Shooting Landscapes as a project.

alpina

alpina

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Andy
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Not sure where to post this so it may get moved..

I am studying at university on a Commercial photography course and for my major final project I have chosen to do landscapes. It requires 25 images as a submission and I am quite excited and motivated about the whole thing.

Landscape is a new genre for me and I am immersing myself in the subject as much as I can. My biggest challenge is to find a set of Lee filters!

I aim to photograph water-seascapes, & mountains and lochs. I live in Aberdeen but will undoubtably travel.

The reason for my post is to ask you if you would give me any tips, guidance etc.

Help on filters, locations, light, timings and anything else you can think of would be most appreciated.

You would be most welcome to come to the exhibition in early May this year.
 
Apologies if you already know most of this.

Sunrise and sunset are very good times, if not the best times, for landscapes due to the colours in the sky, the low angle of the light and the quality of the light.

However, it is very easy to be bowled over by the light show and come away with nothing more than some pretty colours - I have done it many times. There needs to be something that draws the eye into the photo, it could be a spectacular sky but also things like harbour walls, boats, groynes, fences, reflections, a interesting silhouette. Objects on a diagonal tend to be very appealing.

No lens should be neglected for landscapes - telephotos can produce some great landscape shots - but a wide angle is probably the most frequently used. The field of view of a wide angle makes objects appear small so a nearby object to provide some foreground interest which can also lead the eye into the photo is useful.

As the light changes very quickly at sunrise and sunset it is useful to be there about 30 mins before it starts.

This program which is free for PCs and Macs - http://photoephemeris.com/ - is very useful as it gives the direction and times of the sunrise and sunset for any day and is really handy when looking for possible locations. Have a look at OS maps too as they are even better than the above program for spotting what could be useful places.

One of the problems with sunrise and sunset is the range of light - the sky can be very bright and the land is either still dark or getting darker. Camera sensors cannot cope with such a range. One way around this is the use of graduated filters.

Another way is to bracket exposures, most DSLRs and many other cameras will do this automatically via auto exposure bracketing (AEB). Then combine the shots during pp

As the light is often changing planning is one of the keys to landscape photography. I'd not like to count the number of times I have been too late for a photo or in the wrong place.

While sunrise and sunset shots are often taken towards the rising or setting sun, there can also be interesting shots, due to the quality of the light, in a different direction. This is not to say landscapes should only be taken at sunrise and sunset. The weather can provide some interesting scenes at any time of the day.

From Aberdeen you have a good range of landscapes - town, major port, small fishing villages, woodland, farmland and mountain.

Dave
 
Dave, thanks a lot for your reply. Exactly the kind of info and insight I am looking for. I will write everything down in my notebook.
 
few things from me.....

Don't discount foggy, wet, stormy or other less favourable days. Some of the best landscape shots are ones that engage the viewer with the elements, pretty just doesn't cut it sometimes.

Try to look for a different take on things.

a 10 stop ND filter will not turn every seascape into a masterpiece.

Spring autumn and winter are the best times to shoot, because there is more interest in the landscape and you don't have to be out so late or get up so damn early.

Rules of composition are made to be broken and the results can have much more impact if you do.

Look for rhythm and strong graphic shapes in the landscape, repeating lines of trees, the soft curves of hills.

Ultimately, you just have to be out there, out there a lot and it's often bloody frustrating. I've lost count of the number of times I've not even bothered to get the camera out as the weather has disappointed me at the last minute.

Hope some of that helps and doesn't just sound like a load of horse shizzle.
 
I shoot landscapes, one thing that really helps me is to keep my satnav on all the time, if I see somewhere that has potential but the light isn't right at the time I'll add it as a favourite place with a short description eg " photo farndale hills sunset" or "photo Dalby frost" that way when I am looking for inspiration I can review my favourites, and the light I've got to work with and find something nearby that will work.

When I've got an idea for a shot where I've not been before I'll research the location on the Photographer's Ephemeris, google streetview, weather forecasts, tide times (if applicable) and on flickr so that I know roughly what I want to achieve when I get there. If the conditions are right I'll get that shot in the bag, then spend the rest of my time getting bonus shots, stuff that wasn't planned but which turns up as I look and drive around.
 
Why do people always advise novices (and I count myself as one) the rules of composition are made to be broken? When starting out you want to learn to take decent images and following these rules, understanding why they work all takes time. Ok once you've been at it for years and understand why the rules work and you are getting good images, then think about breaking the rules, but not from the word go. Walk before you run.
<rant over>
 
DorsetDude said:
Why do people always advise novices (and I count myself as one) the rules of composition are made to be broken? When starting out you want to learn to take decent images and following these rules, understanding why they work all takes time. Ok once you've been at it for years and understand why the rules work and you are getting good images, then think about breaking the rules, but not from the word go. Walk before you run.
<rant over>
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So that when faced with a shot where quite clearly the "rule of thirds" won't produce the best image you'll have the confidence to take the shot you see, rather than default to "the rules".

Following the rules does not make a decent image a certainty.

Or, you can stick to the rules "for years" and follow that path. Personally, I haven't the patience to restrict myself to mediocrity for that long :LOL:
 
DorsetDude said:
Why do people always advise novices (and I count myself as one) the rules of composition are made to be broken? When starting out you want to learn to take decent images and following these rules, understanding why they work all takes time. Ok once you've been at it for years and understand why the rules work and you are getting good images, then think about breaking the rules, but not from the word go. Walk before you run.
<rant over>
Click to expand...

