Homebody: Photo Tip, "It Worked for Me:" #8: Look Behind You (The Greenbelt Trail)

     When out photographing that beautiful sunrise, sunset, or other landscape scene don’t forget to look behind you.

     This advice was made really clear to me when I was talking shop with a photographer I met some time ago in Albany, New York.  A college professor now retired, he always carried his entry-level DSLR with him.  He was always on the hunt for a good photo.

     I really liked one of his shots he had out for sale.  He told me that he was actually taking a shot of something else in downtown Albany when he happened to turn around to see this scene.  It was a striking shot of the New York State Education Department headquarters building set against a royal blue sky.

     Of course, I had heard of this advice before.  Not only look behind you, look all around you when you are taking pictures.  I bought that picture before we parted company. 

     This photo of the Greenbelt Trail is the view behind me when I took the HDR sunrise photo posted in the last “Homebody” blog (#8, “Greenbelt Sunrise”).  It was created by the same method as the sunrise photo and is one of my favorite shots.

     Fortunately, I also remembered to look behind me that morning.