Don’t Forget to Bring Along Your Friends

Not everyone works in an office like this.

Pentax K200D, 28-80mm FAJ AL, 1/45, f/8, ISO 1600.

by John O’Keefe-Odom

AgXphoto.info

Every so often, it’s take your friends and family to work day. Usually, during these times, I completely restructure the trip to play tour guide. Still, I know, those who are coming along are going to end up waiting for me as I lie down just one more time to make a close up photo of some plant or rock or insect or something.

Bringing people along can totally change the structure of the trip. There’s not going to be anything great done on those. Yet, it’s rewarding.

On two of my last such trips, I was able to show some people I care about the places where I have been doing a good deal of my field photography. Forest, waterfalls, cliffs; it’s a helluva office.

Here are a couple tips for diehard photographers to make these kinds of trips a little more successful:

- You have no agenda. You’re not going to get anything photographed well. Accept this. Feel the weight off of your shoulders? The trip is about showing people where you work. It’s a great place.

-Pick an easy trail. No matter how athletic they are, unless they showed up with a rope or a life jacket, they weren’t set for a lot of adventure. Keep it easy. Easy is fun. Fun means a good time. You want them to have a good time. You have to make the long drive back with these people.

-Pack food and water. While you may be used to 20 hour days with about one meal and some snacks, ordinary people don’t live off of cigarettes and coffee. Bring food. They’ll get hungry.

-Make sure you have been there before. You want to look like a competent tour guide. Getting lost could really sap someone’s impression and confidence in you.

-If you made a photo out there, and have given it to people, maybe bring some people to that same place if you can.

-Share the photos. They will want to see the pictures that you made, even if you think they are not too good. This is their great adventure with The Mighty Photographer.

-Get back before dinner if you can. If they get a good meal at the end of the day, the whole day will seem happier and more positive.

Repairman installs a new windshield after a rock hit the car

on the way back from one of the trips to Savage Gulf.

Pentax K200D, 28-80mm FAJ AL, 1/15 at f/5.6 and 1/500 at f/9.5, ISO 400.

Keep photographing, and don’t hesitate to answer their questions if they ask them. But, you’re not a guest lecturer at Harvard. That’s what your blog is for.

Savage Falls in Drought

Pentax K200D, 28-80mm FAJ AL, 2 seconds, f/8, ISO 1600.