Standing in the Right Spot

I almost always carry a camera when I travel. A couple of my regular destinations have spare tripods. Lately, it's gotten easier shooting digital. A few months back I upgraded my normal lens with one that has vibration reduction technology. It's suppose to give an additional 3 stops of speed. It appears to work. However, I'll not stop carrying a tripod or using it when I should.Tripods tend to ground you, they often stay put. You walk around the tripod and maybe move it.

I'm reminded of Ansel Adams' most famous and popular image 'Moonrise, Hernandez.' His account of the moment is fascinating. Driving by and seeing a potential opportunity after a day of difficult photography he pulls into a roadside ditch. He orders his son and travelling companion to help quickly as the sun is about to dissappear. He doesn't mention any problem with planting a tripod in the right spot. The Moonrise shot is a long one. So plunking down the tripod a foot to the left or right may not have made much of difference. Still, I would liked to have asked him.

Today though, it's a much different scene. I do drive by on my way to Colorado once in awhile. I look for that moon and those special clouds.

For me, I like to think that being on planet Earth is the right spot. After all on another planet the atmosphere could be thick with sulphuric acid, blurring my focus or the atmosphere could be 900 times heavier, carrying equipment would be a real chore or maybe the light is just plain bad.