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On the Road with Your Camera

Woe to my friend and former colleague who promised his 12-year-old son a spring break road trip from Wisconsin to Florida. With the amount of money he will have to shell out for gas he could have probably bought two first-class, round-trip airline tickets.

Sky-high gas prices be damned, the father-son duo still plan on taking the trip. They leave next week and I am already looking forward to the photos my pal will be tweeting as they make their way to the sun, sand and surf.

With spring break right around the corner, now is a great time to fine tune your landscape photography skills. Whether you are flying, driving or riding the rails to your vacation destination, there will likely be plenty of opportunities to snap amazing shots of awe-inspiring natural scenes.

To make sure you don’t squander your photo ops, be sure to follow these simple tips:

Focus: Seems elementary, but often when we are overwhelmed by beauty we tend to simply point and shoot. To snap frame worthy shots of scenic points, it’s important to find a focal point. Focus on an object that will add a unique perspective to your picture, such as a large tree or rock formation, and then place it to the left or right of the scene.

Capture Movement: Static shots are beautiful, but you can enhance the essence of natural scenes by adding movement to your images. Look for subjects that illustrate this, such as a large leafy tree whose branches bend in the wind. Other ways to capture movement is to shoot crashing waves, waterfalls, ripples in a creek or birds flying across the sky.

Experiment with Angles: When you are out in nature, don’t be afraid to get those creative juices flowing. Experiment with different angles by bending down or contorting your body to capture a unique shot. Climb a mountain or kneel in a field of wildflowers to document a different vantage point.

Related Articles:

Tips for Improving Your Shots

Should I Delete This Picture?

Shooting the Perfect Portrait

Telling A Story With Your Shots

Natural Framing

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About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.