Sixteen friends, mostly made up of photographers and artists, are currently journeying in three Land Rover Defenders across Iceland’s famed Ring Road. We are joined by two local guides (@BenjaminHardman and @Donal_Boyd), as we explore the stunning landscape seeking inspiration and trying to capture the unspeakable beauty. Every photographer’s dream, right? But there are a lot of challenges, too. When shooting the same landscape with a small group of friends how do you each create a unique photo?
One way I try to ensure capturing unique photos is planning the time and light. Going early, late, or even middle of the night will immediately separate you from the masses. But I’m with 16 other creatives, and we are all thinking of shooting at the exact same time. Start with altering your exposures. If it’s colors that are grabbing everyone else’s attention, I’ll take a few of those shots, but quickly switch to exposing for other areas of interest. Expose the foreground, underexpose to make any light and colors pop, look for hidden pockets of light or light bouncing off of reflective surfaces. Use light to create something different!
Introducing people as subjects can also add a lot of uniqueness to your photography. Candid moments with strangers will almost always lead to original content. But even posing someone will not guarantee others won’t see your composition and want to grab a similar or even the same exact shot. I try one of two things. First I will try to create something so simple and quick that there’s no buzz and time for someone to want to take the same photo. Usually, the first few shots of a portrait are your best anyway so don’t linger too long. The moment usually works or it doesn’t. Secondly, create a moment so unique that creatives will respect it. If I take the time to style the subject – pick the right location based on color, light, and mood, and direct them specifically – I’ll usually accomplish both a quick and well-thought-out, unique photo.
Don’t be afraid to be left behind or run ahead! If everyone is running to one spot, I’m sitting back a bit; if everyone is standing there, I’m heading out farther and letting my adventurous side take over. Don’t be lazy, move to another area of the location, climb, run, look for different angles.
It can be a struggle, sometimes even more so the bigger and more talented group you shoot with. But it’s a beautiful struggle, and the challenge has pushed me to expand how and what I shoot. Follow the #IcelandDiscovered tour and see how we are doing creating unique moments. We’ve got 5 more days on our adventure and I hope you can join us via the hashtag and my
Follow the #IcelandDiscovered tour and see how we are creating unique moments. We’ve got 4 more days on our adventure and I hope you can join us via the hashtag and my snapchat for behind the scenes @AndrewHektor
