San Diego Up and Down

It has been about a week since I wrote San Diego Malaise, my first post from this city where I am staying for a few weeks. Things have improved quite a bit since then and I am working better.

I was having trouble finding things to make photographs of, in truth, I still am. But I have begun a process of photographing to find something to photograph that feels like the right path. I used to tell students, "when in doubt, shoot", as often they were stuck thinking about making pictures and not making pictures. To someone my age and level of experience it can be daunting to become a student again, to photograph with no preconceived notion of the outcome or result, to put oneself in the state of making many tentative or bad photographs in order to make a few that are good. But that's what I am doing, following the advice of Neal the teacher from my other and earlier career.

First UP: When I got here I noticed that the commercial planes in their flight path to land at the airport fly right over a part of the city on their approach. I found a 7 floor parking lot right in their path, parked on the top floor,  and started pointing at the planes as they flew overhead:

Mean anything? Not yet but certainly pictures I have never made before. Such big heavy machines dropping from the air back to the ground. Lucky I didn't get arrested.

Next DOWN: Balboa Park in San Diego is where all the museums are. One way to get to it is to drive on a bridge over a gorge where there is a highway (Rt 163). I learned long ago, that, for me, being above things can be good, so I walked the bridge and leaned over the railing to point down. This used to be very hairy in 8 x 10 days but is far easier now.

Am I making great pictures? No. Am I making pictures that fit into my oeuvre? Not yet. But I am working, keeping the system going, looking. On the hunt. This is good.

Next up in the San Diego series? Why, the Model Railroad Museum, of course.

Stay tuned. 

Topics: San Diego

Permalink | Posted February 9, 2013