The Ugly Truth About Landscape Photography

In today’s world of social media and YouTube, it is easy to think every time a photographer goes out, they come back home with portfolio-ready images. If you begin to believe this, it can impact your own landscape photography. This video looks at the real truth behind landscape photography.

It can be pretty depressing to spend a morning or day out practicing landscape photography and come home with no great images to share, especially when it seems like everyone else around you is capturing fantastic photos on every single trip or outing they make. In this video, William Patino shows the ugly truth behind landscape photography.

We follow as Patino makes his way through challenging terrain with several slippery scrambles to get a possible waterfall composition. As we follow along, we learn he’s already hiked several miles in and is even further from any real civilization just to reach this location as he works through several compositions.

Patino returns to the office and talks through three of the compositions that he is just going to throw away. He explains what was wrong with them and why they aren’t portfolio-worthy, but more importantly, explains this is the truth of landscape photography. Sometimes, we go on an outing, expend significant effort, and still don’t come home with anything.

I appreciate Patino’s perspective that the process overall can still be enjoyable. More importantly, his advice to evaluate what he calls the four killers of an unsuccessful outing can help you still learn something and improve your skills in the long run.

Jeffrey Tadlock's picture

Jeffrey Tadlock is an Ohio-based landscape photographer with frequent travels regionally and within the US to explore various landscapes. Jeffrey enjoys the process and experience of capturing images as much as the final image itself.

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11 Comments

I have always said that there are two types of landscape photogs. One that goes out in the outdoors because they want to shoot, and the other would being out even without a camera. Most of my outings come back without any "portfolio" shots. Heck sometimes it's so meek I don't even squeeze one frame off.

Yep! The outdoors came first for me! Though, I will admit the camera gives me a good excuse to go outdoors, but the being outdoors and the process is as much fun to me as getting great images!

First I really enjoy your adventure and the sharing!! Any time someone shares an adventure especially with a video, having to take along the extra camera most times, we viewers have to say thanks because so much more to learn and get extra info on the gear/clothing needed to get where you want to go. Example is a real easy place like a beach at night for a milky way, so many come out for a sunrise and have no bug repellent on and are eaten up more than having the ability to get a capture, Skin So Soft lotion or oil (in a small spray bottle of water) is the best, also good for tics. How many go out day or night where red bugs bites Vicks around on and around socks and arm sleeves and neck even in hair. Also self protection like bear spray and for those big cats a hat with big eyes sewn on the back (they like to attack from behind) this good at the Grand Canyon where there is plenty. Lastly how many travel in snake country with low top hiking shoes and no snake shin guards, chaps or boots or carry moth balls to put around your tent. Just info!
This adventure was something you need to get out from behind the computer screen get to a gym as well to get and stay in shape like a army ranger. A skill of strength shown at every turn here.
A Big note not seen is no tripod, with IBIS and lens with IS/OSS you can hand hold bracketing 3 at +/- 2EV or if steady 5 at +/- 2EV (I do at sunrise and set all the time) if light lets you do a fast set.
Another note yes a Sony but if you can get your hands on a Sony A7M2/A7RM2/A7SM2 with the camera apps you can use the "Digital Filter" app and not carry the extra weight and have extra space that filters and holders take up like the 12-24mm has a very big filter holder and would need several big glass filters. Not available on the newest A1 or A7RV this is where the old makes the long hike better.
Another I did not see him wearing an emergency satellite SOS device and with the slippery rocks and deep pools. Even on a marked path areas and well traveled areas even seen in the film "A Walk in the Woods" and even in the places during fall foliage (rattlesnakes also) in PA's grand canyon it would take an Army to find you, just saying....
As you view take note of things and learn. I did a sunset and Milky Way images at a federal park " Casa Grande Ruins Arizona" across the road from a Walmart and stores. I wore my high snake boots with liquid mothball juice, my Skin So Soft, Bear Spray and my SOS device while inside the park with my dads and others RV's after the park closed, my dad laughed. While doing the sunset two Rattlesnake's one on each side about 12 feet long or longer and a maybe 2 yards away went toward the Grande Ruins and when doing the vertical MW several went by just 3 yards in front of me on the other side of a 3 wire fence. To note you are not allowed to bother the snakes in Az. for they take care of the mice who's dropping are a health risk but I figure if curled up and noisy a shot of Bear spray I had to use on a gator in Florida one night. Just saying look ahead and be prepared. In the very populated Jacksonville Florida there are a lot of hiking trails where when being built there were skeleton's of hikers up against trees with backpacks on and today several homeless camps along you and others can be easy prey bear spray is good on two legged critters also the reason for a big towel in hand if used on you, tit for tat as it is said!!
This is long but not thought of even by the seasoned person!!!!
3. using the Digital Filter
4. using 5 at +/- 2EV getting unseen light and dark side lit and sharpness in the blue hour, yes on sticks note camera NR is off during but the HDR program gets rid of hot and dead pixels.

