Lac du Mimizan - Sunrise
This past summer saw a host of camper van excursions in ‘Vin Deisel’ (so named for it’s deep voice, fuel type and fuel choice of the inhabitants) - The trusty VW 1994 T4 auto-sleeper.
The culmination was a 2.5 week long trip around the south of France in September.
For the majority of the trip I abandoned SLR to experiment with the immediacy of GoPro timelapse, film and pole shots. This was a great deal of fun to have a pocket-size camera for a change and muck about with it whatever the situation (strapped to the bonnet/ in mountain streams etc). Video editing takes forever though so will be a feature of a future post.
Puy Mary from Puy de Pierre Arse in the Cantal
This entry accompanies the collection of images I made when the light really was worth it and I happily spent hours with a tripod and furrowed brows.
The Itinerary for this trip was fairly on the spot, including not one single paid campsite and only a few stops at actual civilisation (Bobbie’s words not mine).
Rough Itinerary: Bath - Fontainebleau (Climbing, Forest, Zen etc) - Limoges (family friends & rendezvous with Bobbie’s flight) - Mimizan (SW coast, endless beach/ empty forests/ German happy campers) - Lot Valley (French artisinal village experience, gorges, river, regional specialties and Patisserie fix) - Monts du Cantal (Volcanic lonely mountain, hiking and most of the trip photography) - Lyon (family friends & rest) - Fontainebleau - Bath
Mountain road in the Cantal
- A Note On Holiday Photography -
After taking many photographs on various holidays, I have arrived at the conclusion that the feeling of camera-tourist frustration - not seeing what you are capturing and not taking good pictures either - is alleviated by a different viewpoint...
Making photographs is an activity - an enjoyable one. It can lend insight into a subject if you focus in on it (e.g.: street portraiture). However, if you try to be a photographer and a tourist simultaneously you are always rushed, an annoyance to your fellow travellers and eventually disappointed. Let go of the ‘must-have’ tourist snaps if you are interested in only having good shots and use your in-built memory or a phone if you must. Then in turn abandon the need to have seen and absorbed and captured everything in a new place, be a photographer and focus only on making good photographs following a subject type or area of interest.
This can really focus a holiday. I now hugely enjoy visiting cities, as I approach the entire trip either as a street photographer - Seeking to understand the place by capturing interesting inhabitants - Or I am a voyeur, taking in the whole scene, chatting with co-travellers with my camera NOT IN USE. I interchange between two modes (you can find your mode dial at the base of your neck) and am much happier for it. Give it a try!
Bobbie hiking on Puy Mary - Cantal