Overlooks and scenic vistas on public lands are situated where they are for a reason: the views are wonderful.

When researching a location that’s new to you, you’ll discover places you want to see and photograph. The checklist will likely include some of those vistas and/or overlooks for which the area is famous. If you’re heading to Grand Teton National Park, for example, you and your camera will probably end up at one or both of the Moulton Barns, Schwabacher’s Landing, and Oxbow Bend.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to see iconic sights. You should see them, and of course you’ll want to photograph them!

What happens, though, after you’ve captured canonical compositions – the standard views – of all the landmarks on your checklist?

Have you run out of things to photograph?

Absolutely not. That’s when things start to get interesting.

(By the way, I'm not suggesting you cannot make an interesting, distinctive wide-angle shot at an iconic location. You can.)

Let’s return to Oxbow Bend. There, the sight of Mount Moran towering over the flats beneath it and reflected in the Snake River, particularly as the sun is rising, is something special.

Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, you might be witnessing that scene along with scores of other photographers – many of whom will be standing shoulder-to-shoulder immediately adjacent to the parking area. Their cameras will be pointed in the exact same direction, and many of them will be composing nearly identical photos.

Now what?

Once the postcard shot is on the memory card you can take the blinders off. That's when you’ll begin to find photos that only you can see. The iconic scene is just the top layer of a multi-dimensional landscape.

Use Your Legs
One of the first things I learned about Oxbow Bend was to stay away from the parking area. I have no desire to stand in a sea of tripods. Besides, creative options can be greatly expanded if you’re willing to walk. Especially if you’ve got muck boots, there’s quite a bit of shoreline available from which to work.

Alternatively, you can climb the hill opposite the bend for a completely different vantage point. Among other things, from up there you can clearly see the oxbow (it's on the inside):

Change the Focal Length, Change the Story
Swap your wide angle for a telephoto lens. (See also, Change Your Perspective, Change the Story – not everything has to be captured at eye level.)

On the morning I made the next photograph, rain was quickly approaching. The sunrise had been mostly obscured by a heavy cloud deck to the east. For just a few moments, though, and well after the sun had come up, a ray of sunlight found a path through the overcast. Only the line of aspens at peak were lit. The warm light dramatically intensified the color of the foliage; the trees looked almost if they were ablaze. That was the story.

I didn't want a wide angle shot, and I didn't need Moran's reflection. I just used the contrast of its massive darkness to further accentuate the trees.

A telephoto lens compressed the scene, creating the necessary scale and emphasis.

Look Up, Look Down, Look Around
What's happening behind you? Sometimes, the more interesting scene might not be in the direction you originally pointed your camera: the subtle play of light on the hillside behind or beside you, or the fog, or the wildlife.

At Oxbow Bend, that means Mount Moran might not always be the focal point.

Isolate and Simplify
Try to find a single, minimalist subject. Again, turning your gaze away from the mountains and thinking more narrowly might lead you to see a variety of other things.

Embrace “Unfavorable” Conditions
What if the fog is so dense it’s completely obscuring the mountains? What if a snow squall is moving into the area? Take advantage of unique opportunities.

Don't visit only at sunrise; see what the area looks like in all types of light and different types of weather.

If you explore a national park—or even your own local patch of woods—looking only for obvious landmarks, your photography will always have an expiration date. You'll eventually check every box, run out of trophies to collect, and face a creative brick wall.

When you shift your focus from what you are photographing to how you are seeing, the creative possibilities become infinite.

By all means, capture that grand, beautiful vista that drew you to the location in the first place. But once you release the shutter, don’t be too quick to put the camera away. Look more closely. Engage with the landscape. It will guide you to photographs if you keep an open mind.

The most rewarding images are sometimes the ones you didn’t even know you were looking for.