Best time of year for landscape photography?

frod

frod

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Kev
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I am interested to hear what time of year people think they get the most keepers? I'm planning to take a few days off this year just to get out and about around Yorkshire and I'd like to give myself the best chance of getting some decent shots; I suppose the things to consider are sunset/sunrise times, weather, fitting in excursions around family mealtimes, etc.
 
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Strange question! …very strange question!

Here's a not less strange answer: When ever there is light!
… no other time or season. No other reason!
 
I find Tuesdays to be the best days for landscapes.

Sorry. Just illustrating the point the others made. If you come back with just one good one, then it's been worthwhile.
 
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If you go out with a specific idea/shot style in your head and find that the weather is not to your liking try and adapt your shooting to the conditions at the time rather than waste a trip.
 
Any time of year, any type of weather, any time of day. The real trick is seeing the scenes that work with each of those variables at different values.
 
sirch said:
When it's not raining or foggy :coat:
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I remember seeing an interview in OP , ( I think it was David Noton but i could be wrong) where he said that any fool could get good shots when the weather was nice, but ifc you wanted something that stands out as different you needed to shoot when the weather was nasty..

I'm also a fan of the wainwright quote " theres no such thing as bad weather , only unsuitable clothing"
 
As above any time of the year is good, you could keep an eye on the weather and as a low weather front passes and there is a chance the sun will make an appearance then that's always a good time to be out, rainbows etc
 
I don't think the question is as daft as some suggest. I find most of my best pictures are taken in autumn, especially as there are generally lots of golden misty mornings to work with the foliage. It can depend where you are though, Yorkshire Dales are great in early summer when the meadows come alive with wildflowers, moody in winter too. Sunrise/sunset shooting is more critical in the summer months as the light is very harsh during daylight hours, in autumn and winter as long as there's interesting weather conditions you'll find you can shoot all day. 'Nice weather' generally isn't good for landscape photography, you want clouds, mist/fog, changeable weather, snow, frost, and it's best if you can travel without limiting yourself around meal times etc. Try and make the most of all seasons though
 
Don't think it's a daft question either... the light during the winter months can be much more subtle with more pleasing tones so arguably offers the chance of better photo opportunities all day long as opposed to the harsh/brutal light of summer days. Opportunities are obviously there throughout the year but personally I find venturing out in the winter months more productive... less people around too which can make a difference in some locations

Simon
 
I have to agree with SimonK, the shooting conditions in the winter light can be the best, as you get longer to work in these lighting conditions. The summer months have nice light too dusk/dawn, but it doesn't tend to last very long and it can get quite harsh during the day. Look for more cloud cover and weather fronts coming in for the summer months to get nice dramatic lighting conditions.

As for shooting in the fog, I love it, its just a shame we don't get it more often.

Shooting in dull overcast days is also great and I have come away with some nice photos from these conditions.

The best advice is to just get outside and shoot, don't worry about the weather, just wear the correct clothes! :)

Simon
 
+1 to the last three replies, especially depending on where you are/live. Shropshire and Herefordshire (especially Shropshire) is fantastic in early September with Walt Disney mists and trees poking through. Mid Wales is wonderful in the snow and also mid summer sun. March storms are excellent for the sea and lighthouse locations. London in the spring when the trees are in new leaf. And so on.

Time of day is probably more important though - early morning is an effort but is nearly always worthwhile.
 
I usually shoot sunrise or and sunset! But anytime of year! And any weather! If it rains while I'm out it doesn't bother me but if it's raining when I'm on way to location I've been known to stay in car and refuse to get out! I watch it from car! With a flask of coffee and a fag!
 
Winter offers kinder sunrise/set times and usually more dramatic skies than other seasons. Generally fewer people about getting in shot as well!
 
I'd say it is the time of day that matters more than the time of year.
Interesting light and shadows at the start and end of day for landscapes.
Flat light in the middle of the day- no modelling.
 
Kev/Frod, Planning is probably going to be more important than time of year! If your going to an area you are not familiar with, the most important things will be shooting locations, how to get there from your base. How long it takes to get to site and what sort of terrain you have to cross. Once you have pinned down your shooting locations, research them, where and when does the sun rise and set? Which way the shadows will fall from that lone tree you want to shoot, is it better to shoot it at sunrise or sunset when its bathed in golden light? When you know where your going to shoot you can work timings out. OK it takes 30 mins to get there, 10 mins walk, 10 mins set up, sunrise is at 0530, 10mins contingency (for loosing your boot in a bog, or driving back to get your tripod) so leave @ 04.30 and you wont be adrift. shoot till 06.30 - 07.00 back for brekkie 08.00.
As you can see Steve @ST4 has some stunning locations!
Have Fun!
 
