Or they will start suggesting "nice" photos you should take.
Ha! I can identify with that.
So here's one in your backyard, chiller!
A while back I had a coffee in Barmera (quite some distance from Adelaide, up near the Vic border). Before going to the scene below, a local yokel, spying me with a spotmeter, and he draped with a digital gave me chapter and verse on "pretty pictures you should go and take around Barmy [their term for the town]".
But my plans were very involved and advanced and ahead of the chatterboxes and potential annoying people!
The image below was made at Lake Bonney, and only after 2 days and nights of visiting and re-visiting the expansive scene and observing the fall of light (sometimes referred to erroneously as
St Elmo's Fire, but more correctly termed
Earth's Shadow and the Belt of Venus). That guy with the camera was still hanging around the coffee joint I visited, and had absolutely no idea of the potential of Lake Bonney, and certainly didn't even know the access track to the barren and deserted shoreline existed (a long way out of town). Nothing was given out to him, no clues, no hints...nothing. Just proves that not all locals are clued up on photographic potential for those out to make a a bit of money in the right circumstances, as this image did, selling for $1,490 (it has recently been reprinted and sold locally here in Victoria a sixth time).
I have over time answered many questions about this image. The most common is
"where are all the people?"
Apart from my desire to exclude all trace of human interference and visitation in my images, they were there! I waited for them to leave, and standing there in the stifling heat was not pleasant. Kids love throwing stones into the water to create ripples, and three of the ankle-biters were nearby doing this. This tested my patience. Complicating this is that nearby is a nudist colony (!).
Just as the sun went down and the waters stilled (possibly in shock!?), a parade of bare bums sauntered along left and right. Charming. But lo, the mozzies came out and enjoyed a feast, but that also meant I had to hurry up and get on with it too. And so... the first image was ruined when a speedboat entered the frame just as the shutter went off! The third image similarly went belly-up when a pelican decided to tumble and spill into the water. I don't want pelicans!! On the fourth try...
The other question is
"where is this?" The exact location (e.g. GPS) has never been revealed, and if it were, I would probably be criticised for putting people in harm's way. One, the area is known for eastern brown and tiger snakes that feast on the native frogs that are abundant along the shoreline (two were observed on my visit and the long walk back to the car made me nervous). These snakes are particularly active on warm to hot nights (which are very common and provide the most photogenic opportunities for this type of imagemaking) and two, the proximity to a nudist colony would cause many people offence (I am not troubled by them, and importantly, they did not approach my position).
The crux of this regarding people is that the image would
not have been possible if there was a group of people present, kids persisting with their stone-throwing or God-forbid, a tour group of eventide walkers out for a walk-talk-and-gawk. This applies to anywhere scenic and attractive that could also attract other photographers muscling in on your discovery. Deal with them. It is something to remember that if photographers desire to do the very best they can, then forsake all company and take the solo path — no groups, no family, nothing. My family understands my work is lonely and intensive and takes me to isolated places where safety and health can be put at risk. It's not for everybody and every family but it is often the
only way to come back with the image of your dreams.
