Scene when I arrived with the 10 foot gate obstructing my view.

The lesson here is…be prepared.

Over the weekend I had to make some pictures of various properties in the New Hope, Pennsylvania and Buckingham, Pennsylvania areas. Most were pretty easy to photograph. The one where I had to become a bit inventive was Clairemont Mansion with a 10 foot gate that obstructed the view.

The image I needed to make was to show the landscape as well as the building. It was not going to work with the gate in the foreground. And I didn’t want to shoot through the gate because it would block a clean view. I thought, “Oh No! I may need a drone!” Then quickly realized that that isn’t necessary because I was prepared.

So, I went back to my car and pulled my Bogen Monopod  out. I then placed the Nikon D800 on the top, set the shutter speed for a 5 second delay. Then I set the exposure, tripped the shutter and hoisted the monopod and camera over my head as high as I could possibly get it into the air.

The image I was able to make by having my monopod handy, and in my trunk.

If I hadn’t been prepared and carried my monopod in the trunk, I wouldn’t have been able to make the picture I needed to illustrate the assignment. Preparation is a key ingredient in the photojournalism field.

Now I have to go and finish my interview with The Art Career Project. They’ve asked to interview me about getting started as a photojournalist.