Out-of-Focus is Easy from a Moving Car on a Road Trip

Business Road Trip from Paso Robles to Ventura County

Some of the best photo opportunities are from the windows of moving cars. There is usually a clear view ahead from the windshield or to the side from the side window. You can't capture many of these shots anywhere but from the middle of the freeway or road.

X in the Sky, © B. Radisavljevic

We started our trip in Paso Robles on Interstate 101 heading south. I didn't get my first blurry shot until we were at the south end of Atascadero. The sky had been putting on a show since we left. Here is the first out-of-focus shot.

Why out-of-focus? Because it's theme day for City Daily Photo Bloggers and the theme for November 1 is Out-of-Focus. See what others did for this theme here.

It is really easy to get an out-of-focus shot from a moving car. One doesn't have much time to even point and shoot, which is what I did with my three cameras I used on this trip. The sky was magnificent during the entire trip because of the way the clouds and sun and contrails were interacting. I saw that X in the sky for almost the entire trip to Newbury Park and it was still in the sky when we left to come home.

Santa Barbara County Out-of-Focus

The photo above was from the trip southbound. The photos below are from the return trip northbound. I was on the side of the car opposite the ocean but I wanted to capture the sunset as best I could over the ocean. It was difficult to aim the camera away from the rear view mirror which was hanging down from the top, and to also miss my husband and the edges of his window on the left.

What's amazing is not that these photos are blurry, but that so many I shot turned out well. Those I will share in other posts. These shots were taken between El Capitan State Beach and Buellton. The first is near El Capitan State Beach.

Sundown Near El Capitan State Beach from 101 North, © B. Radisavljevic

This next one is farther north near Refugio State Beach.

Coastine Near Refugio State Beach from 101, © B. Radisavljevic

This one was taken as we were getting near Gaviota Pass. You can see that it's almost dusk now.

Approaching Gaviota Pass, © B. Radisavljevic

Now we are approaching Buellton, of Pea Soup fame. We usually stop at Tom's Gas when we get there for the best prices around. It's also a clean rest stop. ( See photo of Tom's Gas in this post.)

An Oak Tree on the Way to Buellton, © B. Radisavljevic

The turn-off for Highway 246 which leads to Lompoc to the west and Solvang to the east is a bit north of this great blur -- the ultimate out-of-focus shot. Tom's Gas is just east of 101 in the Albertson's Center on Highway 246.

Out-of-Focus-Scene Just South of Buellton, © B. Radisavljevic

I rather like out-of-focus shots because they look a bit like impressionistic paintings.

When we finally got to Buellton the sun had almost set and I finally got the sky photos of the sunset I wanted. This is the only blurry one.

Out-of-Focus Sunset in Bueltton, CA, © B. Radisavljevic

Which out-of-focus shot do you like best?