This One Important Step Will Change Everything

For any photographer, the art in landscape photography ebbs and flows as one transitions through understanding and application of techniques in the field, followed by an exploration of personal artistic touches and post-processing. Photography is an endless journey of growth and development. 

For the photographer new to landscape photography, learning is often heavily concentrated on exploring techniques and following the correct step-by-step processes to yield the results she craves to better her images. 

Whereas the more experienced photographer will often focus on the expert application of technique and the development of personal artistic style.

Regardless of where you are in your landscape photography journey, there is one action that will change everything in your approach to capturing better images. It is never too soon to start this practice.

When I was new to my landscape photography journey, I'd often rush off into a landscape scene, set up my tripod and camera and snap away. Yes, I'd experiment with different compositions and techniques, but there's one thing I wish I'd trained myself to do much earlier. That one action is visualization. 

Merriam-Webster, 2022, defines visualization as the "formation of mental visual images." 

Now you might be wondering two things: 

1. How does a photographer visualize the outcome of an image? 

2. Why is it important to visualize the outcome of an image?

When it comes to how there are several different ways, a photographer can visualize the final product of their imagery. If you are like me, I tend to visualize through my viewfinder. I like to see a scene in a frame form before clicking my shutter. In comparison, I have friends who use their phones to visualize the outcome of their final image. Other photographers are good at standing back and observing the scene, setting up their shots and capturing their visualized image.

Visualization is important because it strengthens the outcome of an image. Instead of simply capturing a picture, you create it. Slowing down and observing elements like light, mood, composition and subject matter will force you to include or exclude certain elements within a frame intentionally. Creating images in this manner will almost always result in a better photograph than a pretty scene photographed without much intent. 

Visualization also empowers you to create images that represent not only what you see but what you want to see and how you feel immersed within a landscape scene. 

Take the below image as an example. The cold winds were blowing furiously in this image, and snowflakes were whirling about as a wintry storm moved through. There was a constant fight between light and darkness as stormy clouds collided and covered the sun. I can recall with clarity even now the mood at the moment, and I wanted to portray that within my final image. So, before I clicked my shutter, I envisioned my final image visually and with mood. I then created that visualized image purposefully through technique in the field. It was important for me when photographing this scene to convey the storminess through the water and the interplay between light and clouds. A long exposure would not have been as effective in portraying the mood at the moment. 

^{ISO 31, 20mm, f22, 1/13 sec}

Capturing visually well-thought-out images and incorporating emotion will always be more powerful. So regardless of where you are at in your landscape journey and the next time, you have the opportunity to capture a landscape scene, visualize the outcome of your image and think about how you can use the techniques you are skilled in to portray the scene visually and emotionally. You'll be glad you did.