“…If You Can’t Be With The One You Love,…”

“…Honey, Love The One You’re With” (Stephen Stills). I’ll leave it up to you guys to do your own dit, dit, dits. And I do apologize in advance if the song gets stuck in your head, it’s pretty catchy. It seems as though I’m into the mantra thing lately (see my previous post Just Do It!), especially if it relates to improving one’s photography.

As many of you already know, I live in northern Vermont. With the exception of two weeks in early October we are by no means the envy of the photographic world, no Grand Teton, majestic El Cap or towering coastal sea stacks to photograph here. Make no mistake about it though, Vermont is a beautiful place to be a photographer and the quality of life here is unlike any other place I’ve lived. However, truth be told I still spend a lot of time longing to travel elsewhere for my photography, and thanks to the interwebz the list gets longer every day. If you’re not careful however, this “grass is always greener” mentality can be a real drain on your creativity. And if you’re really not careful, it can actually become an impediment to shooting your home turf all together. This can be especially true if you find yourself making excuses like, “If only I lived in a more dramatic place” or “I’m just not inspired by my home landscape” or worse yet, “There’s just nothing to shoot here.”

These excuses of course are utter hogwash and they only serve to get in the way of making photographs, doing the “work” that is your craft and passion. There are actually many advantages of shooting close to home.

It’s much less expensive and resource intensive
Less of a drain on your spouse and family (this is probably my most considered issue as a professional photographer)
Allows you to shoot when the conditions/seasons are optimal
Fosters a deeper knowledge and experience in the “place”
Can allow for a slower more methodical approach
Almost guarantees that your images will be unique

"Hunger Mountain Alpenglow" Putnam State Forest, Vermont

The trailhead to Hunger Mountain in the central green mountains is close to my home. I hike it often and know it well. When conditions are optimal I like to get on top of it for sunset, especially in winter as it catches the last rays of light from the setting sun. In composing this shot I had to be careful not to spoil the pristine snow with my own snowshoe tracks. I used a wide-angle lens to include the surrounding spruce trees in the fore-ground making sure to find a position that did not obstruct the view of the mountain. I like how the empty space in the foreground acts to balance the distant summit and the taller spruces on the left form a triangle that points to the mountain.

There’s nothing wrong with traveling to far-flung destinations in search of adventure and exciting landscapes, but don’t forget there are lots of great photographic opportunities when you’re willing to “…love the one you’re with.”

Technical Details: Canon 5D, 17-40 f4L, ISO 100, f16 @ 1/13 sec., polarizer, 2 stop grad ND

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About Kurt Budliger (15 Posts)

Kurt Budliger is a full-time professional photographer specializing in landscape, outdoor lifestyle and fly-fishing photography. He is a frequent contributor to Vermont Life Magazine and works with a variety of other editorial and commercial clients throughout the year. His fine art prints of the Vermont and New England landscape can be found in many private collections around the country. Kurt teaches a variety of photography classes throughout the year, both in formal college settings as well as more informal field based workshops.

Tags: digital, digital photography, how to, landscape photography, nature, nature photo, nature photography, photo, photoblog, photography, vermont, vermont photography

12 Comments

Jerry Monkman January 12, 2012 at 1:28 pm

Well said, Kurt! I’ve been thinking along the same lines lately. Time with the family is always (well, almost always) worth missing a few shots. And there is definitely plenty of good photo fodder in New England year-round.

Beautiful shot, by the way!
- Kurt Budliger January 12, 2012 at 2:01 pm
  
  Thanks Jerry! Shhhhh, let’s keep the beautiful NE photo fodder secret, wouldn’t want word to get out
Mark Waslck January 12, 2012 at 2:07 pm

Well said and so true. Especially when I looked out of the window this morning and found a whole new look!
- Kurt Budliger January 13, 2012 at 10:05 am
  
  Indeed Mark, dumping at my house right now! Hoping to get out tomorrow for some shooting, perhaps sunset at the lake before the bottom drops out of thermometer tomorrow night.
Becky J. Parkinson January 13, 2012 at 9:28 am

So true! This is such a lovely and pristine landscape that you captured here and you are lucky to be open to the beauty in your own area. I am a mother who has tried to learn photography while also raising three boys. I have to shoot close to home most of the time (at least during the school year). I get very frustrated about that, at times, but it can also be a fun challenge. Thanks!
- Kurt Budliger January 13, 2012 at 10:07 am
  
  Thanks Becky. Try not to be too discouraged, as you know you’ll never get the time back with your sons when they’re grown. The time you spend raising them now will pay major dividends later, both for them, you and society at large.
Alexander Otto January 13, 2012 at 9:30 am

Hehe, I love the take on the issue but some places on earth just don’t offer much to begin with. It’s true that Vermont can’t be compared with for example the Olympic Peninsula but it could be way worse. I’m living the the biggest urban area of Europe the Ruhr Area and you can’t even find a forest in the vicinity through which you can’t look through from one side to the other just because it’s so small – not a good place to be a landscaper. I’m impressed though that someone living in Vermont actually takes up this problem as well.

But still one thing is so true, most shots that I’ve taken in my area (though they aren’t nature shots and that what I predominantly look for) are unlike any other I’ve seen.

Though I believe there might be even more suboptimal places for a Landscaper to live than the Ruhr Area.
- Kurt Budliger January 13, 2012 at 10:08 am
  
  Thanks Alexander, yeah I’m sure even the folks that live outside Yosemite get kind of bored with it from time to time (I can’t believe I just wrote that, no they don’t…).
Ian Plant January 13, 2012 at 9:30 am

Wise words Kurt – a lesson that all of us need to relearn from time to time . . . including myself!
- Kurt Budliger January 13, 2012 at 10:09 am
  
  Thanks Ian, you’re making me feel all Yoda and s$%* “Try not, do or do not!”
Van January 13, 2012 at 12:04 pm

Well said Kurt! I like to make it a challenge to myself to find unique images around my hometown of Las Vegas. It can be a challenge sometimes but the satisfaction of having a unique image is great.
Derrald January 18, 2012 at 2:41 pm

Kurt,
Ahh, I know the feeling, living in Nebraska I often dream of mountains and seas, deserts and forests, but I constantly surprise myself when I travel within my own state. And you know what? I’m not lined up with 50 other photographs trying to get that one shot. It’s usually just me and nature!