In addition to painting portraits of pets, I also create paintings of scenery. Since I work from photographs of the scenery I am painting, I am often asked for tips on how to take the best photo of a landscape or building.

The guidelines are slightly different for scenery than for people or pets.

• Don’t over-complicate shots or nature or items in a landscape, such as houses or castles or bridges. Consider the most important aspect to be the focal point of your picture (and painting). The easiest way to remember it is – less is more.
• The best time of day to shoot pictures is in the morning or afternoon when the natural light casts shadows. That will give you a more dramatic picture and painting. Remember, in a landscape or scenery photo (or painting) shadows are your friend.
• As you can see from the painting shown above of the Cathedral located at Ctra. de Zamarramia, Segovia, Spain, I framed the shot through the ancient Roman aqueduct. When taking pictures such as this, try to find ways to frame the shot and use light and shadow for a dramatic effect.