Hello my friend,

This time of year always feels like the starting line. Spring is settling in, bags are getting packed, and workshop season is right around the corner. In just two weeks I'll be heading down to Patagonia to kick things off, followed shortly after by a couple of workshops in the Smoky Mountains, which always feels like the true signal that the photography season is officially underway.

In this edition of The Morning Blaze, I'm sharing a few ideas to help you hit the ground running as well, including a look at why your photos might all be starting to feel the same and one simple adjustment that can quickly bring more impact and drama back into your landscape images. More on that just below.

As always, thanks for being here. - Mark

📺 MY NEW VIDEOS

Your Exposure Isn't Wrong - It's Your Metering Mode

If you’ve ever taken a photo that looked perfectly exposed according to your camera’s meter, only to get home and realize the image looks too dark or too bright, you’re not alone. One of the most misunderstood aspects of photography is how your camera’s light meter actually works. Many photographers assume that choosing the right metering mode is the key to getting exposure correct, but the truth is that even the best metering mode can still lead to confusing results if you don’t understand what your camera is trying to do.

Why Your Photos All Look The Same

Most photographers try to fix weak photos by adjusting camera settings, but more often than not the real solution has nothing to do with exposure, focus, or filters. In this video, I break down three simple physical shifts that can dramatically improve your landscape photography before you ever touch a setting. Using real world examples from locations around the world, I’ll show you how small physical adjustments can stretch leading lines, increase depth, change spatial relationships, and compress layers in a way that a zoom ring or menu setting simply cannot replicate.

🔓 VAULT FAVORITES

8 Camera Hacks That Actually Work for Landscape Photography

There's a ton of camera hack videos out there, but many of them contain hacks that are pretty outlandish and don't really apply to landscape photography specifically. The hacks covered in this video range from gear related hacks to in camera hacks that can all improve ones landscape photography while on-location. This was a fun video to make where I revisit the first tree I ever photographed when I got started with outdoor photography. And my hope is that you're able to pick up at least one hack that you can apply to your landscape photography moving forward.​​

📖 GOOD READS Simple Secret of Creating Dramatic Landscape Photos Typically, when I begin an edit the very first thing I do is try and determine exactly where I think the viewers eye will travel throughout my image. And, at the same time I look for any possible distractions that could compete for the viewers attention. I always want the viewer to be drawn away from the edges and corners of my photo and into the center of the image. I’ve come to the conclusion, the longer a viewers eye lingers around the edges or corners of an image the higher the likelihood they’ll abandon it to look at something else. My end goal is always the same when editing photos and that’s to maximize the amount of time the viewer spends looking at my image, and this is where a vignette comes in. Now I know a vignette is not the most exciting editing tool to discuss, but when used effectively it can be a powerful option for creating a focused and dramatic landscape photo. A vignette has a unique ability to create a concentrated effect that directs the viewers attention to certain areas of your scene while at the same time directing the viewers eye away from other areas. But, like most things in photography there isn’t a one size fits all approach and certainly not when it comes to creating a vignette either. >> Read More​