Flow: "the zone", a moment where a person is completely immersed in an activity due to enjoyment, and disregards time and their 3 kids in the van.
Okay, okay, I didn't disregard them, I simply answered their reoccurring question of "Dad, why are we stopping now?" and "Dad, are we done yet?" with "Hey guys, Daddy is in the flow! And you can't slow the flow!"
"Sow, the fow?" My son Cooper asks quizzically in his little 2-year-old voice. "No, no, no, no," my daughter Macey chimes in, "Stow the flow." Well, as it turns out, you can't do that either.
What started out as a simple car trip to give Mom a break from the kids turned into a major flow moment.
This week we had an incredible storm move through our valley. It created the perfect setting for mixed light. "Mixed light" is a term for a natural contrast in lights and darks. It is something that creates a dramatic landscape scene. With the rolling dark rain clouds, the breaks of sunlight, and the wet colors that rain creates, some great shots were acquired. Believe it or not, all of these shots were taken a noon (harsh mid-day light), and during an hour span. There was some flow happening. Every shot I set up seemed to go great.
This first shot was driving up the canyon. I was stopped dead in my tracks as I noticed the clouds breaking about the mountain, the lines and colors along with spotty sun-light made this a fleeting but flowing image.
In the mouth the canyon stood a tree that was late to the foliage game. Most of the other leaves had fallen with the storm, but this guy was still going strong. The sun was breaking through the clouds and lit up the tree with its already bright yellow leaves. I set my shutter-speed low, and used a tripod, to get a nice bright and dark contrast.
I found this scene out of my kid's window when I stopped to give everyone fruit-snacks. (A much deserved and needed treat.) I thought the matted leaves and the wet rocks were a different view of fall.
This next shot was a must. As I was hiking through a grove, with all my kids in tow, we stumbled upon this beautiful scene. Before they could go in and start a leaf-fight, I set up. The photo below is a "evolved" picture of the one below it. All the different reds and pinks, with the black rocks made for a gorgeous contrast that needed to be shot. I used a polarized filter, (it darkens the lens and accentuates the blues in a shot) and a low shutter speed for these two shots.
So, because of the storm the fall-foliage I was hoping for was practically gone. I read in my "Outdoor Photographer" magazine that dead and barren trees can still be interesting and dramatic. I was skeptical, my schema was more toward colors that invite you in, but I decided to try anyway. (I was in the flow remember? I couldn't go wrong!) When I looked at this photo I was still unimpressed but my wife loved this picture when I showed her, so that made it blog worthy! And you know, like in all things in life, my wife was right! I am starting to love this shot!
It started to rain again, so we hopped back into the car and started to drive. Then I saw it, all the leaves on the road I hadn't noticed on the way up. I stopped the car, hopped out and laid on the wet, muddy, rocky, bumpy, "scungy" road. It was worth it I feel. I again used the polarizing filter to darken the scene and to provide the contrast.
I've always loved cedar trees and they themselves provide a beautiful contrast in their wood. But, I decided to steer away from that temptation to photograph the whole scene. The flat sky provided a great background for the golden grass, the rustic wood and mountain in the background.
This was the "leaving the canyon" shot. I had to take it, the flow was too powerful, too intoxicating, the addiction was too much. I needed to shoot another dramatic landscape. The recently ended rain clouds broke, lowered and lit up the summit of the mountain. I was under a still lingering dark rain cloud so it made for a dark foreground and a nice contrast with the background.
Landscape photography has never provided a flow for me like it did that day. It seems that correct environmental conditions, early success, and schema-challenging tasks create a setting for flow. Also, constructive feedback (from myself and especially my wife, Lisa) aids to feelings of flow! You can't slow the flow! Or sow the fow. Or even stow the flow!
