Lessons Learned: Right place/right time

An old photojournalist truism - F/8, and be there - also applies to any other branch of photography. F/8 is generally the sharpest aperture, indicating the need for image quality. And "being there" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to one of the unique requirements of photography compared to other artistic endeavors where one can create a pleasing image strictly from vivid imagination and craft skills.

If I may add a phrase to the saying, it would be "at the right time." In this instance, Mom and I were returning from our Deer Isle/Stonington drive, cutting across East Orland for coffee at Duffy's Restaurant.

It was the "golden hour" late in the afternoon when the sun's rays are low enough to create dramatic side lighting, long shadows and that beautiful warm golden tint.

One of the farms along the way sported this windbreak of old maple trees, and the afternoon sun illuminated them with this strong sidelight. I stopped the car, crossed the road and framed three or four versions of this image before going on with Mom to enjoy our coffee.

My Lesson Learned today that one of the "right times" is always during the golden hour. Another of my favorites is at dawn. By shooting at the right time, it's then just a matter of picking the right place to assure yourself of getting a worthy image.