Adding interest is our number one goal in making any image, especially of landscapes. The inherent challenge in shooting landscapes is that other than weather and time of day, land is static and images can become redundant. What we’re going to take a look at today is a fairly simple tip but one that is often overlooked; getting low. Vantage point can do wonders for your images and it goes beyond a simple line of sight. We can add impact with foreground elements, alter depth of field in an interesting way, and catch the sun at a completely different angle. This is an exercise I have beaten into my own head until it became second nature and has produced some valuable results.
While photographing this sunset in Maui, I climbed down these rocks almost to the edge. If I made this image where most people were standing it would have been pedestrian. Getting down low afforded me the luxury of using a filter to slow down the shutter speed and catch water pouring over the rocks.