I was recently listening to the Improve Photography podcast (an excellent podcast, IMHO) the other day and the guest on the show made a point that when photographing a scene and when you are sure you got the shot, turn around and see what else there is to shoot.

I knew his advice was spot on because this little piece of advice worked out for me a few years back.  Lisa and I took a vacation to a little spot in Vermont called Quechee.  I’m a sucker for waterfall shots, so I went to photograph a local waterfall and covered bridge.  The shots I got from there were okay, but nothing spectacular.  However, as I was packing up to leave, I turned around and beheld a portion of the Outtaquechee River.

This vision was far prettier than the waterfall and the bridge.  I was so focused on the waterfall, however, that I nearly missed this vista.  This episode taught me to not get locked into “tunnel vision” and make sure to not only photograph my primary subject, but also to take a few minutes to look around and see what else there is to shoot.  You might be very pleasantly surprised.

Zev