Landscape Photography
Landscape PhotographWant to create a landscape photo that makes people stop and say, “wow!’? This tutorial will introduce you to some of the key techniques used by Landscape Photography professionals. Introduction Many photographers have found landscape photography to be a very rewarding area of photography. But what separates a photo that people just glance at from a photo that people stare at? The trick is not just to just record a scene, but to capture a scene that draws the viewer into the photo and leaves them with an everlasting impression. While a keen eye for landscape photography is a skill that most of us are not born with, it can be developed over time through trial and error. However, there are other aspects of landscape photography that are more easily mastered, and that will go a long way to improving your landscape photos. Our goal in this tutorial is to help you get started along the road to capturing great landscape images. You don’t need to apply all of the tips contained here all of the time, but understanding them and using them when necessary will improve your landscape shots. Equipment Taking great landscape photos is not dependent on expensive equipment. But there are some accessories that, if you have them, will help improve your shots: Tripod - There’s one piece of equipment that you’ll absolutely need if you want to capture great landscape images – a tripod. Many landscape images are shot in low light with long exposures. This increases the risk of camera movement, which will cause your images to be blurred. A good tripod, used properly, will reduce blurring caused camera shake. Tip: If you don’t have a tripod with you, rest your camera on a stable surface – a picnic table, a low wall, a rock, etc. Cable Release - If you have one, use a cable release (or wireless shutter release) instead of pressing the shutter with your finger. This will further reduce the chances of taking a blurred photo. Tip: If you don’t have a cable release or wireless shutter release, use the self-timer on your camera. Lens - As in any type of photography, a good lens is very important to getting great landscape shots. To give your images greater depth, a good choice is an ultra wide angle zoom lens. Filters - At times, our camera can’t record a scene exactly as our eyes perceive it. Filters can help you get the correct color balance and exposure. Used properly, they can add mood and life – turning a dull image into a stunning shot. The most useful filters for landscape photography are the polarizing filter, and the neutral density filter. A polarizing filter will darken a blue sky to give it a stronger, richer color. It is most effective when used at 90 degrees to the sun. A neutral density filter reduces the amount of light that reaches your lens – without affecting color. This is handy when you are working with tough exposures. These filters come in a variety of strengths with the most popular being 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9. Light The quality of the lighting captured in your image is probably the most important attribute of a great landscape photograph. Planning for, and waiting for, lighting that’s interesting - moody, dramatic, or diffused - will reward you with a memorable photo. Light can transform your images, so learn to use it to your advantage. There are three basic qualities of light: intensity, direction and color. Intensity - refers to the strength of light. When the sun is high in the sky, the light tends to be harsh – resulting in poor images. Cloudy days provide you with a softer, defused light. Direction - this refers to where the sun is in the sky. There are three categories of light placement: front, back and side-lighting. Side lighting usually works well, as it produces more texture between light and shade. However, in low light conditions (such as sunrises or sunsets) front light scenes work best. Color - the color of light varies depending upon the strength of the sun (which is affected by the conditions of the day, and by the time of day). Sunlight at the beginning and the end of the day (sunrise and sunset) produces warmer light that will give your images more drama. The lower angle of the light also adds interesting textures and dimensions to your subject. Tip: Pay attention to the weather. Storm clouds, fog, mist, rainbows, the sun’s rays through the clouds, etc – these can all add great drama to your landscape image. The feel of a scene can change dramatically depending upon the weather. Composition Composition of a landscape image is all about how you arrange the elements that are in front of you. An everyday scene can be transformed if you take great care in how you present the elements in your scene. The trick is to pay close attention to detail. In this section, we’ll cover a few basic areas of composition that will help you create stunning images: Lines - Lead the viewer into your image by using lines. Lines will draw the viewer into the picture, and they don’t have to be straight. Lines created by paths, fences, riverbanks, a row of trees, or even footprints, can all work successfully. The lines don’t necessarily have to be straight. Foreground - One element that can set your landscape shots apart is include some foreground. When you do this you give those viewing the shot a way into the image as well as creating a sense of depth in your shot. Added interest can be achieved by the