The Art Of Taking A Ride

I'm a motorcyclist and I love to just take a ride, but the vehicle really doesn't matter. Watching the world roll past your visor or windshield is a great way to find photographic opportunities as well. It's the best way that I know of to find something to shoot.

Here's an example of an old abandoned country store on the back roads of Ohio near Gambier that I found on a recent ride.

Photo Of An Abandoned Store In Rural Ohio

I shoot anything that I find interesting on the road. In rural Ohio, interesting things show up frequently too. Anywhere that allows for a slow ride is a good choice. In rural areas, you can cover ground quickly looking for subject matter. In a city, the amount of possible subjects is so compressed that a bicycle or walking is the better choice.

Have you ever heard of photo walks? It only took reading about others experiences with them to turn me away. Photographers that enjoy them like the camaraderie while looking for things to photograph. They all take photos of the same areas and compare notes later. Sounds like too much camaraderie and not enough photography to me. Going on your own adventure generates more original ideas. Learning to soak in the surroundings and being "part of the now" greatly increases your chances for finding photo possibilities too.

On what I'd call a photo drive, I have time to unwind and get into the mood of taking photos. Rarely do I even take anyone with me for fear of boring them while I drift into my own world of finding photo-worthy subjects and taking my time to work the subjects that I find.

A key to a successful photo drive is to not concentrate on the destination to much. Once you start finding subjects, take the time to work the photos and look for related scenes to tell the story of the subject.