Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Stop Light Game








Look and you will find it--what is unsought will go undetected
~Sophocles~

I have noticed that the more photos that I take the more I notice and appreciate the world around me. One of my weaknesses in taking pics is being fast enough to catch some moments as they come and go. Not everything stays in place like a mushroom or flower. It is really hard to set up the camera frame your shot, get objects centered, get everything in that you want, keep things out that you don't want, etc. So to practice these skills I've made up a game for me to play. I get out my camera put it on the seat next to me, set it to auto (there's only so much I can practice at once), roll down my windows and go on my way. Whenever I come to a stop light I turn on my camera, look around, find something interesting, frame my shot, snap the pic and repeat till the light turns, turn off the camera and continue on your way. Believe me if you get too involved someone will honk and let you know. This does not work with stop signs because you have to keep moving up and you could easily bump someone - stick to the lights. You have to be quick and it's fun. I've also noticed that I have very little trouble finding something to photograph (see above). It's also much more fun to edit them because they are not perfect or your ordinary subject I feel quite free to give them an extra dose of editing. Fun, fun.
I did have one problem; I had a hard time saving my photos because at first I called the game the red light game and forgot it had a double meaning. Silly me or maybe naive me. If you have a camera and especially if you're the passenger try this. Please remember Driving and Safety come FIRST don't get carried away but have fun enjoy your errands.

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