I am totally convinced that landscape photography is more time dependent than place dependent. Dont take me wrong, it will always be impossible to shoot a desert in the middle of the tropical forest of Costa Rica, but when it comes to squeeze the real photographic potential of a place, time issue or “timing” issue will step into stage. We all live in a 4 dimensions place; we have the space and its three coordinates, and we have also time.
So, it might seem totally logical to think that when you are willing to photograph a tiny piece of the universe (that is, a landscape), all four dimensions play a role in the “production” of an image. By moving in space your camera, you will alter significantly the perspective (that is, the relation between elements and the relation of those elements to the viewer), sizes, shapes and geometry. And of course, by moving around you will be able to include certain elements and exclude others. But what about time? Most of all when shooting outdoors, time will allow Mother Nature to show its dynamic character, changing the light, the weather conditions (which in the end it comes down also to light), the seasons, the colours, the mood of the picture… This is why sometimes, if not always, the changes you will obtain by letting some seconds, minutes or days go by will outweight those that you can obtain by going to another spot.
One of the best exercises to understand the impact of timing over a place is going to the same spot several times in a row, taking photos every time. As light conditions, seasons, weather and dynamic forces change, the place transforms literally in front of your eyes, leading to a variety of photographic output without the need of moving a single milimeter.
I have included here some photographs taken during a time span of just two days, setting the tripod legs almost on the same holes in the ground. As you see, the whole “stage” has been totally rearranged by Mother Nature to provide a totally different look of the same place indeed…
When it comes to landscape photography, sometimes the best travelling is just done by “riding” the time and letting the landscape travel for you.
Thanks for reading and great light to you all.
Rafael Rojas secondary blog 
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