Common mistakes for Beginner landscape photographers

[Moreorless]

I posted this shot on here and it seemed to get a good response, despite describing it to someone as some grass with a cloudy blue sky.

It is a little lacking in focus on the left hand side but the fact such a basic scene worksis IMHO partly down to one area that I think it often ignored by beginners, using clouds/skies for composition.

Looking for skies that aid the composition the landscape below them is I'd say an important part of ultrawide shooting especially. In the shot below for example I think the lines of clouds mirroring the curve of the hillside definitely makes for a more interesting composition.

I really don't agree with the idea that many seem to put forward here that ultrawides are best avoided, there not the correct lenses to use for every shot but there are clearly shots that need them to be effective. There is obviously a learning curve involved but surely the best way to start on that curve is to start using them?

 

[LCPete]

A lot of talk about the technical stuff but my problem which im working on is more basic
Its just understanding composition and how to frame the shot
I've come home from snowdonia before and looked at my shots and thought maybe I should have moved the camera a bit more to the right or lower down
I'm happy with my wildlife shots but definitely a beginner at landscapes
Am planning to get out as much as I can over the Christmas break and practice

 

[ianp5a]

Regarding composition, once you have read a few tips/rules, go out and experiment for yourself. 'Experiment with different light directions and different camera positions. Horizon near the top or near the bottom of the frame. Wide lenses, long lenses.
If you are new to landscape photography, you have lots of exciting things to try out ahead of you. There is no rush. Enjoy each one, one at a time. Learning should be fun... most of the time. Sure there will be some disappointments. Although in those cases you quite often learn more!

 

[LCPete]

Regarding composition, once you have read a few tips/rules, go out and experiment for yourself. 'Experiment with different light directions and different camera positions. Horizon near the top or near the bottom of the frame. Wide lenses, long lenses.
If you are new to landscape photography, you have lots of exciting things to try out ahead of you. There is no rush. Enjoy each one, one at a time. Learning should be fun... most of the time. Sure there will be some disappointments. Although in those cases you quite often learn more!

Thanks will do
Part of the problem is that I only go out a few times a year for landscapes, never enough time
In the summer I do macro, insects and in the winter zoo animals
But will try as you suggest varying things a bit to see what works
Definitely going to get out over Christmas to snowdonia

 

[jerry12953]

People using a 10 stop ND filter with only a very little understanding of the basics of photography......

 

[markmullen]

People using a 10 stop ND filter with only a very little understanding of the basics of photography......

I'll add to that, people using a 10 stop on a subject with very few moving elements, as if it will somehow improve the subject, like people used to do with HDR.

 

[labradoodler]

10 take lots of pictures
20 review pictures
30 learn why some pictures work and some don't
40 goto 10
50 end

Thats what I call "BASIC" advice.

eddie

 

[alfbranch]

Diffraction?

minimum apertures cause that usually see below.

Understand apertures. People talk about large apertures, when they mean small apertures and vice versa. Even when offering advice on threads about basic mistakes.

Most (though not all) lenses are soft at maximum aperture (f2.8 on my most used lens) and diffraction sets in at minimum (f22 on my lenses) apertures.

Remember:
A nice view does not necessarily mean good photo will follow.

Know how much depth of field you will achieve is worth knowing.

Look HERE

 

[Harlequin565]

I've come home from snowdonia before and looked at my shots and thought maybe I should have moved the camera a bit more to the right or lower down

You seem to have spotted the problem here and know what you need to do...

Am planning to get out as much as I can over the Christmas break and practice

And this is/was the solution!

Just keep doing what you're doing and things will improve. Self-evaluation is really important. Looking at the works of people like Adams, Cornish & co. also really help you begin to see where you can make changes. Once you have a basic formula for composition and an eye for the landscape, you can start to experiment a bit more. It does improve over time & practise. Having an awareness of your own limitations is the key to how you improve.

Regarding Aperture, I have been messing with all sorts of apertures just to get me out of the "stick it on f11, manual focus to 6 feet, fire" mentality. It's made me consider what my subject is in the frame. Trying different focal lengths works well too. If my focal length means that everything is sharp at f11, I don't see why I need to go any higher. If I'm using a longer focal length I need to stop & think.

