CineDriver

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About CineDriver

Photos from the driver's seat.

What is Cinedriver?
The word “Cine” means motion picture; a Cinedriver is one who takes still photos from the driver’s seat of a moving vehicle.

Is this safe?
Well, no -- that’s what’s fun about it. [Legal disclaimer]

This idea came to me as I have taken a job that's 70 miles away. I commute a total of 2.5 hours per day. My drive is in the country and I intentionally avoid the interstate.

The only thing that keeps me sane is the beauty of the landscape.

Cinedriving started with an idea to trace my drive using 60 still photos stitched together to make a 60 second video clip. I wanted to be accurate and take a shot only at the one-minute interval. I found that I was missing ‘the good stuff’ in my photos. It was pretty boring, unless I shot outside of the intervals.

I then began looking for things to shoot.

One strange thing about shooting from the driver seat is that when you’re looking for the perfect composition, it’s only available for an instant. You need to react immediately, or you’ve lost the shot. Avoiding accidents is also good practice.

A Cinedriver is best to work alone. The distraction and obstruction of the passengers will make for a bad session. Speaking of other people, when you start as a Cinedriver, you’ll be embarrassed to be seen shooting from your car. Soon though, you’ll consider these onlookers as subject matter.

You already know that humans are different behind the wheel. People do and say what they want in their cars, because often times this is the only control they have in their lives. It’s your duty to capture this bizarre activity. People will think you’re bizarre too, but you’re creating high art from the seat of your car.

What equipment is needed?
A car and a camera are your tools. You’re behind the driver’s seat, so you’re the one framing the shots with your steering wheel.

In my opinion, a digital camera is needed, but a point-and-shoot film camera will work just as well. You’ll quickly find that if you have to focus, or if you’re concerned about the light settings, then you’re missing the point. In-fact, I find that it’s really difficult to safely drive and view the world through your camera. I will rarely even look at the LCD display on the back of the camera. If you use a digital still camera, just keep the shot as wide as possible.

How do I find the best shot?
Taking shots from a parked vehicle is permitted, but when you step foot outside of your car, you’re no longer considered a Cinedriver – you’re just another Biped with a camera.

While there are several ways to go about finding your best shot, I’ve recently discovered that if you stick to a theme, you’ll have at-least one great photo per session. For example, look for only barns. If you shoot only barns, you’ll get a grip on what you’re looking for and will capture the perfect Cinedriver barn photo.

You may end-up with only one great photo from your session, but just keep shooting!

Welcome Cinedrivers!

http://www.cinedriver.com