Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle) courtyard in early morning light, Segovia, Spain.
Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle) courtyard in early morning light, Segovia, Spain.

There are moments when it seems all the photographic stars are aligned and in a storm of productivity one good photo opportunity after another presents itself before your camera. That was the case when visiting the Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle), Segovia, Spain. The photo posted earlier of the courtyard corridor was made just to the right of the courtyard above. To say the least, I fell significantly behind my group of fellow travelers during this time and finished the tour at my own pace.

Council Room ceiling, Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle), Segovia, Spain.
“Council Room” ceiling, Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle), Segovia, Spain.

Location may play some role in this phenomena but it’s mostly mental. I’ve had this same experience in open fields and common woods so it’s not driven solely by the unknown or shocking beauty.  It’s a moment when the personal inner filters roll back and things are viewed anew.

Bedroom, Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle), Segovia, Spain.
Bedroom, Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle), Segovia, Spain.

It would be great to be able to turn this on and off at will. I would say turn it on and leave it on but I’d probably never be on time again for any of my appointments. The good news is with practice I’ve gotten better at switching into this mode.

7 Comments

  1. Awesome images, Earl. I’m not sure falling behind are the right words. I have seen examples of just such times in some of your work. Being present to the place is key and you have the ability to do that. Again, awesome!

  2. I love it when that happens, but it doesn’t happen nearly often enough.

    I agree with Monte, it’s the others who get ahead of us, not us who get behind.

    I really like that wedge of sunlight in the first photo, but wish I could see a little more in the shadows. There’s a lot of contrast in that scene, obviously.

    • Ahead or behind…in that moment I relished being able to set my own pace and I’m grateful to Bonnie and our friends on the trip for adjusting to it.

      On the first photo, in the past my initial post-processing impulse would be to bring out the shadow details creating a technically better image. Certainly the camera and post processing made that possible. However, I’ve recently been trying to resist this impulse. It might indeed create a more “perfect” photo but it could also be less impactful.

      It’s something I’ve been considering for a while and maybe I’ll do a post on it when/if I get all my thoughts together. We now have this wonderful technical ability to capture details of deep shadows and bright light, often together, but how does that affect the visual impact of the image — isn’t less often more?

      Besides, viewers wishing they could see a little more in a photo isn’t all bad. ~Thinking out loud~ :-)

  3. I can only say, Earl, that I wish our tour guide at Mesa Verde (a ranger) would have allowed us to “fall behind”. But they seem to have very strict rules about that. She wanted us to listen and stay with her, not take pictures. Nor could we touch anything, even a wall. Supposedly the oils from our skin could harm them. Huh?

    I definitely agree that we have explosive periods of “productivity”. The problem is that we never know when they’re going to start and when they’re going to end. They seem to occur (randomly) in clusters. I sure as hell haven’t figured them out yet…….

    • Paul, I was surprised how lax the control at these historic sites were in Spain. We did self guided tours and photography was allowed in most locations and where it wasn’t allowed there were only small signs indicating it wasn’t — which I didn’t see until afterwards on several occasions. Still no one ever stopped me. Hardly anything was “roped off” from that notorious skin oil, even paintings and sculptures. It makes me question the real reason for procedures over here…

      Thanks.

  4. I have experienced that same feeling and it is nice. It’s almost like the world stops and nothing else matters. I agree that it is a mental thing which is not necessarily triggered by external influences but it’s not a state I can consciously step into at will either. Trying to enter such a state directly or forcefully always fails for me. The best approach I have found is to just relax into the environment I find myself in, though I can never pinpoint how the actual process happens. However it sounds like you are mastering it which is great.