At the risk of offending residents of the 49th state, my ideal vacation destination is not Alaska.
Allow me to explain: I live in freezing cold temperatures for more than half the year in northern Wisconsin, so the last place I want to venture when I get the chance is another cold climate.
And I born and raised in Hawaii, so understand my teeny-tiny tolerance for snow and ice.
Still, Alaska is home to some of the most stunning natural scenery in the world. I got an eyeful last week when viewing photos taken by my high school friend who just returned from a week-long cruise of “The Last Frontier.”
The images of towering mountains, expansive waterways and pristine forests are breathtaking. Interestingly, my pal is not a professional photographer, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at his shots. Preserving the essence of striking natural scenes is not without challenges, but as my pal proves, as long as you follow some easy tips, you too can capture beautiful landscapes.
One of the keys to documenting sweeping views is to find a focal point. Many photographers get caught up in the moment and simply point their camera at a random collection of flowers, mountains or trees. Avoid the temptation to do so. Instead, focus on an interesting object to stand out in the picture, such as an unusual tree, bush or rock formation, and then place it to the left or right of the larger scene.
Another great tip is to include movement in a photo. While static scenery shots can be impressive, if you take a little time to add movement to your photos you can enhance the overall look of the scene exponentially. Finding movement can be as easy as shooting a large tree with its leaves rustling in the wind or photographing a bird as it flies against a cobalt blue sky.
Finally, if you are working with a SLR camera, record RAW images, instead of JPG. Shooting RAW will eat up more memory, but you’ll be grateful that you did when it comes time to edit your shots. RAW images feature more minute details than JPG and you’ll have more flexibility in the editing process.
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