I'm not sure that zoom lenses help me with composition. I know I can sit there with an 18-55 and go in & out "hunting" for the perfect view. My better pictures are taken at 14, 28 & 35mm with just the primes, because I have to work with the focal length I have on me. After a while, I begin to "see" at that focal length (especially the 14 & the 35 because they get used so much) which allows me to wander around and spot a good scene without having a viewfinder in my face. That's just me though - My weakness is in the arty side of photography, not the technical. Someone arty with an 18-200 could probably have a field day (literally).

Ian.

 

[ianp5a]

You seem to have spotted the problem here and know what you need to do...
Looking at the works of people like Adams, Cornish & co. ....

I'm keen on Adams. Samuel Adams mostly. Or anyone in the Adams family actually. Especially Lurch.

 

[RobbieB]

A local professional photographer near me - who I won't name - gave a talk on photography to beginners and he told them all, when taking landscapes, to have the narrowest aperture possible "so everything is in focus". This is such awful advice not only due to diffraction which is not a myth, but because it makes people lazy which leads to the basic mistakes I wish to raise and they are connected:

Not knowing your lens' sweet spot.
Not understanding/learning what distance is needed between you and your camera and the foreground interest for the scene to be sharp front to back, at the aforementioned sweet spot (or thereabouts).

 

[LCPete]

Thanks very much Ian for taking the time to reply appreciated
As it happens I was in the habit of just leaving the camera in f11 and not thinking enough about what's in front of me and how to frame it
I go out with a friend who's an excellent landscape photographer and hes sends me his shots so am learning all the time now

 

[pwhysall]

If it's been mentioned, apologies. But if you think the light is done, give it another 20 minutes.

I have seen too many stunning sunsets in the rear-view mirror of my car, on the way home, after I thought there was nothing left of the light.

 

[Yv]

Guys, now we have rearranged the forums so that all the talk/photosharing are here together in one place, I have stickied this thread after reading through it as it has loads of great info for people wanting to take decent landscape images. Would be shame if it fell off the first page for any reason.

 

[Pookeyhead]

Care to explain why not? The likes of Brian peterson goes all the way up on his apparture and his landscape shots are stunning

Diffraction.

The smaller your sensor, the softer images will look due to this. For instance, on a 5x4 camera, you can shoot at f64 and everything is sharp... should a lens that allowed f64 be used on a crop sensor digital camera it would look pants.

Serious about landscape.... then seriously think about getting something with as big a sensor as you can afford. Little tiny sensors, and landscape photography aren't the best bed fellows, as you often NEED small apertures.

 

[jonneymendoza]

Diffraction.

The smaller your sensor, the softer images will look due to this. For instance, on a 5x4 camera, you can shoot at f64 and everything is sharp... should a lens that allowed f64 be used on a crop sensor digital camera it would look pants.

Serious about landscape.... then seriously think about getting something with as big a sensor as you can afford. Little tiny sensors, and landscape photography aren't the best bed fellows, as you often NEED small apertures.

Full frame

 

[Pookeyhead]

Full frame

Or larger

 

[Carl Hall]

My biggest mistake when I first started shooting landscapes was to get stuck into the habbit of taking the same sort of photos all the time.

Turn up to a rocky coastal location. Find a rock by the waters edge. Wait for sunset. Use a long exposure to blur water. Repeat next week at a similar location.

It's fine to take similar photos, as that's how you learn. But I think you also learn a lot by shaking it up a little and trying new things

 

[markmullen]

Or larger

Bigger is better

 

[Tom Tom]

Great thread this, learning alot

 

[pwhysall]

My biggest mistake when I first started shooting landscapes was to get stuck into the habbit of taking the same sort of photos all the time.

Turn up to a rocky coastal location. Find a rock by the waters edge. Wait for sunset. Use a long exposure to blur water. Repeat next week at a similar location.

It's fine to take similar photos, as that's how you learn. But I think you also learn a lot by shaking it up a little and trying new things

Oh, this. This, with bells on. My biggest problem (well, one of my biggest problems; I've got plenty) is that I far too easily revert to my comfort zone of coastal sunrises and sunsets, when struggling for inspiration.

 

[boogie man]

My biggest mistake when I first started shooting landscapes was to get stuck into the habbit of taking the same sort of photos all the time.

Turn up to a rocky coastal location. Find a rock by the waters edge. Wait for sunset. Use a long exposure to blur water. Repeat next week at a similar location.

