#275. Two DS photographers. One place.

It’s Monday morning en Provence and I’m due to meet my new e-book business partner and fellow DearSusan blogger, Pascal. To save me having to drive too far on France’s unfamiliar roads, he has driven an hour from his home to Sillans la Cascade, where we’re to meet, drink coffee, introduce ourselves and review our progress and future plans for the DS InSight Guides.

Meeting and discussions successfully completed, we decide to wander the streets of this ancient village with our respective cameras. Mark the occasion with some memorable street images.

I’ve always maintained that two photographers at the same place and time, with similar cameras will produce two completely different sets of photographs. So, here’s a few contributions from me. I’m Pascal’s will be posted here too.

It’ll be interesting (at least for me) to see his take on things.

 

[Pascal] Couldn’t agree more. Looking at our two sets of photographs, it’s like we were not in the same area.

And that’s great! I find the difference between great training sessions/workshops/masterclasses/photo walks and lesser ones is that attendees go home with very different images in the first case.

 

 

That’s not to say, being with a shooting pard’ner doesn’t influence personal vision at all !

Fact is, Paul is drawn to the quirky side of things. The two of us have been arguing endlessly about whether to include famous tourist sites in our InSight Guides or not. At the Eiffel Tower, Paul (assuming you’ve been able to drag him there) will be the guy photographing the weird doll in a pram and turning it into a picture that makes me think “Damn, why didn’t I see that!?” (and, yes, that too: “why did I sell my Biogon ?”)

 

 

So I found myself seeking out the quirky aspects of otherwise perfectly adequate Provence villages. Villages totally worthy of post-card status and inclusion in tourist guide photo pages.

 

 

You know the type : stone walls, lavender fields, old tiled rooftops and cute churches.

But I ended up snapping derelict dentist chairs, out-of-order mopeds in front of propaganda for larger louts and some old person’s underwear hanging on a line.

 

 

Inexplicable. I’m usually such a respectable photographer. Definitely an acute case of Paulitis, then.

But with my own touch and post-processing style. So with my own individual images as a result.

Next time you can bring a photo buddy along with you, do. He can be better than you or he can be less competent. He’ll essentially be different and open you up to a different shooting experience.

 

 

Closing thoughts. We visited this village (Sillans la Cascade) because of its renowned waterfall. After much walking along signposted tracks, swearing and fruitless exchanges with other lost tourists, we called it a day and returned to the shelter of the trees and the treat of Pizza.

If you meet the local tourist board, please extend our bewilderment 😉

 

 

 

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