[envira-gallery slug=”wotr”]
Expanding our photography demands we expand our world. We all have those things we love to photograph, that’s what gets us out in the predawn when common sense tells you to pull the covers over your head. How to you expand your photography? There are actually many, many ways to do this and one of my personal favorites is going to some place that is not on my radar. You are probably saying that an aviation museum might not be on my radar, but they actually aren’t. On our way up to Cripple Creek, we had a spare couple of hours so we dropped in on the Wings Over the Rockies air & space museum. I only knew about them because of the video you see below. Now, how does all of this expand your photography
If you don’t visit such museums, then you’re pushing your ability to see subjects. You can’t use a tripod so you have to push your handholding abilities. Uncomfortable with White Balance selection and mixed lighting, this will push you. How about having to eliminate elements in a busy frame with the only option is physically moving? These and so many self taught lessons are waiting when you expand your photographic world. In this case, the shots of the plane on exhibition or the overall shot of the hangar are pretty run of the mill. You would have to push yourself to get it sharp handholding. You would have to push yourself to get the exposure to hold the detail you want to tell the story, but you must even go past that. There is the shot of the B-52 that greets your before you even enter. Shooting to get the symmetry, exposure and design might push you too. But it’s not until you start digging past these shots that you expand your world. I entered with just the Df & 14-24AFS, forcing myself to go wide and work at visually eliminating elements and look for the image. The two that I really love come from looking OVER my head. The shot of the hangar door in the afternoon and the US Flag I really like. They came from walking slowly and constantly doing a 360 to LOOK at the light and then follow it to the subject. Besides being a great museum with lots of knowledge to be gained visiting it, it’s a photographic treasure trove when you’re willing to just push yourself a little bit further.