It's fine to take similar photos, as that's how you learn. But I think you also learn a lot by shaking it up a little and trying new things

Spot on. One of the best pieces of advice I have taken away from a couple of photo courses I've attended has been "exhaust all the possibilities before moving on". Try different angles, not just the traditional ones. Look for the unusual. Break the rules sometimes.

 

[Northern Wild]

Always look behind you!

I have hiked to locations with a shot in mind but now and again I will stop and look around me to see if I am missing any other opportunities, especially in mountainous locations as lovely vistas are everywhere during your climb up.

 

[ricky1980]

How far can a 5d3 go?

Hang on a sec. What does a camera's sensor got anything to do with the diffraction of the light??? Its physics not electronics. Diffraction occurs because the wavelength if the light is of certain ratio to the gap which is passes through. So it has everything to do with the design of the lens and baldes and nothing to do with the sensors.

Can't believe the nonsense I am reading on this thread!

Foreground back ground argument on post no. 5/6 is balls too. Landscape results in high f stop as trying yo achieve hyperfocal. So there is no fore ground back ground. If you are shooting foreground back ground stuff then you are talking about an object in your composition. Thus you should have large aperture to isolate that object which means you are not doing landscape photography. Its more likely to be architectural or object orientated.

 

[jonneymendoza]

Hang on a sec. What does a camera's sensor got anything to do with the diffraction of the light??? Its physics not electronics. Diffraction occurs because the wavelength if the light is of certain ratio to the gap which is passes through. So it has everything to do with the design of the lens and baldes and nothing to do with the sensors.

Can't believe the nonsense I am reading on this thread!

Foreground back ground argument on post no. 5/6 is balls too. Landscape results in high f stop as trying yo achieve hyperfocal. So there is no fore ground back ground. If you are shooting foreground back ground stuff then you are talking about an object in your composition. Thus you should have large aperture to isolate that object which means you are not doing landscape photography. Its more likely to be architectural or object orientated.

One word. Dynamic range

 

[nickjohnwatson]

One word. Dynamic range

That's 2 words

 

[jonneymendoza]

That's 2 words

True lol

 

[ricky1980]

Lol read your original post. Anyway...what about dynamic range? Yes it is an electronic limiting design but the sensor doesnt increase or decrease the scenes dynamic range. Red spectrum of the light doesnt all of the sudden defract less than it normally does when canon invented a new sensor.

And also the advise against the use of HDR is such a flawed statement. HDR is a perfect digital get around for the digital sensors. The over processed processed pictures are often users intent or lack of experiences.


Use of grad filters are the analogue way of creating HDR effectively. So slating HDR techniques for the lack of understanding and appreciation is purely wrong.

Edit: phone keeps on auto correct n't...grr

 

[ricky1980]

One word. Dynamic range

Also dynamic range is a complete different construct to sharpness of a picture.

 

[ricky1980]

Although resounding previous comments about common mistakes

1) poor composition. Hard to correct. A lot of cropping maybe but bad composition is bad composition. Useless basically
2) not flat or vertical composition (this can be corrected in Photoshop easily)
3) blown out highlights or shadows. Will result in washed out colours when processed in Photoshop/lightroom etc. (Bracket your shots after reviewing your initial shot's histogram)
4) short exposure when long ones needed. Espically to do with water. I still do this a lot cos I cannot be bothered to carry a tripod. But not the end of day as mist if the time it is still usable. Sometimes it might be pleasing to have light reflections off the ripples.

 

[alfbranch]

Full frame

That must be 10" X 8" is it?

Oh wait a minute they come larger than that too. Oh wait a minute my camera is full frame as the system was designed to be that size not using old lenses on a different size image sensor.

The larger the film or sensor is the better the quality that can be achieved I agree but remember that also means extra bulk and weight and possibly a bad back.


Remember though the best camera is the one you have with you.

This was not taken on a large sensor camera.


Derwent-water-Panorama Exlpored by alf.branch, on Flickr

 

[alfbranch]

A local professional photographer near me - who I won't name - gave a talk on photography to beginners and he told them all, when taking landscapes, to have the narrowest aperture possible "so everything is in focus". This is such awful advice not only due to diffraction which is not a myth, but because it makes people lazy which leads to the basic mistakes I wish to raise and they are connected:

Not knowing your lens' sweet spot.
Not understanding/learning what distance is needed between you and your camera and the foreground interest for the scene to be sharp front to back, at the aforementioned sweet spot (or thereabouts).

