away from photo opportunities that do not fall inside their comfort bubbles. Just like cross training in sports helps the athlete to achieve a higher standard of fitness, cross training in photography can achieve the same kind of results for the photographer.

From location portraits I've learned the importance of expression, light, and timing. Landscapes and scenics
have taught me about how to simplify...to identify what is really important. From nature and wildlife I've learned to be more patient and exacting. Night photography has helped me read drama and story into a composition. From astrophotography I've learned to anticipate the extraordinary and to look for what is not always seen. From working events I've learned how to operate at a fast pace and make quick instinctive adjustments. Black and white has shown me the importance of shape, form, and texture. Floral's have helped me discover subtle details and how to apply light to enhance those details. Video has taught me about angles, steadiness of hand, and continuity. Cross training your photography will in time generate a stronger overall performance that will show up in all forms of your photographic pursuits.