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Hi everyone,

Could you recommend the best place(s) for natural landscape photography in America (the continent, not the US)? I'm looking forward to a trip to a few places to take some photos but I really am no expert in finding nice places to go.

Thanks

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Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
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Hey, pierovera,

I'm assuming that you mean North America (but correct me if I'm wrong).

For landscapes, you'd essentially be looking at mainland USA or southern Canada. Mexico also offers some beautiful landscapes, but I'm not much of an expert regarding the country. You could go further up north to Alaska, Yukon, NW Territories, Nunavut, etc., but it's extremely cold if you go the wrong time of year, and can also be costly. Many places up north are unreachable by car, as they have no access roads.

In the US, you really can't get a bad shot in the mountain region. Yellowstone, the Grand Teton, or Yosemite come to mind. Montana is arguably one of the best places to get mountain shots in the US, particularly at Glacier National Park. Death Valley in Nevada is also quite a beautiful place, along with the Grand Canyon (no trip would be complete without it!). The Florida keys are quite far south, but worth the trip. The blue water amongst the chain of islands is gorgeous, and really separates itself from the rest of the country. Key West is definitely the place to go. Finally, the badlands in South Dakota and Wyoming are worth seeing, Devil's Tower is also quite a sight.

Canada has some great sights as well. Western Canada isn't extremely urbanized apart from Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, so there's plenty of natural scenery, and national parks are abundant. Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise are, IMHO, some of the most beautiful places to visit in the world, and they're definitely worth the trip. Perhaps the best place to photograph landscapes in Canada (again, in my opinion), is Waterton Lakes National Park. It's a little-known destination in SW Alberta, and the town has an overall population of about 80. However, the scenery is jaw dropping, the view reminds me of the test shots you see in Gordon's reviews from Queenstown NZ. You can't go wrong with ANY national parks in Alberta or BC. The prairies are also a great place to visit, if you've never seen land this flat, it's worth taking a look at. Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba is a great place on the prairies to get some beach shots, Grand Beach on the east side of the lake was ranked as one of the top beaches in North America, and truly is beautiful. The maritime provinces all offer excellent ocean views and that "east coast" look with pastel buildings and lighthouses. The Bay of Fundy is gorgeous, and needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. The east coast as a whole is beautiful, and all the people there are truly lovely folk.

Niagara Falls in both the US and Canada is a mediocre place to visit in all honesty, the falls have been so over-photographed that it's difficult to get an original shot, and the area has been so commercialized that it's lost all of its charm. Niagara on the Lake in Ontario is nice, but there's nothing overly exciting to photograph there, aside from some of the vineyards.

Hope I helped!

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Hi EvanK,

Well that's a really good list of places to visit! Thanks! Also I'd like to mention I actually meant ALL of America, although the truth is I'd rather go to North America rather than South America.
Also, I'm from Mexico so I know some pretty good places here but last time I visited those places, I hadn't bought my camera yet so I know the places but I still haven't had the chance to go yet.

Anyways, thanks a lot, you really helped me a lot

_________________
Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
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Hey, pierovera,

It's my pleasure! I'm glad that you appreciate the list. If you ever drive through the prairies, be sure to stop off in Winnipeg and come say hello!

I can't really give you any advice regarding South America. As I've never done any research regarding sights and landscapes there, I'd have no idea where to direct you.

I forgot to mention Hawaii; it's a nice place to visit with some beautiful volcanoes and ocean views, but incredibly touristy IMO. Like Niagara falls which I mentioned earlier, it's quite a gorgeous place, but bombarded by lots of commercialism and tourism. Many natural places have been left untouched however, I'd recommend the big island as that's the one that attracts the least tourists, and its semi-active volcano can sometimes be a deterrent to visitors (even though it's nothing to worry about in reality).

I'd recommend the Caribbean or Central America over Hawaii, Cuba is a great place to go as it's quite a hassle for Americans to visit (I believe that there's some tension between them and the USA, but I'm not entirely sure), so the only tourists are from Mexico or Canada.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

I've spoken to people who've traveled to Bolivia, and they all said its one of the most beautiful countries they've ever been to. I've never been anywhere south of Mexico in the western hemisphere though, so can't really help you there too much. Costa Rica is supposed to be really nice too.

Other great places in the US to see would be Maine and Vermont, in the north east. They're especially nice during Autumn, when all the leaves change color. EvanK named most of the really great places to see. If you decide on traveling through the states, do not pass up the Grand Canyon. And while you're there, Sedona (Arizona) is beautiful as well.

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Canon EOS 600D
Canon EFS 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, EFS 55-250mm f/4-5.6, EFS 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Hi AdamP,

Wow, I never thought about Bolivia! I'd never considered going before, although Costa Rica had passed my mind several times now.
Also, I normally travel on spring or winter so maybe I won't be able to go to Maine or Vermont in autumn, but I'll see what I can do. Oh and I have a little question, what's Sedona like?

Anyways, thanks for the advice!

_________________
Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Visit me and leave me a comment in My Flickr

Spring may be nice up in Maine too. The winters up there are brutal though. If you're into skiing or snowboarding, Vermont does offer the best on the east coast. I'd still recommend the west for that though...its far better out there.

In Sedona, there's a town that's become a little touristy. There's a bunch of tourist trap tours offered around the town, and a lot of little gift shops and touristy shops, but if you're looking for awesome landscapes, Sedona is chock full of em. Your best bet would be to rent a 4WD and head off on your own, as I think those Jeep tours are probably not worth it. There are hot air balloon trips you can do there though, which I did when I was there just about 10 years ago now. Definitely recommend it. You go up in the balloon just a bit before sunrise, and watch it rise over the desert. Incredible. The town is close to the Grand Canyon, and spending a few days there is very relaxing. I don't have any pics of that trip on this computer, but if you look up the area on google you can get a general idea of what you'd be looking at.

_________________
Canon EOS 600D
Canon EFS 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, EFS 55-250mm f/4-5.6, EFS 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Well I'm not much into skiing or snowboarding so Vermont in winter might not be a chance, although maybe I could give skiing a shot. Also, I made some googling for Sedona and it looks like a very nice place! I hope that when I get to visit it, it's not too crowded, I usually prefer places with little people, places that might be a little off the map but that they are still great. Anyways I think, judging by the photos I googled and by what you're telling me, that Sedona will be worth a visit.
Thanks for the help!

_________________
Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Visit me and leave me a comment in My Flickr

Sure thing man...enjoy the trip! Looking forward to seeing some pictures

_________________
Canon EOS 600D
Canon EFS 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, EFS 55-250mm f/4-5.6, EFS 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

I'm expecting your pictures. Have a nice trip.


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Be calm, be confident, be happy
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I'll probably have to wait until spring to be able to travel, unfortunately. I'm actually very busy right now, but as soon as I get a chance, I'll go there and hopefully return with some good photos
Anyways, thanks!

_________________
Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Visit me and leave me a comment in My Flickr