Edie’s Rules of Photography; #6 Learn to sleep in your car.
- June 30th, 2009
- Posted in Edie's Rules of Photography
- By Edie
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I can blame G. Dan Mitchell for this one. He’s famous for sleeping in his car in places such as the Race Track in Death Valley. Normally I sleep in the Little Red Tent, out on the trail. Sometimes you can’t do that, though, and let’s face it, there’s NOTHING like morning and sunset light for high-drama landscapes.
OK, ok, so this is *really* about when to be there. Be willing to spend the night, be in place for sunrise. This may mean backpacking to the location, or it may mean driving all night, and getting a catnap until the sun rises.
Do the legwork, be in place for the best light.
Sunrise, Grove of the Patriarchs, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Hey, I resemble that remark!
But it is true – I do sometimes sleep in my car, especially if I need to get up and moving early. One great thing about “car sleeping” is that I can wake up, become sufficiently conscious to move to the front seat, start the motor AND TURN THE HEATER ON (really important in, say, October!) and be on my way to my shooting location very quickly. (I usually grab a quick snack while driving… and then plan to get real breakfast and real coffee when I’m done.)
For the record, I also backpack – and carry a lot of stuff into the backcountry to do photography. Though some might be distressed to find that I usually just sleep in a bivy sack there. Come to think of it, is that the backcountry equivalent of sleeping in the back of your car?
Dan
Wow! I just love sunsets and rises! I’ve got the sleeping in my car part down…when do I become a great photographer?