Good photographers can find beauty in the ordinary. Below is a famous quote from Henry David Thoreau. It fits the art and craft of photography like a glove.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Henry David Thoreau

Photography is a great way to show who you are. Your individual interests, tastes, and sense of order are unique. We will all look at the same subject, and make a different picture.

While each of us learns certain aspects photography from looking at the work of others, eventually, everyone will create their own imagery. Be a leader not a follower.

Three great leaders in photography would be Dan Walters, Guy Tal, and Joseph Rossbach.

I will guess that this Dan Walters’ image of a Bald Eagle, is a crop, at least to some degree. Most action shots of birds are. How you crop a wildlife image is as telling about how you see things, as is the composition of any landscape. Dan’s technical expertise is also always present in his pictures.

Guy Tal is a unique photographer/artist, and a unique person. Guy and I share a love for remote outdoor locations. We also share the fact that we don’t mind a bit if we “drink in” those wild places when we are absent of human companionship. Communing with nature, and searching for the art inside of oneself, can sometimes be best accomplished with just you and your subject.

Joseph Rossbach is one of the premier landscape photographers/workshop teachers in American today. He works mainly at the edge of light, but puts his own personal stamp on the finished art. I would guess, that many (attempt) to copy him, but few will come close. Often, it’s what’s inside that counts

I certainly did not include this photo of mine because it deserves to be on the same page with the images above. I share it because it is an example of one way that I look at things. It is unique to me, just as other “visions“ are unique to you.

I love working with contrasting shadows and highlights. I equally love natural flows within the picture frame. Dips and curves. Those combinations challenge me to find compositions. I enjoy looking for the natural balance that lives between the edges of the viewfinder. East to west, and north to south. It is what separates me (the same for you), from everyone else.

“Other photographers also have camera equipment, access to information, and the ability to travel to make pictures. Your personal vision belongs only to you. It is unique to who you are, and is shared with no one.” Wayne Nelson