Great Landscapes Make Great Landscape Shots

If you’re a landscape wizard, you might be able to take lemons and make lemonade and make the most of an “iffy” landscape location. But, your chances for getting a great landscape shot go up exponentially when you’re standing in front of a great landscape. If you’re standing in a great spot in front of Yosemite’s Half Dome at dawn, you’re probably going to come away with a beautiful shot, especially if the weather cooperates and Mother Nature gives you an amazing sky full of clouds and colors. You’ve basically positioned yourself to come away with a spectacular landscape shot. Now, if you’re not standing in one of the world’s top 50 landscape photo locations, you’re going to have your work cut out for you (there are a dozen lists like this online, but I like this international list from U.S. News & World Report: https://travel.usnews.com/gallery/the-50-most-beautiful-landscapes-in-the-world). Think of it this way: if you wanted to be a great automotive photographer, you’d ideally want to shoot Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Jaguars, McLarens, etc., because these cars are so photogenic, with beautiful lines, brilliant finishes, and incredible wheels. Now, could you create a photo of a Toyota Prius? Perhaps, but you’d better be an incredible automotive photographer to make a photo of a Prius get a “wow” from someone. It doesn’t take nearly as much to get a “wow” from a photo of a Ferrari. Yes, it takes more effort to find one to photograph, but your chances of creating a “wow” photo go way up. Yes, it takes more effort to get to an amazing landscape location, but your chances of creating a “wow” photo also go way up. What you’re standing in front of when you press that shutter button makes all the difference in the world.