CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW - LITERALLY

Part of my routine in preparing for a photo outing is to get online and look at images from that location.  This gives me an idea of what I can expect with regard to photo opportunities.  For years, I would study an image that had already been taken and I would position myself and compose my shot to duplicate the thousand similar shots.

The end result was coming home with a hard drive full of images that I had already seen, and more importantly, had been seen by a countless number of viewers.  A couple of years ago, I made a conscious decision to try to photograph popular, iconic locations, and put my own twist on things.  If I ever went to the Mesa Arch, which I don't think I ever will, I would avoid locking tripod legs with 30 other photographers, all trying to capture the starburst effect of the sun that creates that beautiful glow on the arch.

l much prefer if the viewer has to ask, "Is that the Mesa Arch?  I haven't seen it like that before.  That's different."  The viewer may not say they like my perspective better than the iconic shot, but that's okay.  The image reflects my point of view.

I guess my challenge would be to photograph a familiar subject with a different composition, a different shooting angle, a change in camera settings, maybe a different lens choice, all in an effort to make the image your own.