How many times have you noticed that some of the best photo ops are when you are traveling around in a car, or some other mode of transportation? How many times is it easy to just stop and take photos where you see the best ones? Many times more it is usually just too hard to stop, eh?
Well, there is a way to capture some fabulous photos without stopping! As a matter of fact, without even getting out of your car!
I was in Costa Rica over the holidays on vacation with my family. My husband was driving and I just happened to have the camera in my lap; just in case we had a chance to pull over somewhere for photo ops. Well, I just kept getting the best photo ops from views that were in the car & where we couldn’t stop!
I suddenly decided to shoot photos through the windshield!
Some things just happen so fast and you just need to be ready to “click quick” through the glass; or you just might miss that moment! These are moments that happen so fast; you don’t even have time to stop the car! You barely have time to get the camera out of your camera bag, so have your camera ready! I had mine in my lap and turned on and ready to shoot!
When the glass is clean, wow; you can get amazing shots! Some in angles that you would NEVER be able to shoot if you were just standing there! Here is my favorite “through the windshield” shot I took on this trip:
We were just driving along the road & all of a sudden, from nowhere, this man and his horses came running towards us! I quickly shot this photo, then another. Wow! It appears as if they are running to us!
Now, sometimes the photos come out blurred or spotty (see example below); you should ask the driver to run the windshield wipers w/ cleaning fluid here & there to keep the glass surface clean. Also; beware of bumps in the road such as when traveling in places like Costa Rica. You might want to put your camera on “anti shake” mode or something similar if you have such a setting.
What about the blurry photos? Well, if you draw and paint as a hobby or career, then you might want to save those to use as “notes” for a potential painting! I took a photo of two women and a baby walking towards us on the dirt road & we hit a bump; so they are blurry. But, I have enough notes from this blurry shot to paint this scene later! Or, perhaps if you are writing a journal about your trip; this could help you remember things that happened.
What about the side windows? Yes! Absolutely use these! I do; and if it is warm enough, roll them down and you won’t have to shoot through the glass. Sometimes you might capture the side mirror; but sometimes that actually enhances the photo (reflections can be captured in the mirror!).
I’d love to hear your success stories if you have ever taken photos while in the car! Please post your comments here at www. Kokopellisearth.com. If you have any tricks or tips to add to this; I’d love to hear from you!