Showing the place while revealing the soul with nature and landscape photography
This is an edited and expanded version of a short essay I first published in my free ebook, Utah: Winter 2023 (available to download here). I also touched on this topic during my interview with Matt Payne on his F-stop, Collaborate, and Listen podcast (listen or watch here).
Throughout much of 2023, I’d found myself facing a bit of a quandary with my photography: over the years, like many nature photographers, I had shifted from focusing primarily on capturing grand scenes with a wide-angle lens to pulling out finer details, most often with my 100-400mm “long” lens.
Not only is the latter well suited for working in many of the environments I find myself in, but it also helps me find compositions which are more unique than, say, what any random passerby can photograph with the phone in their pocket (although that is starting to change with some of the newer phones that come equipped with longer focal length lenses than were available in the past).
Regardless, to some extent, at least, a tree is a tree is a tree: after returning from a road trip, especially, I'd sometimes find I didn't necessarily have any photos that truly represented the places I'd visited beyond the smaller details. In some cases, those photos could have been captured anywhere.
That led to some personal introspection, reflecting on what first sparked my passion for photography. A large part of my early excitement was driven by my desire to share my experiences with family and friends, which grew over time to sharing the places I had seen with a broader audience via social media.
More specifically, I wanted to grant those who haven’t had the opportunities to travel as much the opportunity to experience the splendor of beautiful natural places for themselves through my photos.
Generally speaking, that often requires showing grander views of a place rather than only homing in on the smaller details that can be picked out with a longer telephoto lens.
Perhaps an apt metaphor would be showing up at Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park and only looking at it through binoculars, never allowing yourself the opportunity to take in the entire scene laid out before you. What you viewed could still be amazing, but it's not necessarily indicative of the location as a whole. I don't think there are many people who would consider such a narrowed view of that iconic location as representative of the true experience of standing at the overlook, looking over the vast valley floor and feeling the power of the towering granite cliffs and mountains.
To be clear, I wasn't feeling as though there was something wrong with photographing smaller scenes: it is still my preference, primarily as a way to show the often overlooked and unexpected details - or the soul - of a place. Such scenes also, quite frankly, usually allow for and require more creative vision when working in the field as they are the less obvious aspects of one’s surroundings (and it also takes time to learn to “see” in a 400mm view of the world).
With this internal conflict firmly in mind as I made the long drive from north Texas to Utah back in March of 2023, I knew I wanted to work more intentionally to show both the place and the soul of the locations I was planning to visit. This was especially so for photographing Bryce Canyon National Park, with its famous amphitheater filled with thousands of rocky spires and hoodoos.
In the end, I came away from that winter trip with a good mix of both types of photos, letting viewers experience the grandeur of the places while leading them (hopefully) to an understanding of what it is to see and appreciate their less obvious souls, as well.
Nearly two years later, I'm still taking that approach when I'm working in the field. As I said, I still lean more towards finding the smaller, quieter scenes, but I'm also coming away from outings without the nagging feeling that I didn't fully capture the essence of the places I experienced.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you have a preference between grand vistas and more intimate scenes, or are you also trying to mix things up between the two? If you're a non-photographer, do you have a preference? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section below!
Bring the beauty of the natural world into your home or office by purchasing a print of one or more of the above photos.
Support My Work
I've been pursuing my passion for photography, while producing educational resources and other content, for several years now. It has required plenty of time, patience, and monetary investment. Without my supporters, none of it would be possible. Every contribution, no matter the amount, allows me to continue creating new work while sharing my love for the natural world.
Become a member of my Patreon to earn exclusive perks, such as ad-free videos, early access to my ebooks, exclusive discounts, and even free prints and limited-edition folios.
You may also make a one-time donation via PayPal. However you choose to contribute, it will be greatly appreciated.
Join the Community
Sign up for a free site membership to leave comments under your own name and receive notifications when I or others reply to your comments (or like them). You'll also receive a special welcome offer towards your next order of my open-edition fine art prints.
I'm a fan of grand vistas but I think in order for them to connect there needs to be an exceptional composition combined with rare light for it to elevate above what you commonly see online. I think we also suffer from repetition suppression having been exposed to the same 1000 scenes over and over again.