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Jerry Buley, Ph.D. Roadside Photographer Copyright 2007 by Jerry Buley
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Though some may find the term, "roadside photographer," a bit humorous, there is a serious reason why I use it. Most photographers fear hearing a viewer say, “I could have taken that picture.” Some photographers respond to this fear by hiking miles into the wild to take pictures of things others would find it very difficult to reach. They are photographers of the unknown. Their photographs are often quite beautiful and technically perfect. They are also often formulaic: minimum aperture, tripod, slow shutter speed, and a high quality wide-angle lens. I am not denigrating such masters as Ansel Adams, or contemporaries such as Ian Whitehead or Derek Von Briesen here. Their photography is creative above and beyond the fact that they are/were often photographers of the unknown. I am talking only about those photographers for whom their creativity is about where to go, how to get there, and finding appropriate subject matter. Arguably, the beauty of a photograph of the unknown is often more about the unpredictability of the subject than it is the particular perspective and/or creativity of the photographer. Photographers of the unknown endure the rigors of weather and rural amenities, but are not necessarily challenged to find new ways to look at their subject. Other photographers respond to the “I could have taken that” comment by attempting to find new ways to portray things with which many are already familiar. They are photographers of the known. Often, this requires more creativity than photographing the unknown. Creativity, for the photographer of the known, is about portraying frequently viewed subjects in interesting new ways and/or under unique circumstance. This, typically, involves finding interesting perspectives and using a variety of lenses, shutter speeds and aperture openings, and waiting for the weather to change. The beauty in a photograph of the known is not in the unpredictability of the subject, but in the unique perspective and skills brought to it by the photographer. Photographers of the known find themselves in a constant struggle to come up with new and creative ways to photograph what are often icons photographed thousands of times a day by tourists and others. In fact, photographing around the many tourists is but one of the hurdles for the photographer of the known to overcome. Photography for roadside photographers is less about the journey and more about the product. They drive the same roads, fly the same routes, and ride the same busses and trains as everyone else. Every day they see what millions of other people see, but see it differently enough to capture images that intrigue those millions. Even when my images are of unfamiliar things, believe me, they are just a few steps from my door whether it be the door to my house or the door to my car. For example, several home-page pictures on http://jerrybuley.com have been of exotic wild herons, egrets or pelicans. Most of these pictures were taken at Mirador Beach in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, a few steps from the condo where I was staying. Some photographers are able to do both. Ansel Adams comes to my mind as a perfect example. I find I cannot for many reasons. I am happy to be able to tell others why I do what I do, that what I do is worthwhile, that what I do is beautiful, and that what I do is not easy. I am proud to be a roadside photographer
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