Think before you shoot

Probably one of the best Landscape tidbits I have been told or read is to "use your legs". Next time your out in an area where people are taking lots of photos watch how quick people are to take a pic of a Landscape. Generally speaking you have time to plan out your shot. The progression I usually see is the person sees something eye catching and stops immediately and takes a pic. A better way would be after recognizing a photo opportunity take note of where you are then asses your area to look for the best composition. Consider the foreground, lighting and subject. Especially when I am hiking outdoors I look at the topography and think how can I place my self to get the best perspective. Can I scramble up onto the next shelf or walk 100ft more etc. Take some time to walk about looking at the possibilities. Living in Sedona I see too many tourists wielding big high end cameras and I will watch them take those mindless pics. I think many people invest more money into expensive camera equipment and expect amazing pictures. Had they invested that same monies or time into learning technique they would reep the benefits. Like anything take time to think it out and the results will reflect the effort. So again take time to think before you shoot your next photo.