Which State is the Best State for Landscape Photographers to Live?

[CreationBear]

How about my home state of NC

I'm not sure if you got to kick around Washington State much, but there was actually a pretty substantial emigration from WNC to the Darrington area back in the first half of the 20th C with folks following the timber industry back West as the North Carolina hills were cut-over. (A lot of people made the trek West, too, in the early 1950's--a period of time my people in Arkansas/Oklahoma, at least, always claimed was tougher economically and "climatically" than the Dust Bowl era.)

At any rate, I definitely concur with your love of NC even though I'm across the hill in Knoxville--I did work in Whittier for a couple of years, however...Newfound Gap Road makes for an interesting commute.

[William Whitaker]

You'll find your vision and your images wherever you go.

I'm fond of my own story about a time back in about 1984 when I walked out the door of my apartment and was struck by the arrangement of trash cans next to the driveway. I went back in, grabbed the 4x5 and made a photo of those trash cans on some Polaroid Type 52 (ah, the good old days!). It seemed weird, and does today, but it was an oddly satisfying subject. But was it a landscapes? Maybe more of a still life. But technically it was a landscape.
That was New Hampshire. There's so much more landscape in New Hampshire, I know. But someone we all admire once advised to "photograph that to which you respond emotionally", or very similar words. It could be anywhere.

[scheinfluger_77]

You really want to live in Idaho with all the mad anti-govt nuts, EOTW preppers, and mormons that are too Mormon for Utah? I like Idaho to visit.

Idahoan: “Move along, nothing to see here.” (Accompanied by Jedi hand wave)

[Drew Wiley]

Try flying over the central Calf coast range at night. Other than the beach towns, less lights than the Mojave Desert, far less than the Dakotas or southern Idaho. No surfers or palm trees or roller skaters - in fact, almost no one. You guys and your stereotypes! All of Appalachia is lit up by comparison. I grew up in California right next to hundreds of square miles almost completely uninhabited just because the terrain was so steep. Not much about that has changed since except for whitewater rafting. Yes, I now live on the coast and real estate is expensive. But there are massive sections of CA where land is quite affordable and property taxes close to non-existent. It's a big highly diverse state. And believe me, we have our share of anti Gov nuts and heavily armed survivalist types too.

[Pechoretc]

I am a lawyer, I teach at the university, I have to live in a big city. Photography is my hobby. But I am always very drawn to Tuva ...

[dasBlute]

I'd say the the four corners area: wonder, curiosity, freedom, and openness

[Drew Wiley]

The actual Four Corners monument area, at the exact intersection of four states, is now pretty much surrounded by ugly oil and natural gas infrastructure. A lot has changed, especially air quality. Tiny little towns are now meccas for hundreds of cyclists and paved over with motels and fast food operations. One more reason to throw away all of the postcardy "must-see" places and go out, micro-explore, and find special places of your own. I really wanted another trip to the Utah canyon country this fall, but don't know if it will work out under present circumstances or not. I came back from Utah last Sept over the backside of the Wasatch Range after many years, and oh my gosh the changes - endless subdivisions and horrific traffic where once there had been only meadows and trees. And air quality along the Wasatch Front around Salt Lk City etc is even worse than LA in its bad ole days. It was a relief to get into the true wide-open spaces of Nevada, which is increasingly beckoning more quality camera time from me. It's just hard to adequately control dust issues when so many tempting A to B destinations involve dirt roads.

[tonyowen]

Once again moving away from the US-centric bias that pervades this thread. Why has nobody mentioned Australia?

Away from the coastal cities, Australia has some of the strangest landscapes in the world. It is worth noting that the painters and artists that accompanied Capt Cook on his voyages had to resort to making their images of Australia more English than England. This was because their patrons would not believe the strange, but true, landscape the painters and artists had encountered.

In many ways it is similar to the fall colours of eastern North America, which until you have seen it with your own eyes, make the visual representations, painted or photographed, difficult to accept as being true.

