Photographing Things the Wrong Way

There are some rules, written and unwritten, about photography. Longer focal lengths and wide apertures are for portraits, wide angles and small apertures are for landscapes. There are reasons for these rules, of course–with portraits you want to emphasize your subject and remove distraction, and with landscapes you want everything in focus and often want to emphasize spatial relationships and depth with a wide angle.

But don’t be afraid to play and bend or break those rules. As primarily a person photographer, I rarely use a tripod. I do often venture out and photograph non-human things, but tend to view them as a portrait photographer. This photo of Jordan Lake was shot at a modestly wide angle (35mm) at f/1.4. I think it conveys what I’m to convey quite nicely. I would love to hear if you agree or disagree!