Landscape Photography
Spending many years in Africa you become accustomed to some of the most incredible landscapes on our planet. Unlike Hong Kong, or many other parts of the world for that matter, sunset becomes a ritual, a time to reflect on life and the world around you. However, its is also a time when you can capture some of the most fantastic and inspiring landscape images also.
Be Inspired!
Top tips for Landscapes
1. Maximise your Depth of Field
The general rule for landscape photography is that you want to have as much of the scene in focus as possible. To do this you should be shooting with a small aperture (a larger F Stop number). I generally try and shoot on a minimum of F16, however this is obviously dependent some what on the lighting conditions and to compensate you will then need to adjust your shutter speed or ISO. 2. Use a Tripod As a result of shooting with a small aperture you will often have to allow more light in but opening up the shutter speed for a greater length of time. To ensure that your image remains in focus you camera must then remain perfectly still and as such a tripod in needed. A cable or wireless shutter release mechanism can also be used for extra camera stillness. |
3. Find a focal point While you want the viewer to be inspired by the often vast and endless landscape, you also want something for them focus their eyes onto also. The image opposite would be very empty and plain if it was not for the elephant being the focal point. Focal points can take many forms in landscapes and could range from a building or structure, a striking tree, a boulder or rock formation, a silhouette etc. Think not only about what the focal point is but where you place it. The rule of thirds might be useful here. |
4. Foregrounds
One element that can set apart your landscape shots is to think carefully about the foreground of your shots and by placing points of interest in them. 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.
One element that can set apart your landscape shots is to think carefully about the foreground of your shots and by placing points of interest in them. 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.
5. Bigs Skies! A really important feature to consider in nearly all landscape images is that of the sky. Most landscapes will either have a dominant foreground or sky – unless you have one or the other your shot can end up being fairly boring. If you have a bland, boring sky – don’t let it dominate your shot. However if the sky is filled with drama and interesting cloud formations and colours – let it shine by placing the horizon lower. 6. Lines One of the questions to ask yourself as you take Landscape shots is ‘how am I leading the eye of those viewing this shot’? There are a number of ways of doing this (foregrounds is one) but one of the best ways into a shot is to provide viewers with lines that lead them into an image. Lines give an image depth, scale and can be a point of interest in and of themselves by creating patterns in your shot. 7. Capturing Movement When most people think about landscapes they think of calm, serene and passive environments – however landscapes are rarely completely still and to convey this movement in an image will add drama, mood and create a point of interest. Examples – wind in trees, waves on a beach, water flowing over a waterfall, birds flying over head, moving clouds. Capturing this movement generally means you need to look at a longer shutter speed (sometimes quite a few seconds). Of course this means more light hitting your sensor which will mean you need to either go for a small Aperture, use some sort of a filter or even shoot at the start or end of the day when there is less light. |
8. Working with Weather
A scene can change dramatically depending upon the weather. As a result, choosing the right time to shoot is of real importance. Many beginner photographers see a sunny day and think that it’s the best time to go out with their camera – however an overcast day that is threatening to rain might present you with a much better opportunity to create an image with real mood and ominous overtones. |
Further Ways to Improve Your Landscape Photography
Review the below for further tips and images on how to improve your landscape photography.
Post Production Tips in Lightroom
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