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I read the November 2009 Outdoor Photographer feature article on Ian Plant with great interest. His images "Dreamscape" and "Alien Transmission" blew me away. It was fascinating to read how he deals with the issue of being original as an artist. Plant says directly, "too often, nature photographers rely on the drama of the scenery to make powerful images ..." and..."too often nature photographers merely ‘chase the light,' waiting for that perfect sunset over a dramatic high mountain lake."
I think maybe dramatic scenery isn't the problem so much as it is, dramatic scenes: locations made famous by being beautifully photographed by dozens if not hundreds of skilled photographers.
Capturing a moment in time from a classic viewpoint, where lighting, and possibly season, are the main differences in composition between one image and another, doesn't help you grow as a photographer. That being said, I'll be the first to admit that sometimes you have to get the classic image out of the way before you can branch out and explore new ideas and new places.
Plant complains that too often nature photographers "just show up". I would complain that too often nature photographers just show up at the classic viewpoints. A friend once told me about a friend of his who would go to Delicate Arch over and over again in order to capture the ultimate image of Delicate Arch. The same friend said he wasn't interested in taking a photograph of Delicate Arch because he thought it was cliché. I think my heart lies somewhere in between. I know from experience, when I see a beautiful photograph of a stunning location; I want to go there not only to see it for myself, but to photograph it for myself. At the same time, every time I go out to photograph, weather in my own back yard or from the road in Grand Teton N.P., my interest is always in creating timeless art, not something derivative. Maybe there are enough of these classic viewpoints to at least provide some variety. As I'm writing, dozens of such scenes are coming to mind. Can any of these icons be shown in a new way? Surely many of these sites can be photographed with personal style, but a surefire way of creating unique imagery is to go places that haven't been over photographed. Being more than two or three miles from the road almost guarantees a location will be much less photographed. Showing up at the classic National Park roadside scenic viewpoint, to record amazing edge of day light is a very different thing from showing up at a more remote location that's been much less photographed. I'm not talking about the physical aspect of getting to remote locations, but about the opportunity for originality that comes with photographing a viewpoint that's not next to a sign that says, "Take picture here". Sometimes this just boils down to time. How much of it you have to spend photographing a given location. This is why the best images of any given location are usually captured by people who live nearby. People who've had time to experience and become connected to the landscape. Time to move beyond the standard view. At any rate, it's never a bad idea to seek a new vantage point.
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