Landscape photography is an ongoing pursuit of growth and refinement. We’re all on our journey to improve our craft.
You might discover new processing methods. Learn how to track the weather. Try something new or step out of your comfort zone.
It can be hard to notice any changes in our abilities from one day to the next.
If you reflect on your progress over a longer period, you will notice areas in which you have improved and where you would like to improve even more.
So, I decided to reflect on my development as a landscape photographer over the past five years. You can use these tips to help you in your photography journey.
LESSON ONE: DYNAMIC RANGE – You can have too much of a good thing
In this first lesson, I am not talking about the ghostly HDR photos that are created by clicking a button and combining nine bracketed shots.
Set the sliders in Lightroom to -100 for highlights and +100 for shadows.
We lose contrast when we increase the dynamic range of an image.
When they see your photo, viewers have certain expectations, even if these are subconscious. You can expect patches of light to be bright. The shadows should be dark behind a rock.
When you equalize those extremes, your image becomes flat. It loses the depth and realism created by natural contrast.
Consider these two scenarios to illustrate the importance of natural contrast viewers will expect:
- You are at a beautiful mountain view. The ridges are hazy in the background. The trees and rocks in front have more contrast. It is a natural phenomenon that distant objects are gray and have less contrast. If you increase your shadows, your image will lose its depth.
- You are shooting a seascape sunrise. Don’t forget the sun is actually a huge ball of plasma. It’s bright, but if you underexpose the highlights and squash them down, they will appear muddy. Use an overexposed image sparingly, either through HDR blending or luminosity masks. A little bit helps to preserve subtle textures. Too much light will be introduced where it shouldn’t.
Extend the dynamic range of your images so that you can preserve detail in both the brightest whites as well as the darkest blacks. But do so in moderation.
LESSON 3: STOP focusing on the sunrise and sunset
Landscape photography was my first love, and I’m sure it is for many others as well. The bold explosions in color across the skies attracted me to landscape photography. A spectacular sunset is a sight to behold, whether you are on vacation or just looking out of the window as you commute home.
My first forays in landscape photography sent me to the beach early in the morning. I would set up my camera in front of a sea stack and then wait for the skies to play their part.
This approach has harmed me on two levels.
First, When the sky failed to materialize, expectations quickly turned into frustration. I would still be thinking about ‘what might have been’ even if only a portion of the sky caught on fire. Wouldn’t it be nice if those clouds on the horizon didn’t cover up the sun?
Faced with this potential frustration, I chose to avoid disappointment entirely. I would not go outside if there were no solid chance that a spectacular sunrise would occur. I missed out on valuable opportunities to learn how to use the light available.
Second, This mentality created severe tunnel vision. My entire effort was focused on the skies. I focused on one element and missed frames taken later that day or that morning.
After the red and orange sunrise clouds, I would often pack up my gear and head home.
As I’ve seen more and am more open to different frames, I have embraced the idea of shooting all day.
The sky will not be as “epic” as it could be at dawn or dusk. I have been able to create and capture a more diverse range of frames by extending my shooting time from 30 minutes throughout the day to several hours.
Watch for patches of light that roll across the hillside. Light dappled through the forest. Or the light reflecting from a glowing rock.
The sky is spectacular. It doesn’t have to be the focus of your image. (See Lesson 5.)
LESSON #3: Are your long exposures too long, or are they not a rule I enforce? This third lesson will be the closest to me telling you what to do.
The probability is that the shutter speed you use for long exposures will be too slow. For many years, I was also guilty of this.
I would use a 6-stop ND and slow down my shutter speed to more than a second for waterfalls and rivers. For seascapes, I would hover at 1/2 second in order to achieve silky smooth waves as the waves rush around boulders and along channels.
What is the problem? The water would become mush.
The more water you move, the less texture it will have. You’ll end up with a milky mud bath.
Stick on your ND filters, and you can create a glassy reflection or an ethereal Middle Earth waterfall scene.
