By Bill
I really don’t do landscapes well. Many of my friends are masters at the genre and they often discuss with me ways to improve my stuff, but frankly, I am still having a tough time with it.
Nevertheless, here are some ideas that play a role in doing landscapes.
(Note: Click on any photo that follows to see a larger version.)
PERSPECTIVE.
After one is half way good at getting a good exposure, the next step is to think about what it is that you want to capture. And perspective plays a big part in finding something different and interesting. I am 6′ 3″ tall, and this is a big disadvantage for me. I see the world differently than say someone who is 5′ 3″ tall. I miss things that they see. So, once in a while, I do crazy things. Like in this shot where I used a table top tripod and got the shot about 6 inches off the ground.
If I had set up my tripod normally, I would have missed the rock on the lower right that points to my center of interest. And using foreground to enhance the center of interest is basic to landscape photography.
USING AVAILABLE STUFF TO LEAD THE VIEWER’S EYES INTO THE SCENE.
What? The idea here is to look around. Is there something present that can be used to point or lead the viewer’s eyes into the scene? Here I found a fence.
USE SOMETHING THAT THE VIEWER CAN SEE THAT GIVES A SENSE OF SCALE.
I like light houses. They have some sort of romantic appeal to most people. And, most of the time I find myself getting too close to them. One needs a sense of scale. How does the light house fit into the surroundings? Here I found a high overlook that gave me that sense of scale.
USE CONTRAST.
Contrast is one element of photography that can be very powerful because it forces the viewer’s eyes to the center of interest. Here is an example of what I mean. The croft house is much more interesting because of the contrast.
USE REFLECTIONS.
I read a comment by another photographer recently who felt that my use of a reflection was over done. I disagree. Reflections can enhance a photograph and such should be used when available. A reflection adds interest.
BAD WEATHER CAN BE A GOOD THING, IT CREATES MOOD.
One of the hazards of doing landscape photography is weather. Sometimes it can get really horrible in an instant. As here when snow, sleet, hail, rain, and wind tested my patience. Hopefully one is close to shelter when this happens. Or, one has prepared with good outdoor gear. And, even when it gets really miserable, one can find an interesting landscape. Here the weather created the mood. And mood conveys ideas to others. Course, you must know, I did get back into my vehicle after the shot! What a miserable day it was.
SOMETIMES WIDE IS BETTER.
Huh? What I mean is that the wide perspective is interesting. Sometimes one needs to think pano, or crop an image to the pano style. Wide can be powerful to the viewer, it gives a sense of freedom and openness that tightly cropped images can’t provide. Look for wide.
SOMETIMES A POWERFUL FOREGROUND IS THE IMAGE.
Most all of us who try landscape photography sometimes overlook how the foreground is the image. Yes, one always needs depth in landscapes, but interest can be found right in front of your foot.
TAKE SOME SHOTS AFTER SUNSET.
Yes. The light after sunset can be very special. If you are lucky something like this might happen while you stand on the shore.
DO SOME BLACK AND WHITES.
Landscape photography became popular when some great artists pointed their old large format cameras at natural scenes. Ansel Adams is perhaps the best known. Some modern photographers like Clyde Butcher have continued the commitment to black and while photography. I don’t know exactly why black and white is so appealing. But for many, it is preferred over color. I suppose one might say it is more artistic. So, try some black and white photography when doing landscapes. Look for textures and contrasts.
GET OUT AND ENJOY YOURSELF.
I sometimes wonder why I get up at 0400 hours and go out into extreme weather. Or why I am willing to trudge through streams, up rocky trails, endure cold and wet. All I know is, that sometimes I find myself sitting on a rock overlooking a placid sea with mountains in the distance while sipping some hot soup from my thermos and saying to myself that it is a beautiful world and thank God I am able to enjoy the blessed earth.
I will never be a good landscape photographer. I don’t have the artistic talent that the real masters have found. But, you know what? I don’t care. I just keep going and enjoying what I do.
And, for me, this is all that matters.
Share on Facebook
