The more I engage in the craft of landscape photography, the less I react to what the real world gives me, and the more I obsessively plan my compositions. Mapping programs with satellite views, phone apps like The Photographer’s Ephemeris, as well as good old-fashioned Internet searches, allow photographers to remotely preview locations, compositions and even light in ways previously unthinkable even ten years ago, all from the comfort of their own homes. This planning has become more important than ever before, as hundreds of thousands of photographers are out there every day, scouring the planet in search of amazing scenery to photograph.
So, it comes as no surprise that the Internet is awash with millions of landscape photos, mostly of famous icons that get photographed over and over. If you want to easily build up a quality portfolio, all you need to do is spend some time online searching Google images, and then simply go out and copy other people’s compositions. Sure, you might have to wait for interesting light, but that ...