If you want your images to have a sense of motion, then leave the ND filters at home.
The shutter speed you use will depend on the distance from the water and its flow rate. Starting at 1/4 sec and increasing it to 1/10 sec (especially for crashing waves) is an excellent starting point.
It is important to remember that you should not stay at 1/2 second for the entire session.
Try experimenting with different speeds to see what you like. Capture the energy that you felt on location and capture it in a static image.
LESSON 5: PERSIST AND PERSIST — THE PHOTOS WILL FOLLOW
Landscape photographers, and photographers in general, are at the mercy of their surroundings.
The light can be fleeting. The tides can be dangerous. Rain can dampen our spirits. The seasons can be too slow or too fast.
The conditions we face don’t always turn out as planned ( sometimes too often).
It can be very depressing when they don’t. We may be disappointed if our expectations were high for a spectacular sunrise. We’ve traveled a long way. We woke up early to go on a strenuous walk.
Beginners can feel defeated, and their efforts are wasted. I should have slept in. Why did I travel halfway around the world to do this?
The harsh reality, however, is that you will rarely arrive at an area and enjoy the best possible conditions.
Instagram might show you an aurora at midnight over Skogafoss. Or perhaps a spectacular autumnal explosion.
What you can’t see is the time and effort the artist has invested. To capture the first snowfall. Wait for the soft glow of light to spread across the landscape.
Landscape photography is characterized by its variability.
Don’t be discouraged. The opposite, when the elements are aligned, can be even more exciting.
Note: Corporations use the same psychological characteristics to exploit poker machines. Variable rewards are rare. There’s nothing better than when you strike gold.
These ‘losses’ on the field, unlike gambling, are not really losses. Not at all. These are memories we share with family and friends. They’re also learning experiences that will help us predict the weather and track the seasons in the future.
When you have a bad day in the field, what do you do?
Show up tomorrow. You could have the advantage while others snooze their alarm.
LESSON 6: TELEPHOTOS ARE GREAT IF YOU HAVE WIDE ANGLES
As a photographer, I went through several stages.
In the beginning, I relied on and focused on the sky. (See Lesson 2). After that, I began to pay more attention to the foregrounds in order to give context and depth to a scene. Then, I began to pay more attention to the subtle compositional decisions like framing and balance.
What’s next? Now, I’m moving towards more intimate scenes. While this isn’t an entirely new stage, the previous stages are consolidated.
Waiting for the light to filter through clouds. Concentrating on the essence of a place. I’m also adjusting my framing so that it is harmonious.
A telephoto lens is the best way to capture a location’s essence.
With longer focal lengths, we can control what enters the scene and what doesn’t.
We can also be very creative. By adjusting the elevation a few steps, you can eliminate distracting white patches behind a forest. Zooming in just a few millimeters more could eliminate distractions that are outside the frame.
Our creative options are limitless.
We can point our wide-angle camera at any scenic view, and we’ll get a beautiful picture. But so can the next photographer.
Telephotos allow us to focus on the most important elements. Eliminate distractions. Create a frame that is truly unique and cannot be easily replicated.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should go and attach a 2x Teleconverter onto your 100-400mm Lens. Even experimenting with your 16-35mm will give you new possibilities.
This is a good lesson to learn.
Even (and especially when) there is an epic sky explosion overhead. You can capture the play of color and light on the surface of the water. Explore the forest and capture the golden light shining through.
When there is no epic light, a telephoto can remove a dull sky.
Go on a hike in the middle of the day. You can find textures and patterns on the bark of trees. Try to distill your experience into a series of single frames.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS
Like all forms of art, photography is highly subjective. Your preference for long exposures and focal lengths may be different from mine.
It’s a positive thing. Two friends can take pictures at the same place, in the same light, and still have completely different images.
These lessons and tips will hopefully help you re-examine your creative decisions. Perhaps you might tweak a comfortable habit. Explore a new technique.
This is the main lesson in this article. We must constantly try, learn, and refine our craft.
