I would love to be at this point...but there are a few obstacles.
1. carrying my D7100 everywhere...I can see this being a bit of a hinderance.
2. i don't think i have the eye, yet, to notice something, and think "oooh if i had my camera, that would make a great photo"...BUT I WANT TO BE THERE, YESTERDAY LOL!
But then again, I have my cellphone (terrible camera option but better than nothing) with me at all times, but maybe carrying a small point-and-shoot for starters????
Obstacles are nothing but excuses - valid or otherwise. But I get what you're saying. The thing is it's not the eye you have to train, it's the brain. Believe me, I don't see "shots" during the drive, I see opportunities for shots. Seeing the opportunities comes from 2 things, looking at lots of photos and realizing what it is I'd like to shoot if I had the opportunity, and making
looking for photos in every day life a priority. Life is so distracting that we have learned to look past the mundane and ordinary to get to where we're going, but if you look at a lot of great photos you notice that many of them are comprised of things that are around us every day. You have to train your brain to stop looking past them and to start realizing that there are hidden gems everywhere. A year ago, instead of driving into town to pick up the Sunday Paper, I decided to walk. It's about a mile each way, and while I can always use the exercise, it was the ability to slow down and look around that I wanted. On a street that I'd driven literally thousands of times I started to find things I never noticed, from a cool array of mailboxes to several abandoned buildings and warehouses. I started exploring side streets and alleys (this is a VERY rural area too) finding interesting gardens and old garages. I took walks down train tracks. I explored for the first time in decades. That trained me to start looking in the car, but there's a mentality about being behind the wheel and "getting somewhere" that still keeps us from stopping when we see something, and that's the next step.
Two summers ago I put the DSLR down and did 4 months of iPhoneography. It was my way of looking for pictures without having to carry gear, and it worked. Unfortunately, I treated it as a different tool, and fell into the Instagram filter, over-editing trap, but at least I was looking at the world with a photographer's eyes - or at least starting to. Sure, you don't have 24MP's, but you can make some brilliant photos with a camera phone, so if you don't feel like carrying your camera, then use that.
And btw, when I say I take my camera everywhere, that doesn't mean it leaves the car with me, but it's within reach when I need it. Some places, when appropriate, I'll throw it over my shoulder. But more times than not it's there just in case.
but most of the time if I am out at work for a week I tend to leave it at home, but may just start carrying it and a single lens. But if I go for a drive then its in my car, unless I am going to a pub or club then I leave it at home.
