[alamo5000]

Excellent quote wildman.

[kcupp95]

when it comes to going to places in the US nothing really screams out 'unique' to me. Its almost like saying 'if you've been to one mall you've been to most malls'....

Personally it's just habit to me that I don't find a lot of things in the US 'interesting' per se.

Oh man I LOVE America!!!! It's crazy you have beautiful beaches, ancient forests, stunning deserts, snowcapped mountains and amazing mega-cities like New York, plus all the cool architecture across the place. Can not wait for my 6 week trip travelling through National Parks on the West Coast and the major cities (LA, San Fran, Las Vegas, Seattle).

I'm Australian, and I will admit my appreciation for "hometown" photos has increased since I moved to a town that has beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, waterfalls and the outback within an hours drive. On the other hand I spent 5 years at a high school where kangaroos liked to hang out on the school oval and the grassy area between classrooms. Don't have a single photo of that :P (Probably because iPhones weren't invented hahaha)

[kcupp95]

I do suffer from a depressing sense that everything has already been done.

I have a photo of the Empire State Building and Manhattan at sunset that is currently hanging on a giant canvas on my lounge room. It's not the best sunset Manhattan photo you've ever seen, and there are certainly tens of thousands out there that are pretty much identical to it. You only have to search "empire state building" on Flickr to see what comes up and this "photo" most certainly is the definition of "already been done"

What makes this particular photo (on canvas) so special, is the fact that I took that photo. I didn't purchase it online, I didn't pay another photographer for it, I took it. I travelled halfway across the world to New York City by myself, sat on top of the Rockefeller Centre for 3 hours thinking "this city is so freaking awesome" and waited for the sunset.

I don't have a depressing sense about taking photos that have already been "done" a thousand times, I get a sense of accomplishment and achievement about taking a familiar scene and making it MINE.

[Racer X 69]

Oh man I LOVE America!!!!

The whole world loves America (the US) and billions of people are knocking themselves out to get here, because there is a perception that this is "The Place To Be", and "The Land Of Opportunity".

But on the other side of that coin the whole world hates us.

It's crazy you have beautiful beaches, ancient forests, stunning deserts, snowcapped mountains and amazing mega-cities like New York, plus all the cool architecture across the place.

Yes, it is a nice place.

Spacious skies.

Amber waves of grain.

Purple mountains majesty.

The fruited plain.

From sea to shining sea.

But between the ever increasing destruction resulting from excessive mass consumption and the borders being overrun by the billions who hate us but are dying to get here and get a piece of the action, America the Beautiful is quickly becoming a wasteland. Couple that with Wall Street jackasses and Corrupt Politicians who only think of themselves and forsake the "We The People" who put them in office and our once fine land is not long for this world.

Can not wait for my 6 week trip travelling through National Parks on the West Coast and the major cities (LA, San Fran, Las Vegas, Seattle).

The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone and Glacier National parks are absolutely a must see. Just don't get too close to the animals, or you become food for them. I was in Yellowstone about 10 years ago, and witnessed many stupid people posing for pictures near moose and buffalo. There were even some monks, in their yellow robes, asking other tourists to take pictures of them standing in front (very close, like a few feet) of bison.

Stoopit!

Also, the Olympic National Forest (a true rain forest) is beautiful, and in the summer it does not rain so much,. The Soleduck Hot Springs is really nice to hike into. It is a short hike, a mile or two, and there used to be a huge resort there, but it is long gone. There are literally dozens of hot spring pools scattered about the forest, so you can always find one that will afford privacy. When I was up there we found one that had been lined with smooth, flat stones, had a drain tile channeling the water in (from the days of the resort), and someone had even placed some old carpet on the bottom. It was very nice.

Mount Rainer should also be on your itinerary. Go up to Paradise and check out the lodge, and there as well as Sunrise have many great trails for day hikes up to the edges of the glaciers.

When you get to the Emerald City, don't pass up a chance to go to the top of the Space Needle. Great views of the city, and although the food is spendy, a nice dinner in the restaurant can be fun. Be sure to get a window seat, and don't set anything on the window ledge, as the floor rotates slowly, but the ledge does not.

Eastern Oregon has some great things to see too, like the John Day Fossil Beds, and there is a cinder cone you can drive up to the crater near Bend.

And the Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona is pretty cool.

There is much more, but I need to get busy with domestic tasks.

You know, I don't think six weeks will be enough.

[wildman]

Can not wait for my 6 week trip travelling through National Parks on the West Coast and the major cities (LA, San Fran, Las Vegas, Seattle).

Hurry up before our mindless materialism turns it into a gigantic strip mind.

[TER-OR]

I may dare say there are no boring places, just boring photographers.

OK, a plain drywalled conference room...but maybe there's a spider in the corner...

[Racer X 69]

I may dare say there are no boring places, just boring photographers.

Oh, I dunno, there are stretches of Kansas that get real boring.

[Reliant K1000]

All true points as mentioned in the original post.

It's like the old idiom: There's none so blind as those who will not see. If you're not actively engaged, your photos suck.

Even Ansel Adams had bad days. Maybe. I hope.

[jake14mw]

Great article, and very true.

The funny thing is, everyone has their own reasons why they are interested in photography, or what makes them enjoy it. For some people, it is the art, for other it is telling a story or simply capturing moments for memories. For others, it is more about the gear and the photos are just proof to them and others that their gear is better.

I think for many, including me, the reason why we spend more time reading forums, or reading about gear, or buying gear, is because it's easy. It's easy to do. Taking great photos is hard. For some it's much harder than for others. I'm always fascinated by people who can "see" things. With some people, you could find them wherever they are and say, OK, you have ten minutes to go out and create an interesting photo, and they could see and create something interesting from right outside their door. With me, I go outside and see all the same stuff that I see every day and say there's nothing interesting here to photograph.

How many people would still find their photography hobby interesting if you limited them to one very capable simple camera and told them that they could not buy another camera or accessory for it for 3 years? Some people would still enjoy the challenge of making great photos or capturing those moments. For me, I would not be as interested, because the gear is part of the hobby, part of the fun. We're all wired differently. I wish I was more artistic and creative, but I'm not.

[nikigunn]

Can not wait for my 6 week trip travelling through National Parks on the West Coast and the major cities (LA, San Fran, Las Vegas, Seattle).

If you plan to visit several national parks and some other federal recreation sites, you may benefit from the America the Beautiful pass. It is good for a year and costs $80. You can order the pass from the USGS website or there are some parks where you can buy it at the door.