It has been said that every photograph that could be taken has already been taken. I don’t think that is true but every serious photographer seeks to find a vision of their own. A style to separate themselves from the millions of images already taken.
I found that abstract art photography was my vision. When it comes to wildlife photography I am a hack. This summer I realized that good wildlife photography requires very expensive equipment that lets you reach out a long way to get an image but it also requires great dedication to being out there most of the year. Good wildlife photographers spend 300 days a year in the field partly because opportunities for the perfect shot are many times just luck and luck favors the prepared.
I have no excuses with landscape photography but I do think it is the most difficult division of photography. As an abstract photographer I get considerable leeway in the technical requirements because my images purposefully don’t “look” like anything normal. So what is correct is up for grabs. But in landscape photography every single skill must be addressed carefully or the image is easy to judge as bad. Depth of field, focus, composition, and exposure–all these skills and techniques must be addressed in landscape photography because it is clearly noticeable.
Hence, landscape photography is a field in which I can strive to sharpen my skills and attention to detail. It is a challenge for me because I am not a detail person. In my glacier portfolio I was trying to capture the wonderful colors and forms in the face cracks of the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. I allowed myself one minute to enter the crack, take as many different shots as I could and get out. I didn’t want to be entombed for someone to find a hundred years from now.
Using a tripod, which is required to get good quality landscapes, is a chaffing restriction for me. So landscape photography is a good exercise for improvement and growth.
Mike Kelly
Early Morning from Mt. Washburn looking north.
Cache Creek Trail during rain showers.
Sunset on Henderson Mountain.
