© Rick Wright

Yes, I admit it, I am a sucker for these rustic country-road scenes with rusty trucks. Photography almost seems tailor made for such moments, doesn′t it? On the day I spotted this old International Harvester dump truck (note the logo at top center), it was overcast with diffuse light.

Diffuse light in this scene is a real gift as the bright “IH” logo, wheel rims, and glass headlamps don′t get blown out by contrasty sunlight. I left my ISO at 100 and shot at ƒ4.0 for a little depth of field to capture both the tires and truck grill.

At ISO 100 I would get all the detail possible and could keep the rubbery looking texture of the tires. The downside? I was hand-holding the shot at 1/20th second. To help out there, go ahead and flip on your self-timer and let the camera itself release the shutter for you. Less vibration! Calm your nerves, breathe out, click! Oh, and about that composition…well, I seized on the idea of getting in really tight and making a play of all those circles and their relationships: orange hazards, white headlamps, black tires, metal rims.