careful use of some items of interest in the foreground. These items can be as simple as a few rocks. (Avoid items that would distract the viewer by drawing too much attention).Aperture - The usual approach to landscape photography is to ensure that as much of your scene is in focus as possible. The simplest way to do this is to choose the smallest aperture setting possible (a large number such as f22). This will keep the entire scene in focus. Keep in mind that smaller apertures mean less light is hitting your camera’s image sensor, so you will need to compensate either by lengthening your shutter speed, increasing your ISO, or both. Of course, there may be times that you want to get a little more creative and experiment with larger aperture settings (f4 for example, which will give you a very shallow depth of field). Frames – Depending on what you are shooting, you might be able to take advantage of the elements around you and use them to frame your scene. This will draw the viewer’s attention to the main part of the image. Trees are great natural frames. Focal Point - A strong landscape image always contains a focal point. Landscape photographs lacking a focal point look empty and cause a viewer’s eye to wander through the image with nowhere to rest. These types of images quickly lose the viewer’s interest. A focal point can take many forms. It could be a striking rock formation or boulder, a building or structure, an interesting tree, or even a silhouette. When you’ve chosen your focal point, use careful consideration when deciding where to place it in your image. This is a good time to remember the rule of thirds. Tip: Work with an odd numbers of objects. Odd numbers are always more attractive to the human eye. Three boulders in the background will be more attractive and easier on the eye than two. Horizons – The rule of thirds is a basic element of landscape photography. Placing the horizon a third of the way down from the top or bottom of the scene will almost always give you a better result than having it exactly in the middle of the scene. When deciding where to place the horizon in your landscape photo, consider which is more dominant – the sky or the foreground. If it’s the sky, then place the horizon a third of the way from the bottom of the image (and vice versa if the foreground is dominant). Tip: Most landscapes will either have a dominant foreground or sky. If neither the sky nor foreground is dominant in your scene, you might end up with a fairly boring image. Scale – Highlighting scale is a method of creating interest in your landscape scene. This can be achieved by including an object of a known size in the scene. Including a person, animal or other recognizable object in the scene can highlight the scale of other elements in the image. Movement - Most people think of landscapes as calm and passive environments. However landscapes can also contain movement - waves, waterfalls, or moving clouds. Capturing movement (by using a slow shutter speed to create blur) can add interest, mood, and drama to a landscape photo. When selecting a slow shutter speed, be sure you retain proper exposure by also appropriately adjusting your camera's aperture setting. Point-of-View (POV) Not using POV to it’s full advantage is such a common mistake, repeated so often, that it earned it’s own section in this tutorial. What this section is all about can be summarized in the phrase, “Use your feet!” Imagine that you come upon a great landscape. You grab your camera, turn it on, raise it to your eye, rotate left and right a little, zoom in and out a little, and then press the shutter. At one time or another, we’ve all taken landscape shots this way. Usually, the shots we get from this type of shooting are bland and disappointing. Rarely will the photo be one that makes us say ‘wow’. Spending a little more time finding a more interesting point of view to shoot from is an often overlooked technique to capturing a great landscape shot. Don’t immediately walk up to where a lot of people are standing and taking photos. Look around for different spots to shoot from. Walk around, climb on top of a wall, or get down low. Taking the time to find a good vantage point to shoot from will pay off with an image that is truly unique. There’s also a practical reason to look for different spots to shoot from. Look for a location that avoids including unsightly elements such as overhead wires, utility poles, etc, especially in your shot. Develop your eye One of the most important things a beginner to landscape photography needs to do is to develop his eye. Most photographers are not born with a creative eye. It’s something that develops with time and practice. As often as you can, review your landscape images. Which ones are ‘great’? Try to figure out why. Also spend as much time as you can looking at landscape photos taken by the pros. What techniques did they use that draws your eye to their photos? Don’t overlook the insights you can gain by viewing some of the great landscape paintings by the masters. The composition techniques they used follow the same principles that can be used by you! Time spent reviewing landscape images and improving your technique by going out and shooting will help develop your eye. Landscape photography is challenging, and to capture great landscape images takes a great deal of thought and patience. But with practice, you’ll be rewarded with stunning shots! |