They say that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. We agree but to an extent. Sometimes the beauty in front of is too marvelous to put into words. Ever seen a photograph so fantastic that you took a few seconds to collect your thoughts? If landscape photography is something you are drawn towards, no matter if you are an amateur or a professional (our personal favorites are amateurs btw). This blog covers 15 of the most unique places in United States. What’s more? Stay till the end of the blog to get some really cool tips and Book your tickets through southwest airlines reservations to take your photography game to a new level. Let’s get started!
- Joshua National Park
The park not only has amazing range of Joshua trees but rock formations like Arch Rock and Skull Rock to name a few. Be a little careful while visiting in summers as the temperature tends to rise over 100-degree Fahrenheit. The place is a perfect place for night photography.
- Arches National Park
The park is situated in Utah. Its National Sandstone arches and formations such as the likes of Delicate Arch, Balanced Rock and Courthouse Tower have been muses to photographers for decades. The national park is also an excellent spot for night photography.
- Antelope Canyon
The gorgeous canyon is perched on Navajo tribal lands. It proudly exhibits upper and lower canyons. Beams of light is a common phenomenon in lower canyon.Due to warnings of flash flooding, only guided tours are allowed.
- The Oregon Coast
This coast looks like a painter’s imagination come to life, with its lighthouses, wildlife and shipwrecks. Some of the most photographic locations are Ecola State Park, Oswald West State Park, Haystack Rock, Hug Point, Cape Perpetua, Yaquina Bay Bridge and Astoria Megler Bridge.
- Grand Teton National Park
The park is located in Wyoming and exhibits beautiful lakes and mesmerizing wildlife. Grand Teton is the tallest mountain in Teton Range. The entire range is a dream to capture in film. It also has hiking trail spreading for 200 miles.
- Great Smokey Mountains National Park
This is America’s most visited national park in history. Since it is so huge its main entrance is located in the towns of Gatlinburg, Tenness, Cherokee in North Carolina. Autumn is the season when this National Park is in its full bloom. Its highest point, Clingman’s Dome is at 6000 feet and is a favorite among photographers.
- Zion National Park
Zion National Park is located in Utah and is approximately one-and-a-half-hour ride from Bryce Canyon National Park. The place tends to get really crowded so make sure you get your window of setting up your apparatus and wait for the perfect shot.
- Denali National Park
Denali is situated in Alaska and is really difficult to reach. But hey! No pain, No gain. It has a 91 -mile road, which for the most part is unpaved and is closed to private vehicles. Denali, also known as Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in Northern America. The path may be tricky but the destination is so rewarding, it takes away the discomfort of the commute.
- Acadia National Park
Acadia is situated in Maine and is a proud home to Bass Harbor Lighthouse along with mountains and picturesque lakes. You need to witness the beauty first hand to understand what all your fellow photographers talk about.
- Death Valley National Park
California and Nevada share Death Valley National Park as its located between the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert. It is undoubtedly the hottest and driest national park in United States. What lies below sea level is the race track. The night skies peel open to let you witness the spectacular view of milky way.
- Mountain Valley
The valley is perched on the state line between Utah and Arizona. The place is Hollywood’s favorite for decades, especially sandstone buttes towering up to 1000 feet.
- Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is a red rock paradise on earth. A two -hour drive South of Grand Canyon’s South rim and you are here. The town is cozy and small and is adorned with trails and forest roads. Jeep tours are regularly organized on set time and days. So, if you have a specific time range in mind for your photography rendezvous, renting a vehicle would be more convenient.
- The Grand Canyon
The canyon is the most visited spot in Arizona. It’s a landscape photographer’s dream to be able to capture a moment in time here. To get a better view and perspective try hiking down the trails. The canyon is closed half of the year though so plan ahead.
- Yellowstone National Park
Wonderful geothermal features such as geysers and boiling mud pots are located throughout the park. Old Faithful is the most popular one and attracts a lot of attention for being erupted on the clock for half a century.
The park has 2000 campsites where you can stay for a while and leave the memories of concrete jungle behind and watch your worries burning with the ashes in the camp bonfire.
- Yosemite National Park
We are at the end of our list here. The last one we have for is Yosemite National Park. The place is too magical to feel real. Some of the most popular and loved spots are Half Down- 4700 feet tall granite rock formation, and Yosemite Falls which are highest waterfalls in United States.
Tips that can take your photography talent up a thousand notches
- Quality over quantity
The quality of your lenses matters as much as your desire to work upon art. Invest in good quality lenses and not in quantity.
- A sturdy and stable tripod
A tripod sturdier than your last relationship can take you to places. Take your tripod wherever you go because you never know how long do you have to stay put at a single spot to capture the perfect picture. Tripod also eliminates chances of blurry of out of focus fiascos.
- Posture for a better picture
Learn how to hold the camera properly to operate it on manual mode. Posture matters a lot in landscape photography.
- About time
Landscape connoisseurs swear by lighting. They recommend to reach the spot ahead of sunrise or sunset and set up your apparatus so that nothing comes in the way of you and your masterpiece.
- Game of location
Don’t push your luck by not planning ahead. Have a blueprint of the location you are planning to capture ready in your head. Leave some room for improvisation though. Don’t be too rigid or too fluid with your idea.
