Always Learning

Always learning. Or, maybe more accurately, always realizing how much I don’t know. This is the frustration of landscape photography. Just when I think I might have it figured out, when I think I know exactly what needs to happen to achieve the visualization I have in my head, I get it wrong. I make a mistake, or I realize (far too late to do anything about it) that I should have done something completely different. There are many different styles of landscape photography and as many, if not more, methods to achieve a goal. Panoramic stitching, focus stacking, multiple exposure, and exposure blending are all ways to make a simple image more complex. It can all be overwhelming. These are the moments I start to think I may never have it all figured out.

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment. ~Ansel Adams

The flip side to this coin is the excitement of trying to figure it out. Trying new techniques. Just to play around and see what works. Maybe the image looks better as a long exposure? Is depth of field important? Try focus stacking, or would a shallow depth of field be better? It might mean missing a few shots while figuring it out. What works in one situation may not work in another. But the gathering of this knowledge is what makes me a better photographer, a better artist. Learning these methods will only increase the likelihood of success. No single process is necessarily better than another, and each will yield slightly different outcomes. Having that outcome in mind while creating an image is the most important first step. Learning technique is just figuring out which direction to take to get there. It is all the thrill of creating something that is yours and that is unique.