OutdoorType

The past few months I’ve been doing a lot of camera-less driving and it’s been killing me.

Last year, after kicking myself enough times for not having a camera on hand to try to capture some scene or another, I took to driving around with a camera in the car. And not just in the car, but in the front seat, and out of the case. And I did this a lot. And I took pictures from the car, lots and lots of pictures.

Then at work when I happened to notice some particularly nice light or a cool weather front moving through the area, I started taking “coffee breaks” and “long lunches.” I’d dash out to my car, drive out to a field or forest, and snap away hoping to catch something, anything to preserve the view in front of me.

I still try and practise this routine of having the camera with me as often as possible, but it’s mostly confined to weekends and the occasional weeknight*.

Anyways, there is a great point to this post and it is this… The latest addition to my news reader is the Nat Geo Adventure blog, discovered most likely, thanks to Kraig (another daily must read). Their latest posts comes from the magazine’s West Coast Editor, Steve Casimiro. He’s blogging about one of two of his best photographic tips gathered over the years and it is a tip that totally reinforces my want of carrying a camera with me at all times.

I know not everyone gets this. Even people who should know better sometimes ask silly questions. For instance, I was at a mountain bike race recently and for a change I was not part of the official photography team. As I walked around the race course catching up with friends I ran into an ex-girlfriend and we had sort of a weird exchange.

Noticing the camera hanging from my shoulder she asked, “Getting some good shots?” And because I wasn’t really taking pictures, but had the camera just in case, I replied, “Not really.”Looking confused I’m pretty sure she said something like, “Then why do you have your camera?” I don’t think I replied. I think I sort of stared dumbly while thinking to myself, “Um, hi, have we met?”

I almost always have a camera. And it’s because you never know. If I’d just gone to the race to hang out, I’d never have gotten this shot,which every time I look at it makes me break into a big, big smile. So take my word for it, take Steve Casimiro’s word for it. Take your camera with you.

* grrr… I hate the word weeknight – but that’s a whole other blog posting.