Indeed, the rules of composition are a set of guides as to what works well, they weren't invented just for a laugh, look at fine art through time and you'll see thirds, leading lines etc, it looks good and works. That's not to say that a shot which doesn't apply them won't work, nor that a shot that does apply them will look good, both of which are patently untrue it is just that when starting off using them as a guide will set you off on the right lines, until the point when you're experienced enough to know when to break them.
 
I wonder how you all plan your landscape trips? Things like kit and weight would be interesting. Also hillwalking with kit and food.
 
Get yourself a DECENT tripod and a cable/timer release if you intend to take long exposure shots
 
mik0m said:
Get yourself a DECENT tripod and a cable/timer release if you intend to take long exposure shots
Click to expand...

Got that covered thanks.
 
alpina said:
I wonder how you all plan your landscape trips? Things like kit and weight would be interesting. Also hillwalking with kit and food.
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I tend to be driving (I sell Porsches for a living so am never short of a car or two!) so pack so that I have a bag of kit I can grab and extra gear can be left in the car.

I have my landscape gear pretty much standardised no matter what bag I'm using now, if it helps my gear long trip gear includes the following;

Canon 1Ds mkii
Canon 1D mkii
17-40 F4
24-105 F4 IS
50mm F1.8
70-200 F4 IS
1.4 Exii Converter
430EXii Flash and off camera cord
Lee filters (soft and hard grads in 1,2 and 3 stops, CPL, 3 stop solid ND (Cokin), 3 stop Reverse ND grad (Hitech) and Big Stopper)
CF cards and waterproof cases to keep full and empty cards in (labelled clearly)
Cable release (wired and wireless with RF602s)
Headtorches and batteries
Handtorches and batteries
GPS logger and batteries
Lenscloth and lenspen
Hurricane blower (ideal for removing fine sand when shooting in dunes)
Multitool and screwdrivers, tool for tightening leg locks on tripod
Tripod and ball head
WD40 (to spray on tripod after seawater immersion)
Notepad and pen (Spacepen to write in wet weather)
Microfibre cloths for cleaning and drying gear
Mars bars
Water

Usually my grab bag will just contain my 1Ds mkii, 24-105 and 17-40, filters, cable release and flash, the rest of the kit will be left in the car unless I need it for a specific shot.

Due to the nature of my work my trips are often pretty fast paced, from Yorkshire to Fort William and Mallaig and back in a day for example (1100 miles, 26 hours), so my kit needs to be ready to go, my lenses have Lee adaptor rings left on all the time with Lee lenscaps over the top so when I need them I'm not having to start screwing adaptor rings on. I have two sets of Foundation kits made up, one with two slots which is my main use, the other built up with one slot and the 105mm CPL adaptor ring on.

I'm sorry if this is a rambling reply but hopefully it gives you an idea how I work, I'm sure everyone is different. Feel free to ask if there is anything I can clarify.
 
markmullen said:
Indeed, the rules of composition are a set of guides as to what works well, they weren't invented just for a laugh, look at fine art through time and you'll see thirds, leading lines etc, it looks good and works. That's not to say that a shot which doesn't apply them won't work, nor that a shot that does apply them will look good, both of which are patently untrue it is just that when starting off using them as a guide will set you off on the right lines, until the point when you're experienced enough to know when to break them.
Click to expand...

I think that when you understand why things like rule of thirds actually works better for some viewers than others it better equips you and allows you to manipulate so-called 'rules' when it suits and to exploit them to your advantage. They shouldn't simply be ignored, as advocated by some (which I think is pretty much what you were saying anyway...).
 
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Some landscape photos are a result of a planned trip. For these I've looked for an interesting location or one that could look good at sunrise or sunset. Other shots are a result of other activities, eg hillwalking.

If you have your own transport then a lot of landscape is within easy reach and carrying gear is not an issue.

If I'm walking and I know the area well and the weather is good and looks settled I tend to travel very light.

A small photo rucksack with the gear (at present camera plus 18-55 kit lens, 50mm, 70-210mm zoom, spare battery, filters, blower, lens cloth) has enough room to also hold a little food and a drink. This is light so there is no problem carrying it, but as yet I have not included the tripod.

Doing this could be criticised as even a minor injury in a remote area is potentially dangerous, but I limit this to short walks and someone always know where I have gone, or occasionally there is someone else with me.

If I don't know the area, or it is more remote, or the weather is likely to change then it is the normal hillwalking kit. I usually have the camera out of the rucksack (I find if I put around my neck and put an arm through the strap it is comfortable and available easily, but everyone will have their own method) and usually wrap lenses in a towel or spare clothing in the sack other bits go in plastic bag in the sack.

Dave
 
This is all excellent stuff and very much appreciated. Some great info.
 
What cable release would you recommend for a Nikon D90 and is it better to have a monopod or a tripod?
 
markmullen said:
Indeed, the rules of composition are a set of guides as to what works well, they weren't invented just for a laugh, look at fine art through time and you'll see thirds, leading lines etc, it looks good and works. That's not to say that a shot which doesn't apply them won't work, nor that a shot that does apply them will look good, both of which are patently untrue it is just that when starting off using them as a guide will set you off on the right lines, until the point when you're experienced enough to know when to break them.
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:plus1:

Ed Zactly
 
Can you get away without using filters?
 
jimmy83 said:
Can you get away without using filters?[/QUOT

For what I have planned I think not, the sky is always going to get blown otherwise. Also I want long exposures on the sea and clouds.
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