Whenever I am shooting with my buddy Jeff Clow, one thing is for sure. We are going to shoot a bunch of road shots. Jeff is the Jedi Master of this type of shot and he is known for them. I don't know how many he has sold, but I know it is more than a few. I was planning to count the number of times we pulled over to take these shots but, to be quite honest, I ran out of fingers and toes.
Jeff has a few "rules" that he likes to follow. First, the road must be straight. I agree, but I also like roads that curve. He was reluctant to shoot a curved road, but I think I actually thought I saw him do one. Second, there must be something at the end of the road worth seeing (I agree with that). Third, you should shoot from the middle of the road from different heights (eye level, halfway to the ground and laying on the ground). I usually follow this rule, but have been known to also shoot from the side of the road, depending on the road. Fourth, there should be some vehicle in the road to give the image some scale. I don't always do this but I understand the benefits. Finally, and most importantly, always have a spotter with you when shooting road shots. Cars travel the road quite quickly and no photo is worth getting hurt for.
For those of you that have followed along, I wrote this with my tongue firmly against my cheek. Jeff has no idea I am posting this and I just wanted to have a little fun with him. Seriously, following these "rules" will definitely make your road shots better, but, don't forget, rules are made to be broken.