Learning how to use the equipment you have is very important and not just doing something because someone else say it is the way to take a shot.

 

[applemint]

The larger the film or sensor is the better the quality that can be achieved I agree but remember that also means extra bulk and weight and possibly a bad back.

I used to take a film camera dslr along when hillwalking (1990's) then a film compact camera (late 90's to 2001 or so) followed by a compact digital camera (from 2002 or so). Now I usually take a micro four thirds camera and 2 lenses - there just isn't space for a dslr, especially in winter or on multi day backpacking trips when weight matters (and matters even more as you get older!).

If the primary purpose of going somewhere is to take (landscape) photos, then I would probably take a dslr or ditto if doing shorter, easier walks - but usually I want to enjoy the walking and scenery too and the photography is only part of it. The compact cameras are fine for web viewing and the micro four thirds gear is fine for printing up to to A3 (for me, to stick on the wall at home, I don't sell prints - I doubt anyone would actually pay money for my mediocre efforts anyway!)

My most viewed and liked (favourited) landscape photos on flickr are mostly the ones taken when out walking somewhere scenic with a compact camera in my pocket/backpack and getting lucky with the light, rather than the pre-planned location and time of day ones taken with 'better' gear. Not that Flickr likes or views are really that much of an indication of anything, judging by some of the crimes against hdr I see on there - and can be easily manipulated by adding your photo to a shedload of groups and having tons of 'contacts' (I don't do either though). But I have had some nice comments on my compact camera landscape shots and on the occasions they were taken it's unlikely that I would have had a better camera with me - so yes, best one I had was the one I had with me at the time and alternative would probably have been none at all.

 

[ricky1980]

Regarding Aperture, I have been messing with all sorts of apertures just to get me out of the "stick it on f11, manual focus to 6 feet, fire" mentality. It's made me consider what my subject is in the frame. Trying different focal lengths works well too. If my focal length means that everything is sharp at f11, I don't see why I need to go any higher. If I'm using a longer focal length I need to stop & think.

Adding to ian's comments. Take a shot at f8 f11 and see the resolution for yourself. Some lens is better at f8 and some are better at f11 rarely any mass market lens can go beyond this without suffering diffraction softening. That includes the Nikon's and canons

 

[RumpFace]

one thing that really bugs me is imagining a thousand tripods that have been there before on a popular scene, making three holes and a patch of bare ground. Finding another view or doing it different is the hard bit.

 

[applemint]

one thing that really bugs me is imagining a thousand tripods that have been there before on a popular scene, making three holes and a patch of bare ground. Finding another view or doing it different is the hard bit.

Yes at some places (the 'classic view' of Buachaille Etive Mòr for example) it's almost a case of join the queue and place your tripod on the 3 marks on the ground made by those who came before you. Or for an urban landscape equivalent, Calton Hill (Edinburgh) at sunset:

 

[RumpFace]

^^^ may as well buy the 50p postcard ^^^

 

[huffy]

For Jonny

If you close the lens down to the smaller F numbers (f11, f16 f32) the different wave lengths in the light break up passing through the small aperture in the lens. These different rays vary slightly in their focus point on the sensor.

Try this blog for a better explanation.

http://www.davidtaylorphotography.co.uk/lens-diffraction/

 

[Moreorless]

Oh, this. This, with bells on. My biggest problem (well, one of my biggest problems; I've got plenty) is that I far too easily revert to my comfort zone of coastal sunrises and sunsets, when struggling for inspiration.

I find its also easy to get into a pattern of only shooting on your typical sunrise/set when often new possibilities tend to present themselves with more interesting weather, I find stormy and misty conditions often help to break me out of a rut.

 

[c-m]

Yes at some places (the 'classic view' of Buachaille Etive Mòr for example) it's almost a case of join the queue and place your tripod on the 3 marks on the ground made by those who came before you. Or for an urban landscape equivalent, Calton Hill (Edinburgh) at sunset:

This is where you (not you personally) need to recognise the difference between a holiday snap and a purposeful photograph. I'd imagine those who go on holiday with decent cameras take a mixture.