Landscape photography can become frustrating if you are too focused on the results and constantly compare yourself to other photographers. While browsing the web and accessing social networking sites, you will see countless photos of spectacular sunrises and sunsets. But getting really great conditions is rare, even for professional planners. Let me share what the reality looks like.
If you look at my home page, You’ll see a pretty good portfolio of landscape and cityscape photos, many of which were taken with the colorful sky in the background. But the images I share online are just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the time, I work with less than ideal conditions and the resulting images are mediocre. Usually no one will see those and that’s common in the photography community: we only show our best images.
A photograph like the following will never see the light of day. It was the best I could come up with when I photographed Mount Bromo in Indonesia a few weeks ago. Granted, the timing of my visit wasn’t ideal, as the rainy season was approaching. But unless you have unlimited financial resources, you have to compromise from time to time when traveling. If you do a quick Google search for “Mount Bromo”, you’ll understand why I’m disappointed with this photo.
Statistics for landscape photography
While I always hope for conditions like those I encountered when shooting the title shot for Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, what I faced in Indonesia was much more common. Let me share some statistics.
Over the past 13 months, I have traveled 284 days as part of a sabbatical. I visited many breathtaking places in eight different countries, spent several months in Costa Rica, explored Southeast Asia and visited some beautiful European countries. Although it is not possible to take pictures every day, I can safely say that the number of photos taken at sunrise and sunset combined is over 300.
While my camera’s shutter count increased to 15,000, I’d say I took about 1,000 different pictures. That’s because I usually put the camera on a tripod and take 10 to 50 shots to focus on stacking, mix exposure, or time mix. Of those 1,000 photos, about 100 to 150 will appear on my homepage.
Now, you can say that getting a portfolio shot for nearly every second of photography isn’t so bad. I’m ok with that. But you also have to know that those portfolio photos are nothing like this one.
This Madeira sunrise light is exceptional and the best I’ve had in the past 13 months. But how often do I experience something in this ballpark? I went through all the photos I took and counted 25 in excellent condition. That’s less than 10% and it doesn’t just include great lighting. For example, a foggy day that I encountered in the Fanal forest was also included. I can count the number of shots with superior light on one hand.
How to stay motivated
In my travels, there are periods of days or even weeks where nothing is worth waking up to in the middle of the night. But I still do. I go out for sunrise whenever I can and try again at sunset. I get a lot of motivation for that from the rare occasions when nature plays for me.
But I also learned to focus less on results. There must be balance. For me, landscape photography is as much about the process as it is about the photos. I love being out in nature. That’s why it’s never a wasted effort if I climb a mountain in the dark just to be greeted by a view like this. I climbed the Grand Veymont again two days later and still haven’t been able to get a good photo. But I did enjoy my time on the trails, climbing relentlessly in the dark and quiet in the mountains.
Some angles are for the eye and less for the camera, and learning to enjoy from those angles is important. There was a time when this was difficult for me. In 2016, I traveled for six months. During that time, I tormented myself for the few good pictures I took. In South America, I sometimes feel that nature has conspired against me. I’ve seen all the great photos of places like Machu Picchu, Atacama, and the Andes online. But none of my photos even come close.
The results-focused mindset led me into a creative rut. The irony is that I thought only great results would get me out of it. So I went out time and time again, hoping for special light and weather. But this is out of my control, and I feel frustrated.
Back then, I learned how important it is to enjoy the process and view photos as icing on the cake. Why am I traveling in the first place? I want to explore beautiful places and take pictures of them. However, even without taking pictures of them, I was still able to make great memories and have a good time.
Inference
The truth about landscape photography is this: It’s not easy to take good pictures. You have to work and be out there as much as possible. Expect to be disappointed by the conditions, but don’t be discouraged. Thrive in the process, enjoy your time out there, and be grateful for those rare, magical moments. And never forget how wonderful it is to be able to experience nature and the elements, even without a photo to take.
