Why I love landscape photography

There is a moment in time, after you shoot everything under the sun, when every one of us settle on a specific genre of photography. From macro to portraits, or photojournalism to wedding, there is something special about each type of photography that speaks to us in a compelling way, making that particular type to stick to your brain and push you deeper into the intricacies of this outstanding art.

Although I believe there aren’t many activities more rewarding than general photography, it is landscape photography that attracted me the most and made me scream inside every time I manage to get an image that is both creative and unique.

However, I always wondered why I chose landscape and not macro or weeding, for example, genres I experiment with occasionally, without results worth mentioning. What makes landscape photography an attractive activity that made me stick with it and love it the more pictures I took?

I believe the answer lies within the beginning of my photographic journey, and it might be a similar case for you as well, therefore I will list the reasons I fell in love with landscapes from my initial exposure to photography until the present day.

Easy to start with

There is nothing complicated to start photographing landscapes. Gear wise I need a camera body, a lens on the wider side of the focal range and a tripod and I am good to go. Subject matter is all around us, just go outside city walls and will find plenty ideas to inspire images for a long time. Said and done, this was my starting point and I was trying to capture everything that I felt will make a great picture, even trees in my local park. Don’t get me wrong, it is not an easy skill, producing good landscape images, but it is easier than other genres to begin your journey with.

Outdoor

Compared to other areas, landscape photography required me to be outdoor, to face the elements, walk, hike, explore, wake up early for sunrise light, return to areas I previously photographed, in short, be more active and in tune with nature. The more time I spent outdoor, the greater the sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, even if I had days when my camera did not left the bag and no shutter clicks actuated.

Forgiving

Landscape photography allow for a big mistake range. Not because I should miss focus or exposure to begin with, but because, if it happens, the subject will still be there, in the same place, allowing me to return repeatedly and correct small mistakes like framing, depth of field, focusing, etc. Of course, conditions will differ, but with stubbornness I can be lucky enough to have similar light on shoots that could be months, even years apart.

Highly rewarding

There is a unique feeling when you gaze at your own landscape print. Knowing that the fleeing moment was captured forever and your vision has been integrated in the post processing of the file, followed by actually holding or framing a piece of paper with your creation printed on it, is magical. Of course, this applies to all genres to a certain extent, but with landscapes, I find it even more rewarding.

None of the above is possible without a key ingredient: enthusiasm. Whatever photography you like, if you are not eager about it, your journey will be short lived.

So, what do you love to photograph and why? Did you feel the same as I did? Let me know in the comments below.