Sunday Edition: Bob Wick

PHOTOSNACK #484

Every Sunday, I contact photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.

Today, I am sharing the message I received from Bob Wick.

---

Bob Wick

When new and aspiring nature and landscape photographers ask where I like to photograph, I answer, "anywhere away from popular photo spots -- always on the roads and trails less traveled."

Visiting iconic spots such as Yosemite's Glacier Point or the Grand Canyon's Mather Point are incomparable. Still, I find jockeying for a good photo spot stressful and capturing the same angles as thousands of other photographers unrewarding. Therefore, I usually just snap a few smartphone shots at these places.

Living in the West, I spend almost all of my serious photography time in the vast landscapes overseen by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. While I was growing up in Pennsylvania, the millions of acres of state forests were my go-to spots to hone my photography skills. By researching locations using Google Earth and map apps such as Gaia and Avenza, I can get a pretty good idea of promising photo locations as well as when lighting/shadows will be present etc.

It's never guaranteed that my research will lead me to the perfect spot, but that's a big part of the thrill of discovery. While the spots I photograph are often not quite as dramatic as well-known iconic viewpoints, they all have distinctive beauty, and I rarely see other photographers. I can enjoy a sense of discovery that can't be obtained at better-known locations. Similarly, when I share the images, typical viewer responses are "OMG, where is that, I had no idea there were such amazing landscapes in XYX".

The picture I have included here is along the John Day River in Northcentral Oregon. The river itself is well-known among wilderness boaters, but the mountains and canyon rims, which are a mosaic of BLM public lands and private cattle ranches, rarely see more than a handful of visitors annually.

This image only required a 15-minute climb up a knoll from a gravel county road. A clearing thunderstorm and soft evening light made the landscape come alive, and I was so grateful to witness this moment from this spot in total solitude.

As a final note, safety and preparation are a must when traveling alone to these remote locations. I carry proper gear in case I get stuck or stranded, and I always share an itinerary and check-in protocol with others.

Bob Wick was featured in PHOTOSNACK #455.

---

Sunday Editions connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.

I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras.

I don't ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever comes to mind when they think about YOU, the newsletter readers.

It makes their responses genuine and personal.

I hope you enjoyed today's Sunday Edition.

Until next time,
Tomasz