Spice it up! One Simple Way to Infuse Variety in a Single Landscape Setting

Don't they say, "Creativity is the Spice of Life?" Or is it, "Variety?" Let's go with "Creativity" so I can prove my point!

Unfortunately, many of us landscape photographers do not have the luxury of constant travel and exploring new places. Instead, we have our bucket lists and our "I want to visit (fill in your dream photography location)." But, between destination trips, our passion for landscape photography still needs feeding. So, we learn to embrace the beauty around us every day, and in doing so, we often visit the same little pond or field or, for the lucky few, mountain or ocean scene, time and time again. 

The landscape photographer can "spice up" or add variety in a single landscape setting through long exposure. The technique of long exposure is achieved through the use of longer shutter speeds and showcases movement within a photo. 

Take a look at the images below. The first example was captured with the intent to freeze or minimize movement within an image. In comparison, the second image was captured to showcase movement. Especially look at the stars. The stars in the first image are pinpointed while they streak in the second.

^{ISO 3200, 14mm, f2, 8 seconds}

^{ISO 100, 14mm, f 2.5, 406 seconds}

There are many variations in long-exposure photography that the landscape photographer can explore. As a result, the overall effect can vary greatly and will depend on the intentions of the photographer. However, the undeniable impact is that long exposures will infuse considerable variety in a landscape scene and add that touch of creative spice into a photo.

Next time you want to spice up your landscape photography a little, try out the technique of long exposure and discover endless creative potential. The more experimentation, the better!