Rarely Photographed Locations
The thing that brings me the most joy in photography is finding a new composition that isn't well known. The images of mine that I'm most proud of are the ones that may have never been seriously photographed before. Many photographers simply travel around capturing the icons, going to the same spot and taking the same image that's been taken before them thousands of times, often times standing elbow to elbow with other photographers without even looking around for something fresh and new.
I promised myself early on in my photography career that I wanted to use my own creativity to find fresh new scenes. From the start I realized I would have the opportunity to do this. My love of nature started through long distance backpacking in extremely remote wilderness areas, places that may not see another footprint for years. And although even I can admit it can be fun to travel somewhere you've seen so many times to capture that popular shot, I will never base my photography off of that. The photographers I admire the most are the explorers, the backpackers, the mountaineers.
This year instead of searching out the most iconic photo locations, challenge yourself to create something new, and who knows, maybe your photo will become the next icon. Below of some of my favorite photographs from locations I've never seen seriously photographed before and a collection of quotes to inspire you to break from the crowd and go places others havent gone before.
“The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find themselves in places no one has ever been before.” - Albert Einstein
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. Rhododendron hover in the mist between two waterfalls deep in mountains. I didn't plan on shooting this scene, I was on a hike with my wife last summer and happened upon this waterfall on a misty morning. An incredible scene that looked like it was straight from fairytale. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“It’s easy to stand with the crowd, it takes courage to stand alone.” - Gandhi
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. Vibrant clouds sweep across the sky over the water during a stunning sunset. A fallen maple leaf accentuates the contrast of the sharp rocks against the silky smooth water. This was one of the most colorful sunsets I've ever had the opportunity to see. By using a long shutter speed, the clouds appear to be streaking across the sky. I was able to capture this amazing long exposure of the sunset using using Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. An amazing image of Grächen at night. In 2018 I backpacked through the highest mountains in the Alps on a photography expedition for 10 days while carrying everything I needed to survive on my back. I walked through the countries of France, Italy, and Switzerland following several different hiking routes. These routes included the Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Europaweg, two of the finest hikes in Europe.
The Europaweg is considered by many to be the best hike in Switzerland, and one of the most scenic in the entire world. It traverses between the towns of Zermatt and Grächen. Grächen is an alpine village in Switzerland near Zermatt. Its situated above St. Niklaus in the Matter Valley. At the end of our trip we stayed in this small chalet in Grächen overlooking the mountains. This was the epic view of the night sky over the mountains from our front porch. I took this image using Sony Alpha cameras with Sigma lenses specialized for astrophotography. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” - Mark Twain
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. I visited this craggy garden of wildflowers several times on my mission to find new compositions in the mountains. This yellow primrose was growing straight out of a crack in the boulder overlooking the mountains. The last bit of remaining light from the sunset beamed onto the cliff face, illuminating the flowers like gold. Plants that grow on rocks and stones, or places that are not particularly suitable and fruitful symbolize strength. They use their strength to overcome the struggle of growing in odd places. I captured this beautiful sunset in the mountains using Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“It’s easy to follow, but great people don’t follow they lead.” - Anonymous
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. Brilliant rays of light burst from the clouds and over the forest during sunset. The unique rock formation in the foreground stood as a pillar, catching heat from the direct sunlight that was quickly fading under the horizon. I sat in silent wonder and admired the spectacular sunset over the grand landscape in front of me. I only took this one picture of this scene as it was occurring. This high dynamic range image was captured by bracketing multiple exposures using Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.” - Anonymous
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. Beautiful wildflowers reach for the sky during an amazing sunset. Purple loosestrife is a highly invasive species with vibrant purple flowers that continuously bloom all summer long. I revisited this same specimen several times throughout the summer to always find it blooming. This lush patch of wildflowers during sunset was captured using using Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” - Margaret Thatcher
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. The shot of a lifetime. My most popular current release and the rarest capture of my career. A twisting shelf cloud with a bolt of lightning over a field of wildflowers. The formation of this tornado occurred less than 50 yards away from me while photographing lighting strikes during an incoming storm. The main yellow flower in the foreground are wild black eyed susans. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.
“You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.” - Anonymous
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100. A minimalist style landscape scene of water cascading over mossy rocks deep in the forest. Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identifying the essential and eliminating the rest. The key elements of the landscape were the water and the rocks. I found an incredible amount of piece while avoiding complexity as I was photographing this scene. I captured this long exposure of the waterfall using using Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. Photo © Copywrite by Jared Weber.