“Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Ore.” by Robin Conover
Canon EOS 6D, 24-70 mm, 2.8 L series lens,
Gitzo tripod, ISO 100, ƒ22 at 1/8 sec.
Perspective is a priceless asset that’s not easily gained without some level of pain and effort. As a photographer, I look for perspective to give scale, direction and focus to my images. In life, perspective often presents itself when I’m not even looking for it. In other words, it has a way of slapping me in the face before I see it coming.
With this new year, I find myself rapidly approaching a certain milestone where resolutions are taking on added importance. I’m questioning where I’ve been and looking ahead to where I’m going.
In making my 2016 resolutions, I realized that they follow some basic rules of photography — keep things simple and uncluttered, focus sharply on the subject at hand and move outside comfort zones for new opportunities.
As a photographer, it’s easy to get lulled into shooting the same places over and over. It’s like visiting an old friend. You feel her moods and mark her seasons with the passing of your own.
While this familiarity — or, dare we say, habit — may in some respects be advantageous, it can also breed stagnation: producing images that look the same sunrise after sunrise, season after season.
In an effort to be less boring, I added “visit new places” to my resolutions. This actually started a few months ago when I had the opportunity to explore and photograph part of the Oregon coast.
The newness of the landscape piqued my interest in exploring as much as I could in a short visit and in capturing some new images. It led to a new perspective for a familiar subject and a beautiful sunset on the beach. I’m looking forward to finding several more needles in nature’s haystacks this year.
