An aspiring landscape photographer could be forgiven for thinking that their chosen pursuit is an extreme sport. The image of a fit and willing outdoorsman/woman hiking into remote wilderness with tripod slung over the shoulder, spending days camped alone in a tiny tent, living off dried noodles and other equally tasteless survival rations, is one that magazines and certain photographers love to portray.
It is an appealing image, and is not without substance. Remote wilderness has a lot to offer the landscape photographer in the way of inspiration and, with a little luck, unique new images to add to the portfolio. If you are prepared to put in the effort and forget about the comforts of home for a while, the rewards are there for the taking.
But for most of us, heading off into the wilds for extended periods doesn’t fit easily with life’s other commitments. We dream about it a lot and do it when we can, but the demands of family and work mean it’s more likely to be a rare and special treat than a regular event. So does that mean the only successful landscape photographers are the ones who approach their calling like Bear Grylls, and the rest are pretenders?
Of course it doesn’t. Landscapes are all around us and great landscape images are where you find them. Good landscape photographers can see beyond the distractions of a modified environment and capture something of its natural essence in a way that resonates with the viewer. Often this means composing images so that man-made objects are excluded, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Images that focus on rolling farmland or suburban beaches can happily find a place in your portfolio as examples of twenty-first century landscapes.
It wasn’t until landscape photography became my full-time obsession that I began to discover some of the visual treats that exist within an hour’s drive of home. I love to get away to National Parks and explore wild landscapes when I can, but there’s a lot to be learnt by spending time photographing the less wild areas near your home. Even those of us who live in crowded cities will have a beach, river or park not too far away, and these can all provide great photographic opportunities.
One of my favourite and most productive close-to-home spots is only fifteen minutes away by car. I can drag myself out of bed just before sunrise, take a quick drive followed by a 100 metre walk from the car, and photograph the best light of the day within a stone’s-throw of suburbia. Actually I have a few spots like this, but this particular one stands out because it’s such a small and unexpectedly photogenic patch of ground.
It surprised me while writing this article to realise that my online portfolio contains no less than seven images from this patch of foreshore, which measures maybe 150 metres long by 50 metres wide. And I believe I’m accurate in claiming that each of these images is quite different and wouldn’t easily be recognised as coming from the same place. That’s a pretty good strike rate considering the amount of time I spend photographing widely around south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
But sorry, I’m not going to tell you exactly where it is – this was my discovery, you can find your own! The point is that places like this aren’t as rare as you might think. Spend some time poring over Google Maps, check the Photographer’s Ephemeris (www.photoephemeris.com) so you know where the sun will rise and set, and just get out and explore your local area.
Wilderness photography might be an appealing and important part of a landscaper’s arsenal, but don’t overlook your own backyard.
Local parks, foreshores, rivers and creeks are great places to find landscape subjects. Fifteen minutes after taking this photo, I was home for coffee and breakfast. Canon 5D MkII, Canon 17-40L lens @17mm, f11, 1/2 second, ISO100
