Travel and Scenic Photography 101

Author: Seth Lutnick

Article:
When you're driving through the mountains somewhere, and you
notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to
the left to avoid a branch with his Rebel 2000 camera in the act
of focusing, you've met me. I do this because, to me, a trip
isn't fulfilling unless I've preserved that beauty for
posterity. I'd like to share some of the techniques that make
scenic photography such a wonderful artform - simple, yet
elegant.

First off, equipment. As much as the cheapo disposable camera
beckons, get real. These cameras have fisheye lenses which I
call "spam" lenses. They cram everything in, with equal
blurriness and boringness. Good photos are sharp, unless you use
blur for artistic effect. Sharp comes from an adjustable lens.
It can be a fixed lens or a zoom, but it must focus specially
for each picture. Fixed lenses are limiting for scenic pictures,
where to frame the shot you may need to move long distances.
Imagine using a fixed lens on the Washington Monument, when
you're half a block away! Zooms get my vote, even though they
often don't have as wide an aperture, which limits their
capabilities in low light situations.

Practically speaking, an SLR is the absolute best. They are
lightweight, and can be used with top quality lenses. Film SLRs
tend to be less expensive, but have the limitations of film,
meaning you have to get it developed and so forth. Digital SLRs
are VERY expensive, so for the budget conscious either go with a
film SLR or a high quality basic digital camera. With digital,
resolution is also a critical factor, so look at the specs
before you buy.

OK, we've got the camera, emotions are running high, and that's
great, but not too great! Sometimes I find a spot that is so
wonderful, I start shooting like a madman, only to be
disappointed by the pictures. What happened? Emotions. When you
experience a place, there are sounds, aromas and breezes as well
as the visuals of the spot. Needless to say, you can't
photograph all of these elements, only the visual. When
overwhelmed by the spectacle of a scenic hotspot, we are often
overwhelmed by all of these elements.

So what to do? Look through your camera. The viewfinder does not
lie (usually). Try to see what you are looking at as the
finished picture. Most people perfunctorily take pictures,
hoping that somehow the shot will come out great. If you wonder
how the pictures came out when you are on the way to the drug
store to get them, you're doing something wrong. At the moment
you click the pic, you should know exactly what you will get.
(Of course with digital, that's not a trick!).

Now, I was a tad dishonest in saying that you can't capture all
of the elements of a scene. You can hint at them. For starters,
motion. Yes, even in a still picture, there is motion. Something
happened before, during and after your picture. In a mountain
vista scene, you may find something that hints at motion,
whether it be a branch of a tree that has been swaying in the
breeze, or a river flowing through the valley below. These add a
sense of motion.

Then there's the "rule of thirds." When you place the main
object of the picture smack-dab in the middle, it is static and
boring. Place it one third of the way from either side, and you
IMPLY motion. Put the horizon in a landscape photo a third of
the way up or down, not across the middle.

Remember, when a person looks at a picture, their eyes move. You
want to frame your photo to help that movement. If you can find
some lines in the scene, such as a skyline, cloud formation,
path through the forest, etcetera, use it interestingly, and
with the rule of thirds to draw your viewer's eyes into the
picture.

Avoid "summit syndrome." You get to the top of Mount Washington
and shoot the majestic vista. Great. The pictures come out ...
boring! How? No PERSPECTIVE. Big vistas will be flat unless you
have an object in the foreground, such as a rock or a tree, to
give them perspective. Then the eye really grasps how big this
scene is. People enjoying the view is a real winner, because the
viewer may identify with their emotions, giving the image real
impact.

Cheese! Yes, you do have to take the family photos. It's
obligatory. But when you do, make sure that they show the
LOCATION of the photo. Otherwise, you might as well do it on
your driveway. Frame the scene in context, with landmarks as
part of the picture. Find a way to tell as story in the picture,
such as little Sara climbing up the rocks by the waterfall.

Finally, any element in the picture that hints at more senses
than just the visual will make it remarkable. Actor headshots
for example, tell a story about the subject. You can almost hear
them saying their next lines. If you photograph a garden, the
viewer may experience the aroma of the flowers. A tourist street
with an accordion player on the corner may have your amazed
friends whistling "Dixie."

In summation, picture taking on travel is recording the
experience in a satisfying way. Use motion, perspective,
sensory, storytelling and so forth, to bring your photos to
life. Oh, and needless to say, make your job easy and go to
great places! See you at the overlook!

About the author:
Seth Lutnick is a photographer, composer, and performer. He has
taken thousands of scenic photos, recorded two albums of
original music, and appeared on stage, TV and film. Visit his
website - http://www.getitdone.biz - for more detailed plans on
photography, music, health and education, and extensive product
links for the resources to fulfill your goals.