I take a lot of landscape photos. Thousands a year. But very few of them make the grade as inspiration for a painting or are gorgeous enough to turn into a canvas print. Here's why.
Seeking the perfect landscape photo image
Some views are so inspiring I revisit them many times, aiming for the all-time perfect shot: the atmosphere and ambience, the colours, season, weather, clouds, shadows, light and clarity. I have four of them on the go at the moment, still seeking the ideal photo to finally kick off the paintings maturing in my mind's eye. Like the thinking stage of my creative process, taking the right photo can sometimes take years.
Boom... got it!
Now and again I hit the mark immediately. The photo below was a random point-and-click with no thought behind it, but it captured what I wanted to say, both as a photo and in paint, instantly with one lucky shot.
I'll be making a painting based on this photo, taken just up the lane from us on a stormy November day in 2025, as soon as I've decided exactly how I want to tackle it (you can read about how I make my landscape paintings here).
Like all of the photos in this post, you can buy a canvas print of it.
No wonder my collection of landscape photo prints is small, with new images only added on the rare occasions I take a picture pleasing enough to offer as a canvas print. Maybe one per five thousand photos.
What makes a landscape photo inspiring?
I love it when a road or other landscape feature disappears into the distance, adding movement and a sense of adventure to the view.
The layered landscapes of the South Downs, like the photo below, please my eye with their lush layers of hills disappearing into the distance and the fresh, clean colours.
The drama of huge sea cliffs like these makes the hairs on my arms stand up with pleasure.
Now and again it's all about the colour. This autumn forest photo focuses on colour and ambience more than the structure of the landscape and the mood of the skies.
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