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69Bonni said:
Kev/Frod, Planning is probably going to be more important than time of year! If your going to an area you are not familiar with, the most important things will be shooting locations, how to get there from your base. How long it takes to get to site and what sort of terrain you have to cross. Once you have pinned down your shooting locations, research them, where and when does the sun rise and set? Which way the shadows will fall from that lone tree you want to shoot, is it better to shoot it at sunrise or sunset when its bathed in golden light? When you know where your going to shoot you can work timings out. OK it takes 30 mins to get there, 10 mins walk, 10 mins set up, sunrise is at 0530, 10mins contingency (for loosing your boot in a bog, or driving back to get your tripod) so leave @ 04.30 and you wont be adrift. shoot till 06.30 - 07.00 back for brekkie 08.00.
As you can see Steve @ST4 has some stunning locations!
Have Fun!
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LOL, you would need to find your own spot Steve, I would be there before you ;)
Seriously, I always plan to arrive on site and set up at least an hour before sunrise.
Then you get that wonderful transition from dark to light and often the best skies are well before the sun pokes it's face over the horizon.
Not good for the beauty sleep though :)
 
I wish to be in those kind of locations, for me Spring and Autumn are the best time i prefer for photography anywhere in the world, not too cold, not too warm/hot, i hate strong heat/sun and i hate strong cold and heavy or long rains, so simply i avoid those extreme conditions seasons, but, i wouldn't mind to shoot in summer or winter if i have to.
 
Steve B said:
LOL, you would need to find your own spot Steve, I would be there before you ;)
Seriously, I always plan to arrive on site and set up at least an hour before sunrise.
Then you get that wonderful transition from dark to light and often the best skies are well before the sun pokes it's face over the horizon.
Not good for the beauty sleep though :)
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LOL bugger you saw though my plan Steve.... Thought if I told everyone to get there 20 mins before sunrise I'd be there 30 minutes before them.
I think Kev will get the Gist of it:) the planning bit, if not he can read the reality bit below;)

However reality is fall out of bed stagger around looking for your socks, kettle on, while you brush your teeth, Flask filled,Trip over the tripod in the hall, throw camera bag in the car, 15mins looking for car keys.
Drive up the road then back home again to pick up tripod you fell over, tear off down the road, slide on black ice, cold sweat recovery and sensible driving ensues. Turn up on site and park 15 minutes away as carpark is full of well organised togs cars. Drag your hernia inducing camera bag. over bogs, stiles, barbed wire fences,, rivers, arrive at site and decide to go for a lower perspective (as all the high ground and best spots are populated by busy highly organised togs).
Set up your gear, Wrap up that broken clip on the tripod you meant to replace 6 months ago with gaffa tape. Drop your lens cap down that small crevice that terminates somewhere near the centre of the earth. Run up to the organised togs to borrow a charged battery (there's bound to be a NIkon user up there) ..... Starts raining about now.... fit grads and filter holder put carrier bag over camera to keep out the now lashing rain. Try to read rapidly disintegrating paper Hyper focal distance chart, Pine for a cup of hot coffee from the flash you left in the car 30 minutes walk away. Then the chink of light appears that theoretically should be a sunrise, this is soon totally enveloped by the huge cloud bank. console yourself with the half eaten Kendal mint cake you found in the bottom of your pocket. Walk back up to return the battery to find all the other togs cameras pointing 180 degrees away from yours at the stunning shaft of light and rainbow over your shoulder. Run back down to camera reposition gear, to find light and rainbow gone.... Photograph bunch of rapidly packing up photographers (consider perhaps switching to street photography).
Pack up and tromp back to car, which is surrounded by tractors and angry farmers trying to get into there field that I had parked in the entrance of. Drive off into the now empty official car park now totally empty to have a consolation cup of hot coffee only to find its fallen over and now fills most of the passenger foot well.
Aahhh the Joys of Photography!

