Abstract
Photography is situated as a ubiquitous practice in landscape architecture and the related environmental design fields. This ubiquity often means that photography is taken for granted, leading to a misconception that photography does not require specialized training to be effectively utilized within the process of design decision making. The ramifications of this condition are discussed. To ameliorate this situation, the use of predetermined methods for site photography is presented as the way to move photography from a passive thoughtless endeavor into an active and investigative process. Also presented is the concept of photographic meaning in which there is an indivisible and always changing relationship between photographer, photograph, viewer and context. These discussions dwell within contemporary critical theories examining photography, representation and perception. Also introduced are terms and assumptions, grounding the discussion squarely in contemporary approaches to landscape architecture and environmental design.