Taking Scenic Pictures While Traveling/Driving

[DaveYeskey]

I am open to any suggestion on ...

How to take scenic pictures that you see out the front of your RV as you are driving?

When you see a scenic sight and want to take a picture of it, sometimes it is not possible to stop as there is no pull-off or whatever to allow you to take a picture. Sometimes you just want to take the scenic picture then and there, as moving on just a feet and the scenic sight will gone. Sometimes, you just want to take the scenic picture and keep on driving.

My copilot has four-feet and is furry.

Clearly, I am not about to try and take a scenic picture with a camera in one hand and continue trying to drive with the other hand.

Thank you.

Dave

[turtlemechanic]

Go-pro mounted on four legged friends headband?

[tbutler]

No easy answer here as the scenic view is always in a different place. My brother-in-law is a serious photographer and chose to go with a Class B specifically for this reason as it is easier to get off the road. In a Class A or a large Class C, you pretty much have to drive on and if it is really good and you want to get the picture stop at the next opportunity return with the toad. That works if you have a toad and there is a little shoulder for pulling off to the side. If you only travel with a dog, no toad or there is no way to pull off even with the toad, you are pretty much out of luck. Any picture taken while driving through the windshield will be of limited value anyway. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the moment.

[DaveYeskey]

TButler:

Thanks for the response comments.

YES, we have a Class A.

YES, we are pulling a toad.

YES, I thought about and agree on the limited value of the windshield pictures but I had to ask anyway.

So it is pull off at the 1st opportunity, take a picture and then continue on.

We will be at Dakota Ridge RV in about 3 weeks.

Dave

[aztec7fan]

What about hanging the camera from some type of sling (to reduce jarring), and then run a remote shutter button to somewhere near your driving area, so if you see something you like, you hit the button? Also, you might hang a digital camcorder from the same type of sling, turn it on before you start driving and let it record the trip. Then you could freeze the frames you like and possibly save them as images.

[BSanders]

If you have a SmartPhone, you might look at a dashcam app. Daily Roads Voyager for Android will take video while you drive. You set up a rotating buffer, and it will save temporary files there. If you want to keep a segment, you can do that. It also allows you to take snapshots. You will want a docking cradle and power cord to keep the phone charged. While these pictures may not be as good as you could get with a standard camera, you may get some that you wouldn't get otherwise.

I just recently loaded this, and haven't been on a trip yet to put it to the test, but it looks promising.

Bob

[tbutler]

Dave,

You said, "Clearly, I am not about to try and take a scenic picture with a camera in one hand and continue trying to drive with the other hand." I assume that the same applies to trying to operate other electronic equipment. When you start manipulating electronics while driving down the road you create a hazard to yourself and others. Many people fail to recognize that making decisions about what to press and when to do it takes attention from the road. If you are traveling 60 MPH you are covering almost 100 feet in a second. Thinking about other things slows down your reaction time. Even talking on a no-hands cell phone call can distract and slow reaction time. You are driving a 20,000 to 40,000 pound vehicle on a road that allows little tolerance. Drift too far to one side or another and you are in danger. Your stopping distance is huge and a moments inattention is also dangerous.

I don't see any solution above that meets your needs without putting you at risk. In addition, a dash mounted camera can be pointed somewhere but the scenery may be somewhere else. There are fantastic buttes out the left window, look at those snow capped mountains out the right window. Point it straight ahead and you get road. Take a small piece from the image to the side of the road and your resolution drops off. Fail to activate the camera in time and the wonderful view is gone. Yes, you can get something but the risk is great in messing around with equipment to control a camera for minimal results.

I am an amateur astronomer. I've been to eclipses and spent the time during a total eclipse taking pictures, messing with cameras for that precious two or three minutes of totality. Sometimes I have to look up from the camera and just enjoy the view. I think that is where you are when driving the motor home. You could be punching buttons and manipulating gadgets instead of just enjoying the view. See what you can, if it is truly spectacular, take the toad and go back and photograph it. Take the time to frame the picture to get the best presentation and then it will remind you of what you saw with your own eyes.

[desertdeals69]

Use a dash cam like the cops do.

[geeksontour]

BSanders ... COOL tip on Daily Roads Voyager! We're going to try that. We always have an Android phone sitting in a dashboard mount when we're traveling. This should work great.

Then ... using the video tools and picture editing tools in Picasa, I'll be we can get some nice pictures.

btw - if you're in Gillette for the FMCA convention and want to see what I'm talking about with Picasa, we're teaching a seminar called Picasa and Picasa Web Albums on Friday at 9:45 in Seminar 1. I'll be sure to show how to capture an image from a video and then make it look good.