Landscapes - Part VI

Sometimes, I see landscapes and am in awe of their beauty.

Side Note: I am often puzzled by the English Language. If you have some "awe" it is a good thing; it is "Awesome"!  But if you have a lot of "awe", in fact you are full of "awe" it is a bad thing; it is "Awful."?

Sorry for the side track. My problem with landscapes is that I often feel limited in my ability to "capture" that awesome beauty. Take for example this photo taken in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It has Saguaros, Organ Pipe Cactus, in front of a large cave on the side of Ajo Mountain:

Arch Canyon, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Somehow the photo just doesn't capture the beauty of what I actually saw and was feeling.

On the other hand, sometimes when I get back from a photo trip and see my photos I am excited that I was able to capture the moment. Take this next photo of Snow Geese on Fir Island in Western Washington with Mount Baker in the background:

Snow Geese, Fir Island Washington

Notice the four Snow Geese flying equal distance apart, and each in front of one of the peaks in the Cascades. Good focus front to back. Good composition. And with the farm in the middle describes the landscape perfectly.

Fir Island Snow Geese

Snow Geese. This photo is of Fir Island in Washington State. Mount Baker (12,000 feet) is in the background. Fir Island is essentially sea level. Makes for a wonderful contrast. Each winter some 10 - 15,000 snow geese arrive from Siberia. Not as big -- or, quite as noisy as the Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese nonetheless make for a beautiful sight. This was one of those photos I thought was possible, but not necessarily probable. Four geese flying, four peaks on Mt. Baker, just the right place at just the right time. Good enough for an award even. Migrating birds are creatures of habit, wintering in the same spot each year. So, with a little research you can usually find them. Once you find them, it is mostly up to your own creativity to find a "great photo."  This photo was taken using 35mm slide film. Composition is important although it can be somewhat altered in the digital editing process (unlike 35mm). But, whenever possible try to think about composition when taking a photo. It will improve the result significantly.