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The key elements to these photos basically come down to dramatic lighting(dawn/dusk), leading lines(look at the bridge and waterway shots, your eyes are guided

The key elements to these photos basically come down to dramatic lighting(dawn/dusk), leading lines(look at the bridge and waterway shots, your eyes are guided to the mountains and the horizon), and the rule of thirds(dividing your image up into quadrants, and keeping important subjects at their intersections). Basic stuff, but as always requires LOTS of practice and experimentation.

lumost 7y ago
One thing modern cameras do a great job at is making it easy to photograph dramatic lighting. Historically it required a lot of practice and hand tuning with pricier equipment to take such photos.
jtmarmon 7y ago
And when following the rule of thirds, how many quadrants should one divide their photo into?
- wongarsu 7y ago
  nine nonants
- overcast 7y ago
  3x3 grid
tjr 7y ago
I recently got back home from a trip to Alaska. While I hauled a couple of SLR cameras, bag of lenses, and tripod, around with me, I also took a bunch of pictures with my iPhone XS. The iPhone pictures were pretty impressive, but for exactly the reason you suggest... being at some impressive-looking places at a good time. The iPhone is certainly a decent point-and-shoot camera.
- ghaff 7y ago
  My trip pictures tend to be a mix of iPhone and “good camera”. Some shots are obviously the bigger sensor and camera/lens offering more control. But a lot of them I’d be hard put to say even on a big TV. Top-Notch print would often be a different matter but I make very few of those.
Diederich 7y ago
Over 20 years ago, my wife and I were driving up highway 395, just east of the California High Sierras. At the time, we were only using disposable cameras. She suddenly asked me to pull over, which I did, and backed up a bit, to right around here: https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. A couple of months later, she gave me slightly blown up print of that picture, developed in black and white, in a simple frame, and asked if I'd like to put it on my desk at work. The photo was stunning, and so I took it to work. Over the year, a number of people came by and commented on the striking beauty of that picture. In fact, two different people (at different times) came, looked at the picture very carefully, and said that they were quite surprised that there was an Ansel Adams photo they had not seen before. At my suggestion, she entered it into various local and state photography competitions, and won all of them. Alas, it was lost in a fire many years ago. My wife has no training, formal or otherwise, in photography. But she has a naturally keen eye for graphic design and layout. Equipment is good and important; location, timing, and an eye for composition is, in my opinion, far more important.
- dvaun 7y ago
  > She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. This is fantastic! The Eastern Sierras are an amazing place to explore through camping and day hikes. In my own experience, my parents had planned backpacking trips in this area several times when I was a teen, where each trip was filled with moments like the one your wife and yourself experienced. New places, or points of perspective — where you see the world around you in a new light — are precious and awe-inspiring. > Alas, it was lost in a fire many years ago. This is sad to read. Losing personal photos is hard to come to terms with > Equipment is good and important; location, timing, and an eye for composition is, in my opinion, far more important. This makes sense, and seems to be a broad truth across disciplines: artists and creators are not bounded by tools. My wife and I plan to take our children out to these places. Seeing a sky full of stars and seemingly boundless nature, against the background of quiet sounds and the natural world around you, is something that I wish everyone would experience in their lifetime.

lumost 7y ago

One thing modern cameras do a great job at is making it easy to photograph dramatic lighting. Historically it required a lot of practice and hand tuning with pricier equipment to take such photos.

jtmarmon 7y ago

And when following the rule of thirds, how many quadrants should one divide their photo into?

wongarsu 7y ago
nine nonants
overcast 7y ago
3x3 grid

tjr 7y ago

I recently got back home from a trip to Alaska. While I hauled a couple of SLR cameras, bag of lenses, and tripod, around with me, I also took a bunch of pictures with my iPhone XS. The iPhone pictures were pretty impressive, but for exactly the reason you suggest... being at some impressive-looking places at a good time. The iPhone is certainly a decent point-and-shoot camera.

ghaff 7y ago
My trip pictures tend to be a mix of iPhone and “good camera”. Some shots are obviously the bigger sensor and camera/lens offering more control. But a lot of them I’d be hard put to say even on a big TV. Top-Notch print would often be a different matter but I make very few of those.

Diederich 7y ago

Over 20 years ago, my wife and I were driving up highway 395, just east of the California High Sierras. At the time, we were only using disposable cameras. She suddenly asked me to pull over, which I did, and backed up a bit, to right around here: https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 https://goo.gl/maps/dh4gyRPi71ZQmy4b7 She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. A couple of months later, she gave me slightly blown up print of that picture, developed in black and white, in a simple frame, and asked if I'd like to put it on my desk at work. The photo was stunning, and so I took it to work. Over the year, a number of people came by and commented on the striking beauty of that picture. In fact, two different people (at different times) came, looked at the picture very carefully, and said that they were quite surprised that there was an Ansel Adams photo they had not seen before. At my suggestion, she entered it into various local and state photography competitions, and won all of them. Alas, it was lost in a fire many years ago. My wife has no training, formal or otherwise, in photography. But she has a naturally keen eye for graphic design and layout. Equipment is good and important; location, timing, and an eye for composition is, in my opinion, far more important.

dvaun 7y ago
> She got out of our 1996 Saturn SL, walked around a few minutes, snapped a single picture, and got back in the car. This is fantastic! The Eastern Sierras are an amazing place to explore through camping and day hikes. In my own experience, my parents had planned backpacking trips in this area several times when I was a teen, where each trip was filled with moments like the one your wife and yourself experienced. New places, or points of perspective — where you see the world around you in a new light — are precious and awe-inspiring. > Alas, it was lost in a fire many years ago. This is sad to read. Losing personal photos is hard to come to terms with > Equipment is good and important; location, timing, and an eye for composition is, in my opinion, far more important. This makes sense, and seems to be a broad truth across disciplines: artists and creators are not bounded by tools. My wife and I plan to take our children out to these places. Seeing a sky full of stars and seemingly boundless nature, against the background of quiet sounds and the natural world around you, is something that I wish everyone would experience in their lifetime.