Ha ha, yes, CWS is a real thing. Having spent my entire life in the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands, I am very familiar the phenomena. My earliest memories revolve around family trips in the car touring the fall colours. Sixty eight autumns have now passed before my eyes, and I can still not get enough. Every year is a fresh challenge, a new opportunity to capture the elusive feelings that come so easily with CWS. I think a big part of it is produced by right hemisphere thinking. That lovely energy that powers artistic flow. The worries of the world and of the day melt away and the blur of colour and form take over. Driving is such a right brain activity and while our monkey brain is kept busy keeping us and others safe, our indulgences come to the fore. Thank you Tom. It is wonderful to see autumn through fresh eyes. To paraphrase French general Charles de Gaulle; Vivre le Curiosité Libre.
YES! CWS is so real! In some cases I end up finding out that part of what tractor beamed me to the scene had something to do with the vantage point. When I get on foot the scene presents differently. I'm still usually happy with what I get or in a few cases the photo has turned out better. But the "photo not taken" (PNT?) regret eats at me for way too long :) Gorgeous images. This fall was an absolute stunner in ever corner of New England. I'm so happy you got a dazzlahhhh for your first season here!
Ha ha, PNT, I like it. Diana was unconvinced that this fall was as spectacular as I thought it was, so I'm glad to hear I wasn't just seeing things through New England-tinted glasses.
No-this fall was incredibly brilliant pretty much everywhere. The last two seasons have been wonderful, but not as phenomenal as this one. Maybe you’re the luck charm! 🍁
Yes absolutely CWS! Even the shots that almost replicate what was seen/felt from the car usually require some dead defying standing or crouching in the middle of a country road and also sometimes moving the car down the road so that isn’t in the shot.
Ah I knew there had to be a term for that! :) I do like driving, but when I am in the passenger seat I do like to take pictures with my phone (or big camera if I have it nearby). There's something about that, you don't have time to think since you're doing 140kph on the motorway (https://ronaldsmeets.substack.com/p/retroreflection-issue-17 ). Anyway, awesome autumn images!
“What you saw was for your eyes only, a short scene in the movie that is your life.”
I call these camera-less moments, ‘mental memories,’ for my mind only. As photographers, we’d be exhausted to death if we anxiously regretted all the captures we missed.
CWS is real, I’ve suffered through countless times. I’ve resorted to being happy with my ‘mental memories.’ Or instead when I’m feeling brazen, l’ll throw on wide lens, rack manual focus to ♾️ and spray and pray. 😆
My goodness, these are stunning images! I know CWS all too well.
Thank you Bella.
Ha ha, yes, CWS is a real thing. Having spent my entire life in the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands, I am very familiar the phenomena. My earliest memories revolve around family trips in the car touring the fall colours. Sixty eight autumns have now passed before my eyes, and I can still not get enough. Every year is a fresh challenge, a new opportunity to capture the elusive feelings that come so easily with CWS. I think a big part of it is produced by right hemisphere thinking. That lovely energy that powers artistic flow. The worries of the world and of the day melt away and the blur of colour and form take over. Driving is such a right brain activity and while our monkey brain is kept busy keeping us and others safe, our indulgences come to the fore. Thank you Tom. It is wonderful to see autumn through fresh eyes. To paraphrase French general Charles de Gaulle; Vivre le Curiosité Libre.
Thank you John, always appreciate your comments!
Drive By Shooting, My forte. https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Shooting-Crawdaddy-Shoots-Carolina-ebook/dp/B07ZRXCJC1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1P565JLQVVYJG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oFhuV0S_tgDIDO2GyS7LN0ifrSXvwuxywWdiyDttEOM.Cat6P2a0i8KsIB3E_L_0cJP7nVkebc3U668baBp0IcI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Drive+by+shooting+crawford&qid=1730991446&s=books&sprefix=drive+by+shooting+crawford%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1
Thanks for sharing William, I can see you've been busy on the road.
Great photos you two! Who was driving?
Thanks Pamela, quite an even split on the driving in this post I think.
I have been known to jump out of my car when it has been moving at a very slow crawl to get a bird photo, and I was the driver…
!!! Must have been quite a bird!
Usually hawks cause that behavior!
Bus and train can also work for the photographer in motion.
YES! CWS is so real! In some cases I end up finding out that part of what tractor beamed me to the scene had something to do with the vantage point. When I get on foot the scene presents differently. I'm still usually happy with what I get or in a few cases the photo has turned out better. But the "photo not taken" (PNT?) regret eats at me for way too long :) Gorgeous images. This fall was an absolute stunner in ever corner of New England. I'm so happy you got a dazzlahhhh for your first season here!
Ha ha, PNT, I like it. Diana was unconvinced that this fall was as spectacular as I thought it was, so I'm glad to hear I wasn't just seeing things through New England-tinted glasses.
No-this fall was incredibly brilliant pretty much everywhere. The last two seasons have been wonderful, but not as phenomenal as this one. Maybe you’re the luck charm! 🍁
Yes absolutely CWS! Even the shots that almost replicate what was seen/felt from the car usually require some dead defying standing or crouching in the middle of a country road and also sometimes moving the car down the road so that isn’t in the shot.
I *totally* know what you mean by CWS!!
Ha ha, yes people definitely seem to relate to it.
Great images!
Thank you Kevin.
Ah I knew there had to be a term for that! :) I do like driving, but when I am in the passenger seat I do like to take pictures with my phone (or big camera if I have it nearby). There's something about that, you don't have time to think since you're doing 140kph on the motorway (https://ronaldsmeets.substack.com/p/retroreflection-issue-17 ). Anyway, awesome autumn images!
Thanks Ronald!
Omg, I have experienced that phenomenon too many times to count! Thank you for officially dubbing it. 👏
You're welcome, maybe there's a better name for it but CWS will do for now!
I like it :)
“What you saw was for your eyes only, a short scene in the movie that is your life.”
I call these camera-less moments, ‘mental memories,’ for my mind only. As photographers, we’d be exhausted to death if we anxiously regretted all the captures we missed.
CWS is real, I’ve suffered through countless times. I’ve resorted to being happy with my ‘mental memories.’ Or instead when I’m feeling brazen, l’ll throw on wide lens, rack manual focus to ♾️ and spray and pray. 😆
Thanks for the comment Lindsey, I have really enjoyed hearing how the notion of CWS has resonated with other photographers!