Taking Better Scenic Photographs When Hiking

When hiking in West Virginia, there’s so many opportunities to take scenic photographs. But when taking a photograph, isn’t it common to lift the camera to eye-level and click the shutter? However, if you want to easily add some real “snap” to your photographs, just change your point of view (POV), which means the position from which the camera views the scene. An easy and often eye-catching change in POV is just to take a photo from ground level. My example photograph of the west end of Summit Lake was taken from about a foot above water level. With this POV, the rocks immediately below lake level jump into view. The rocks are eye-catching foreground that naturally leads the eye deeper into the image and down the lake. At this location, I think an eye-level POV would make a less interesting photograph.
 

Summit Lake

Another way to change POV is simply to look up or down. For example, at the Highland Scenic Highway’s Big Spruce Overlook, I noticed a bright yellow fern with a brilliant orange sugar maple growing behind it. To get them in the same frame with the blue-sky background, I had to lie on the ground and shoot upwards. Indeed, when shooting wildflowers and other outdoor scenes, you can often find me rolling around the ground like a beached whale trying to frame up a shot. (Yes, I do get poison ivy now and again, but as far as I’m concerned a good photograph is worth the trouble to get it). 

Big Spruce Overlook

Besides shooting upward, to get an effective POV, try pointing your camera down as shown in the photograph of Brush Creek Falls. This POV highlights the leap and drop of the water over the ledge of the falls. The autumn leaves on the ledge add foreground interest.

Brush Creek Falls

Remember, to take better photographs, change the point of view (POV).