Look Around - The Shot Might Be Right In Behind You!
Pretty much every time I head out to a location to shoot, I have in mind the photo I'd like to make. I'm sure that's true of almost any photographer, and especially for nature and landscape photographers who often need to plan in advance and prepare for the shot.
A good lesson to learn, and one which you can never learn enough is to simply look around and pay attention to everything happening around you. Countless times I've arrived, scouted, setup and started shooting - usually happy with the results - and then looked around again only to see something even more appealing.
For "Day's End", my goal was an idyllic capture of the typical Hawaii‘ian sunset over the ocean with a foreground that provides the strong sense of place. Lava rocks usually provide that strong connection to the Hawaiian landscape, and the sunset that day did not disappoint.
Right after capturing the shot, I turned 90 degrees to my left, and there it was a vividly blue sky streaked with wisps of bright magenta clouds, reflecting as brilliant gold in the tide pool nestled by the semicircle of lava rocks - and that's how "Tidepool Afire" was born!
The lesson to look around is a good one, and rewarded me with one of my personal favorites - hopefully you'll agree!
Which do you prefer - the deliberate "Day's End" or the serendipitous "Tidepool Afire"? Add a comment below to share your thoughts...let's see which shot wins!