Saturday, September 12, 2015

Landscape Photography

There are many kinds of photography that one can specialize in. Not to "pigeonhole" anyone, but...landscape photographers are a distinct breed unto themselves.

I do not consider myself to be a landscape photographer but I do enjoy traveling, beautiful vistas, mountains, sunsets, and waterfalls. Someday, I would even like to catch the elusive Northern Lights shooting up behind a lighthouse on the Northshore. But...that takes all kinds of patience, lots of specialized equipment, a tolerance for all things "nature" (ie, bugs, unpredictable wildlife, erratic weather, rough terrain) and, dare I say, an ability to afford expensive airplane tickets to exotic locations. I admire the landscape photographer's tenacity for getting that "perfect shot" of unbelievable beauty. I may not be equipped for that kind of photography, but I do admire it.

So...once in awhile, I'll join a group of photographers seeking to find something extraordinary in the local landscape. Last night, our group set out to capture the sunset at the Richardson Nature Reserve in Bloomington, MN. I got my sunset shot, as did the others, but I decided to go off on my own to find something uniquely mine. In doing so, I discovered that maybe I do have a little landscape photographer in me. I may not be consistently proficient at it, but skilled enough and lucky enough to get this "gem" of an image. This is not a grandiose view of the world's largest mountains, but to me, it's just as beautiful.