Don't Always Shoot the Obvious

Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors take pictures of Yellowstone's Hayden Valley from the same turnouts along the Grand Loop Road. The pictures may be pretty, but they all look the same. That's because people tend to shoot the same landscapes - wherever they may be - from the same spots again and again.

Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge... Nearly every tourist's pictures look exactly like everyone else's. But yours don't have to.

Find an unusual perspective and shoot your landscape from there. Since most people are standing and hold their cameras at about eye level when they shoot, try sitting on the ground and shooting slightly upwards. Or get on the hood of your car and shoot slightly downwards.

Most people take pictures from where it's most convenient. Just walk 100 yards from a turn-out or parking area and you'll see a panorama that most people miss.

Another way to shoot interesting digital landscpes is to use specialty lenses - such as a fisheye - or special effects filters. Since you're shooting digital landscapes, you can get instant feedback. Experiment all you want. Just delete a shot if you don't like it and try something different.