Experience matters most.
My favorite thing about landscape photography is not photography. My favorite thing about landscape photography is the landscape. Every detail about it, from big sweeping vistas to small mushrooms growing from a fallen tree, enjoying my surroundings and appreciating the moment. While on my photography outings, everything else that might bother me or cause worry melts away. My mind is clear and open, allowing me to enjoy and marvel at my surroundings. It is this time in nature when nothing else matters. Simply being outside is my favorite thing about landscape photography. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the “real” world, being alone with my thoughts, and simply enjoying the moment. There is little in this world, much better than that.
That is not to say that I do not love landscape photography. I do! Very much. It is my prime motivation for getting out in the first place. It is photography that helps me be more focused and appreciate the small details and grand vistas all the more. The photography not only serves as a reminder of the places I have been but the way I felt while I was there. Photography allows me to share the experience and, I hope, the emotion with others. So, yes, I love landscape photography, but at the end of every outing, I may leave disappointed with my images, but I am always satisfied with my day. I always hope for good photos, but the experience matters most.