Not really, but some things have happened over the years:eek:
 
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69Bonni said:
LOL bugger you saw though my plan Steve.... Thought if I told everyone to get there 20 mins before sunrise I'd be there 30 minutes before them.
I think Kev will get the Gist of it:)

However reality is fall out of bed stagger around looking for your socks, kettle on, while you brush your teeth, Flask filled,Trip over the tripod in the hall, throw camera bag in the car, 15mins looking for car keys.
Drive up the road then back home again to pick up tripod you fell over, tear off down the road, slide on black ice, cold sweat recovery and sensible driving ensues. Turn up on site and park 15 minutes away as carpark is full of well organised togs cars. Drag your hernia inducing camera bag. over bogs, stiles, barbed wire fences,, rivers, arrive at site and decide to go for a lower perspective (as all the high ground and best spots are populated by busy highly organised togs).
Set up your gear, Wrap up that broken clip on the tripod you meant to replace 6 months ago with gaffa tape. Drop your lens cap down that small crevice that terminates somewhere near the centre of the earth. Run up to the organised togs to borrow a charged battery (there's bound to be a NIkon user up there) ..... Starts raining about now.... fit grads and filter holder put carrier bag over camera to keep out the now lashing rain. Try to read rapidly disintegrating paper Hyper focal distance chart, Pine for a cup of hot coffee from the flash you left in the car 30 minutes walk away. Then the chink of light appears that theoretically should be a sunrise, this is soon totally enveloped by the huge cloud bank. console yourself with the half eaten Kendal mint cake you found in the bottom of your pocket. Walk back up to return the battery to find all the other togs cameras pointing 180 degrees away from yours at the stunning shaft of light and rainbow over your shoulder. Run back down to camera reposition gear, to find light and rainbow gone.... Photograph bunch of rapidly packing up photographers (consider perhaps switching to street photography).
Pack up and tromp back to car, which is surrounded by tractors and angry farmers trying to get into there field that I had parked in the entrance of. Drive off into the now empty official car park now totally empty to have a consolation cup of hot coffee only to find its fallen over and now fills most of the passenger foot well.
Aahhh the Joys of Photography!

Not really, but some things have happened over the years:eek:
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Love this!

Mate of mine came to durdle door with us....... He drove for two hours

Carried a rucksack with 5 nikon lenses in and two heavy tripods...... All the way down .......

Came up to me asking what he could possibly forgotten........
Tripod ..... No

Battery.......no

Sd card......no

Camera body....... Yep on kitchen worktop two hours away
 
69Bonni said:
LOL bugger you saw though my plan Steve.... Thought if I told everyone to get there 20 mins before sunrise I'd be there 30 minutes before them.
I think Kev will get the Gist of it:) the planning bit, if not he can read the reality bit below;)

However reality is fall out of bed stagger around looking for your socks, kettle on, while you brush your teeth, Flask filled,Trip over the tripod in the hall, throw camera bag in the car, 15mins looking for car keys.
Drive up the road then back home again to pick up tripod you fell over, tear off down the road, slide on black ice, cold sweat recovery and sensible driving ensues. Turn up on site and park 15 minutes away as carpark is full of well organised togs cars. Drag your hernia inducing camera bag. over bogs, stiles, barbed wire fences,, rivers, arrive at site and decide to go for a lower perspective (as all the high ground and best spots are populated by busy highly organised togs).
Set up your gear, Wrap up that broken clip on the tripod you meant to replace 6 months ago with gaffa tape. Drop your lens cap down that small crevice that terminates somewhere near the centre of the earth. Run up to the organised togs to borrow a charged battery (there's bound to be a NIkon user up there) ..... Starts raining about now.... fit grads and filter holder put carrier bag over camera to keep out the now lashing rain. Try to read rapidly disintegrating paper Hyper focal distance chart, Pine for a cup of hot coffee from the flash you left in the car 30 minutes walk away. Then the chink of light appears that theoretically should be a sunrise, this is soon totally enveloped by the huge cloud bank. console yourself with the half eaten Kendal mint cake you found in the bottom of your pocket. Walk back up to return the battery to find all the other togs cameras pointing 180 degrees away from yours at the stunning shaft of light and rainbow over your shoulder. Run back down to camera reposition gear, to find light and rainbow gone.... Photograph bunch of rapidly packing up photographers (consider perhaps switching to street photography).
Pack up and tromp back to car, which is surrounded by tractors and angry farmers trying to get into there field that I had parked in the entrance of. Drive off into the now empty official car park now totally empty to have a consolation cup of hot coffee only to find its fallen over and now fills most of the passenger foot well.
Aahhh the Joys of Photography!

Not really, but some things have happened over the years:eek:
Click to expand...

:clap:, that;s a bit too close to the truth :)
Very well written, think I might frame those words and put them on the wall as reminder to be more organised ;)
Probably forget to read it though :D
 
I remember driving a damn long way once, thinking I was infinitely well organised only to find when I went to mount the camera I had the wrong baseplate on the camera after I had been using another tripod, that was the point I went to all Arca clamps and plates:mad:
 
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