{"id":11993,"date":"2013-08-19T08:26:45","date_gmt":"2013-08-19T12:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/?p=11993"},"modified":"2013-08-19T08:26:45","modified_gmt":"2013-08-19T12:26:45","slug":"find-the-best-time-the-story-behind-the-photograph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/11993\/find-the-best-time-the-story-behind-the-photograph\/","title":{"rendered":"Find The Best Time – The Story Behind The Photograph"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ConstellationVIII_425\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Constellation VIII, Uyuni, Bolivia, 2013<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

It had been a very long drive. Looking for other exotic locations along the way, we (I was traveling with colleagues Seth Resnick and Eric Meola) had taken the long way around, traveling for five days at high altitude, up to 5,000 meters, through Bolivia\u2019s Altiplano to Salar de Uyuni the largest salt desert in the world. On arrival we began looking for water, which was seasonal and unpredictable. Unsuccessful at first, at first we found only mud beneath a cracked crust, later we found a few wet stains, still later a larger area slick enough to glisten in the sun, much later a larger slick against a mountain that offered limited reflections, and finally, late on the second day we found a large expanse of water. But there was wind and in many areas the water was too deep to access. We waited at our nearby hotel, made completely of salt; the walls and floors and tables and desks and chairs were all made of salt. Returning for the day\u2019s final light, we found the wind had moved the water and then died down leaving a glassy sheet of perfect reflections as far as the eye could see, ringed by clouds. Walking on\/in it was disorienting. You felt like you were walking on\/in the sky. And then the color began to change and bloom. It was divine. We spent hours photographing, until the light faded and the winds picked up again. We returned the next day, our final day, to find similar almost ideal conditions and later the new introduction of lightning storms and rainbows behind us. We felt exceptionally fortunate.
\nIf there was no rain, there would be no water to hold reflections; we would have been limited to making photographs of cracked salt patterns, a few piles of salt, and the distant mountains. If there were no clouds, there would be little to reflect. Even though this type of weather was typical at this time of year, and this time of year only, there were no guarantees. We had not only timed it just right and planned for enough time to succeed in, we also got lucky.
\nStack the odds in your favor and do your research to know when optimal conditions are most likely to occur. There are situations where you can take actions to increase the probability of ideal conditions occurring and there are situations when you can\u2019t \u2013 and knowing which situation you\u2019re in is important. In situations where you can\u2019t be more proactive, it\u2019s wise to plan for a little extra time, in case you have to wait for ideal conditions to arise. It\u2019s never easy to know when it\u2019s best to move on and when it\u2019s best to wait it out. Prior experience helps but it will only get you so far. Keep your eye on the weather and seek out local knowledge whenever possible.
\nQuestions<\/i>
\n<\/i>How can you best prepare to make the most of optimal conditions?<\/i>
\nWhat are optimal conditions for the task at hand?<\/i>
\nWhen are you most likely to experience optimal conditions?<\/i>
\nIs there anything you can do to increase the likelihood of optimal conditions occurring?<\/i>
\nIs there anything you can do to improve current conditions?<\/i>
\nWhen is it better to move forward rather than wait?<\/i>
\nWhen is it better to take a new approach rather than return?<\/i>
\nFind out more about this image here.<\/a>
\nView more related images here. <\/a>
\nRead more The Stories Behind The Images here.\u00a0<\/a>
\nFind out about my Atacama Desert Argentina digital photography workshop.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Constellation VIII, Uyuni, Bolivia, 2013 It had been a very long drive. 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