I had to make a trip an hour or so south last weekend and took some extra time to take the long way home. Something about not being in a hurry makes leaving early worth it. The drive from Council Grove to Manhattan is one of the classic Flint Hill dives in the state. Almost 50 miles of nothing but rolling prairie, typical ag lands and the occasional neat object. I found this loading ramp just off of highway 177 that neat thing worth stopping for. I have driven past this I don’t know how many times but it usually comes up quickly as I’m driving and pass on by saying to myself, “I should get a picture of that”. Well this day I just happen to be going a little slower and had no traffic behind me and spotted it ahead including the horses. No passing by this time. I pulled my truck off into the drive and made a couple of shots standing up in the bed for the simple reason of getting the longhorn silhouette above the horizontal post. I even had a person honk and wave at me while driving by. Folks around here are pretty good in that way.
I’m sure if I stoped at every spot I thought I should photograph it would take me 3 days to drive 50 miles but it’s nice to find time and stop at those places just to enjoy the scene a little longer. Our hurried lives seem to keep us from enjoying the simple things way to much. I’m glad I got to pull over and take in this scene that most glance at and drive on.
© Brad Mangas
Great shot, Brad. Looks like you had a nice day with nice, even lighting too.
Thanks Ken, being able to enjoy the outdoors even for a little longer always makes for a better day.
That seems to be true of so many places – there is actually a photograph every inch of somewhere. We as photographers have a primal desire to find them. We may have a prime destination, but sometimes that journey can be filled with just as many images. Good post Brad.
Thanks Mark, I think when we allow ourselves freedom to explore it’s amazing how everything in nature becomes unique and worthy of a photograph.