Every outdoor photographer wants a portfolio of spectacular images from spectacular places. That’s why so many of us travel to locations where we photograph iconic images like the Grand Tetons from Schwabacher’s Landing, Mesa Arch at sunrise or the Grand Canyon from Mather Point. While it is satisfying to capture those images, knowing that thousands or even millions of others have made virtually identical images, diminishes that sense.
What we all really want are spectacular images that no one else has photographed. How is that possible when virtually all the beautiful places in the world have been photographed and posted on social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram? Some experts suggest that photographers need to find a new viewpoint when they photograph those iconic places. Of course, the problem with that is that the iconic images are already the best compositions for those sites.
Should we just give up photography? No, we should continue to make images. We should try to capture the subject with the right light using the best composition, making sure that the exposure and focus are right and that we remove any distractions that might be in the image. Of course, using all the best photographic techniques doesn’t guarantee a great image but good technique may create a piece of a spectacular image.
A piece of an image? Yes! I’ve been working to create new images from pieces of two or more photos. These images are not collages; they are totally new images that will never be made with a camera. In my collection of photos, I have found images of spectacular sights, but they often lack a good foreground or an image with a good foreground, just doesn’t have the background. By combining the two in Photoshop, I have created what I think are some very special images.
The waterfall image below is one I made in Iceland.
In the next image, I photographed a nice glacier making its way down the mountainside but the foreground was not very good. I replaced it with the foreground from another image and the final image is much better than the other two.
This is a composite of six different images. The base image is the foreground. I added separate images of the mountains on the left and the right. I added a piece of another image that included the buildings and I extracted the horses from two different photos.
This is another composite. I photographed the lupines in Iceland and the mountains in the Canadian Rockies.
When all the beautiful places in the world have been photographed, the way to capture unique images is to create your own.
Gold Images Photo 