Chasing Likes

Landscape photography often involves chasing grand vistas, dramatic light, and exotic locations. While these images can be genuinely arresting and are always crowd favorites, the appetite for them can become a trap in itself. When I have that feeling, I try to look for interesting compositions within mundane scenes. This photo of what is basically a puddle (technically a wetland) would have been easy to just walk past. But by looking carefully, I was able to find a composition that tells a small story where none was obvious, while raising questions about what lies beyond the frame. I find looking for these compositions to be a creative challenge and a potent antidote to the pull of repeating the same clichéd images over and over.