4 Landscape Photography Lessons that have made me a better Mom Photographer

I have the fortune of living a short distance from the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and I have loved these mountain ranges since I was a little girl. As a child, I remember my sisters and I impatiently waiting for our father to arrive home from work. At the same time, our mother hurried around packing up our motorhome in anticipation of a family adventure into the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I recall feelings of excitement as I buckled my seatbelt with my sisters beside me and my sheltie pup, Cindy, at my feet, as we pulled away from our house towards our adventure. It’s been many years since I was a child, but my connection to the Canadian Rockies has only grown stronger as the years have passed. Today, I'm grateful to be able to take my children into these mountain ranges and create beautiful memories with them.

My fondness for photography began during my childhood adventures out into the Canadian Rockies. However, once I became a mother, my fondness for photographing everyday moments developed into a passion. I didn't want to miss a single moment of my children's sweet little lives. The more I photographed my children, the deeper my love for photography grew. In 2015, I found landscape photography. The moment I turned my camera on the Rockies, I knew landscape photography was the perfect fit for me. My adoration of nature and all things outdoors, my passion for spending time in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and my love of photography melded together flawlessly.

Photography has given me so many gifts. I've been able to preserve the precious moments of my children's lives, and I've had the opportunities of a lifetime in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There are not many moments more thrilling than watching the morning sky fill with beautiful warm coloured light while listening to the songs of the mountain birds. Watching the sun fight stormy clouds during a dramatic sunset over mountain peaks while breathing in the scent of fresh rain has been mesmerizing. Standing in silent awe beneath a sky twinkling with stars that shine so brightly it’s as if they were touchable takes my breath away, every, single, time. Staring in utter disbelief, blinking away tears, with my daughter beside me while we watched the Aurora Borealis dance magically before us is a moment I'll treasure forever. It's in these beautiful moments that I have learned lessons I've applied to my mom photography moments. I want to share with you four lessons that landscape photography has taught me that have made me a better photographer.   

1. Light is key  

One of my favourite all-time photography quotes is from George Eastman, who stated, ”Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” 

Landscape photography has taught me how to embrace, admire, love, and above all, know light. As a landscape photographer, my relationship with light found an all-new level of respect. I cannot manipulate light when I’m immersed in a landscape like I sometimes can when I'm photographing my children. I must embrace and accept light for how it shows up. I’ve come to learn that all types of light are beautiful and that knowing how to work with any given light is truly the key to photography.

^{ISO 100, 16mm, f13, 0.8sec} 

2. Composition matters

One of the first lessons a new photographer, of any genre, learns is that composition matters, but composition is so much more than that. Landscape photography has taught me how to thoughtfully consider the elements present within my scene and to use them in a way that helps tell a story in a meaningful, visually pleasing and creative way. These lessons have impacted my everyday photography. When I capture my children, as opposed to just snapping away, I always try to compose very thoughtfully.

^{ISO 400, 16mm, f11, 25sec}

3. Post-processing matters 

Post-processing in landscape photography is an important component of infusing your vision into and enhancing a moment. I thoroughly enjoy the art of post-processing my landscape images. Trusting my vision for and bringing an image to life in post-processing is something that has translated over into my child photography. Since discovering landscape photography, I revel in the opportunity to infuse my vision for an image through post-processing into the everyday moments I share with my children.

^{ISO 100, 21mm, f14, 1.6sec}

4. Embrace your unique style

When I was a new photographer learning all the things I could learn, I remember feeling anxious whenever someone talked about photography style. Did I have one? What if I didn’t? When would my style develop? How would I know that I’d found my style? What if I never found my style? These days I’m much more relaxed about such things. Why? I’ve learned to let go of what I think others will think about my images and instead embrace my creative self and infuse that into my images. Landscape photography has taught me that no two photographers will ever capture the same scene in the same way. It doesn't matter if that person is standing right next to you. Landscape photography has taught me that I only need to photograph what I love, from my own heart, and in my own unique way.  

^{ISO 6400, 14mm, f2, 2sec}

Embracing a genre other than child photography will certainly teach you lessons that will help you grow and develop as a photographer. I've had the incredible experience of learning from my landscape photography experiences, and I'm so grateful for this learning, as those lessons have undoubtedly helped me become a better mom photographer.