I'm not a big fan of photographing famous photo icons, as it can be very difficult to find original work when shooting something that has been shot a million times before. And when I am surrounded by dozens of other photographers (or more), I personally find it challenging to extract any meaningful signal when engulfed by so much noise. Instead, I prefer to photograph the spaces in between, those places that don't get a lot of attention from other photographers. There are vast stretches of wild desert in south-central Utah where silence reigns supreme, where I can concentrate on making unique and intensely personal photographs.
These wild places in between Utah's famous national parks are perfect for drone photography, which enhances my flexibility to find compelling angles and to work creatively with composition and light. I made the photo above at first light, when the sun was just above the eastern horizon and the fiery light of dawn was beginning to brush the sandstone features of the desert. I framed my composition so that the sun was just outside the image frame, and I used the resulting lens flare creatively.
I also explored a vast area of bentonite clay badlands. The soft clay erodes easily, and contains swirling layers of color and texture. I spent days flying my drone over the badlands, looking for the most compelling abstract combinations of shape and color. I made the photo above over a swirling pattern that reminds me of a painter's palette.
This dynamic zigzag shape immediately caught my eye. I love to use bold shapes when making compositions. The bright blue of the zigzag enhances its energy, reminding me of a lightning bolt.
I'm always looking for energetic shapes for my photographs. Whenever I find shapes and lines moving in multiple, diverging directions, I know that there is the potential to create a dynamic composition.
This final photo was made as a late afternoon storm passed in the distance. I find that the best landscape photos emerge when composition, light, and weather converge. Here, the angled sunset light revealed texture and bold leading lines in the foreground. I waited for the bright storm cloud to pass behind the background butte to complete the composition.
Being able to find your own compositions is an essential skill for every photographer. If you fall into the trap of just shooting the famous photo icons, you will limit your growth as an artist. Instead, try the in between places, and look for creative abstract collisions of shape, light, and color. If you keep an open mind and freely experiment, you will rise to the challenge and make photos that are truly your very own.