Why would you waste your time doing landscape photography?
This is a question I have heard asked a few times. The argument goes:
After all,
· You won’t sell your images often, if ever.
· You’ll need expensive equipment to get good shots.
· No one wants to look at photographs that don’t include people.
· Most of the best landscapes are already ‘taken’.
Despite this, landscape photography is a popular genre, and it is also an extremely rewarding type of photography in many ways.
So what is in about landscape photography that appeals to amateur and professional photographers alike?
Over the last few months I have found myself increasingly drawn to photographing landscapes, in particular ‘hidden landscapes’.
I have a particular fascination with driving off the beaten track and finding some hidden gems – beautiful lakes, mountains, forest areas or small coves which lie unspoiled and bypassed by ‘mainstream’ landscape photographers.
Being in these places brings me closer to nature, alive to beauty and appreciative of all that the natural world has to offer.
And because I am capturing images for myself, in my own secret places, I am not in competition with 'proper' landscape photographers.
Will I sell these photographs?
No, but they have given me precious moments that are worth more than money.
Do I need expensive equipment?
No, but I have made the most of the equipment I already own and have even taken pleasing landscape photos with just my smartphone. What I do need is a good subject, an understanding of how to compose my image well, some technical knowledge, good light, a bit of artistic vision and a love of the location in which I am shooting.
I often take out my phone camera if I see a view worth capturing
Will anyone want to view my landscape photographs?
They may not have general appeal, but some people will like them for the beauty of the places they show. For others, they will be a reminder of other landscapes they have loved. Still others might see them as images that spark reflection on the beauty of nature.
Are most of the good landscape images already taken?
Most of the world’s most iconic landscapes are indeed already immortalised by good photographers, but the world has a never-ending supply of beauty to reveal, a bottomless resource that can always be tapped into by new photographers.
Is landscape photography worth doing?
Absolutely.
Rather than waste your time, you would spend your time wisely if you chose to photograph landscapes.
The rewards are manifold, as I have discovered.
Landscape photography has encouraged me to get up at an unearthly hour to view an amazing sunrise.
It has brought me to various locations to witness stunning sunsets, fantastic cloud formations, rugged cliffs or wild seas.
It has enhanced my appreciation of breath-taking views while driving, without needing to stop and take a photo. All I need to do is to breathe deeply and take it all in.
In short, landscape photography has brought me to many awe-inspiring scenes that I wouldn’t have the skills to turn into good images.
Most of all, landscape photography has brought much pleasure and joy as I indulge in an activity that has opened a world of sights, sounds and emotions, and an appreciation of the world around me that previously eluded me.
To landscape photography, and all the hidden landscapes I’ve found, I owe a debt of gratitude.
What is your experience of doing landscape photography?
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