I just had to comment - Casa Grande - man, I remember when that place was just small spot of lights from some RV Parks! Now it is the place we stop to get some In and Out when we fly into PHX on our way to Tucson! How things change!

I hike every weekend in the Canadian Rockies and take lots of photos, most of which are just nice memories of a day of hiking. Maybe one or two make it into the portfolio every year. I find mountain photography pretty boring so a scene has to have a good hook to stand out. The reward is in the process and this year the last hike of the season yielded the only two keepers both taken within a half-hour of each other.

Oh - I like mountain photography, with that said though, I am from Ohio - so mountains seem new and interesting to me! Probably if I lived in the western mountains they would eventually start to feel a little more mundane!

It is a little prescriptive, foreground, middle ground, background so you have to break out of that easy formula to look for something interesting.

Makes sense!

I just spent 7 days in the Moab, UT area, visiting Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse, and Goblin Valley parks. I lugged my camera gear on every hike, early mornings, mid day hot sun, evenings, and even did some astrophotography in the very dark night skies. I had such a good time, it's some amazing landscape. I took hundreds of photos, got up early for every sunrise, stayed out for every sunset, and even had a couple sleepless nights doing Milky Way shots. I'm still working through all my photos, but I estimate I will have about 4 portfolio worthy shots, and about 10 'great' shots that don't quite meet the portfolio worthy status. That's a lot of time, sweat and effort to get 4 pictures that meet that 'exceptional' status. It's tough, and I have to remember to enjoy the moment a lot of the times and not stress out about getting a perfect image. It's an emotional roller coaster and I find photography a love/hate relationship. But when you do capture that exceptional image there's no other feeling like it. But when you spend an entire day trying for an image and it doesn't work out, I can find it extremely depressing.

That sounds like an amazing trip! It has been a long time since I've been to the Moab area.

And don't get me wrong, while I enjoy the process, there can certainly be some up and down along the way and sometimes I do need to remind myself it is the process I enjoy!

Maybe it would be helpful to think differently about our expectations. Maybe it's a case of lowering the bar, but my goal any time I pick up the camera is to create good, solid images... and great, for whatever that means, will take care of itself. After all, great in the eyes of the general public is something along the lines of a glorious sunset, rainbow, and lightning strike all wrapped up into one image. But solid images can be made every day, although we might need to reconsider the direction we're pointing the camera or subject of our pictures. Sometimes it might be a macro shot instead of the grand landscape.

The video also begs the question of what actually defines a portfolio image? For workshop photographers, a website portfolio would be limited to no more than a handful of their very best images... something that clearly elevates the quality of their work well above that of a hobbyist. A portfolio for this type of photographer creates the illusion that as customers we'll all be able to make stunning photos if we just purchase the services of that particular workshop photographer. Commercial photographers might shape their portfolio the same way. You don't want any mediocre images sending a message that potential clients could do the same quality of work themselves.

On the other hand, I offer close to 700 images on my website, available for purchase by commercial art buyers and interior designers for decorative wall art. It's sort of like a mini stock photo agency, with an emphasis on regional photography. I've sold numerous images that were not anywhere near my favorites, or what the author of this video would consider portfolio worthy, but they're gracing a wall of some home or office somewhere. In my experience, good and great have no obvious distinctions, with great being highly subjective.