The Canadian Group of Seven artists tried to display North Americas fall colours but, in my mind, failed due to their method of painting - which hides the simplistic and awesome beauty of eastern North America fall colours.

Once more I suggest that it is the State of Mind, not the geographical area of one country or another, that attracts people to view, visit and perhaps record landscapes be they mundane or spectacular.

Regards

Tony

[Vaughn]

Try flying over the central Calf coast range at night...

Lots of light pollution in what should be nothing along the backside of the King Range of the northern CA coast. Hum of generators and the light from massive greenhouse grows. The wilderness I worked in is due east of there and sitting on the top of Shell Mountain (6700'), I have watched the sun set behind Kings Peak (4091'), 55 miles away with a little glimmer off the ocean, but fortunately at night it was too far to notice any lights.

I advise no one to backpack and/or photograph in the Yolla Bollys. I spent ten years getting 150 miles of trails up to spec, only to find them, 30 years later, in even worse condition than I started with. I use to maintain the spring boxes...often the only source of water for miles of dry ridges and seasonal creeks..some are just mud holes now. If it is marked as a 'Lake" on the map, it is probably just another mudhole. My favorite, Minnie Lake, is a mini mudhole. By mid-July, one needs to know where the next water might be.

Some of the trailheads and the roads to them are not maintained -- heading up the main road access into the area I had worked had two abandoned and stripped cars about 5 miles up it...reassuring. One 16" drop in the road was interesting in my Eurovan. Because I can read a map and know the territory, I only have a little trouble finding my way around the wilderness when the trail disappears for awhile -- not enough hikers to keep a visible path. Fires have come through, leaving a whitethorn and manzanita maze to find your way through, if you can figure where the trail goes. If you get in trouble or get lost, no fellow hikers will be within weeks (if you are lucky) to help...and with the steepness of the terrain, there is no direct route from somewhere to anywhere. And of course plenty of bear, coyote, rattlesnakes, and scorpions. So go elsewhere. Please.

[jp]

Every state has something to offer LF photographers, and good photographers can make great images anywhere, but the question is asked in our Large Format forum what the best state is for LF photographers to live in. Please consider following facts:

Weather
Cost of living
State income tax and |Real estate tax
Number of National Parks
Workshop or large format community
Death rate of coronavirus

and more you can think of ......

Someone mentioned Monhegan...

1. Poor weather >1/2 the time for large format photography. I've been there all times of the year.. The common impression is the idyllic summer sunny calm day.
2. It'd be difficult to buy a modest house there. Most year around people don't afford to live there year around and rent their places out for the summer to visitors.
3. above average
4. n/a
5. minimal unless you like painting
6. probably 0, you could be the first if you visit without quarantine, but the death might not be technically from coronavirus.

Maine as a whole fairs well. NH would do better for cost of living, taxes, etc...and a good portion of the state is a national forest. Eastern NH would be my suggestion; a quick drive into Maine. Southern NH is essentially tax free Massachusetts.

Maine would have:
1. I like the weather... Mild on the coast, more of every weather inland.
2. above average depending on where in the state.
3. above average
4. Acadia NP, part of White Mountains National Forest, Kahtadin Woods and waters national monument (named as such to avoid the political process involved in creating a national park). I don't visit these often. I have two state parks and several preserves all within a few miles, and ten beaches in town, lighthouses, islands, etc...
5. Some independent workshop people, Maine Media Workshops & College, tons of creative people loosely/formerly associate with things like MMWC and Kodak Center for Creative Imaging, etc... Maine more than a hundred years ago was home to the Clarence White school of photography which taught or relied on much of the influencers of the modernism.
6. Depends on where in the state you live.

I watch different photographers on Flickr and would likely enjoy the Scandinavian countries and Russia as well. Some beautiful areas! I'd be quite challenged to learn another language to be honest.