how to get cracking landscapes?

Harvey_nikon

Harvey_nikon

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Hi all,

I am off to America on monday for my honeymoon, visiting places like LA and Vegas and I am pretty confident I can get some good shots there. However I am a little more worried about getting some decent shots when we visit the Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu and Yosemite National Park,

Other than a tripod is there any kit you would definitely suggest I purchase in order to make the most of the scenery? Maybe a new lens or filters?

Any techniques or little tips you may have for getting the most of it are also most welcomed :)

thanks
 
I'm no landscape photographer and so I can't comment on equiptment etc. What advice I can give applies to all areas of photography really, but it's key with lanscapes:

It's all about the light. Sunrise/sundown.
 
I agree with Dean the best light is sun up or down if you can get your photos then. Other than that technically some GND filters wouldn`t go amiss.......foreground interest is always good.
 
i agree GND filters and maybe a polarizing filter.
 
Whats the secret to get such a good feeling of depth like this:

205192359_xut2K-L.jpg


Stunning photo! My photos always look much 'flatter', are they just really steep hills?
 
GeForce Junky said:
Whats the secret to get such a good feeling of depth like this:
Click to expand...


Photoshop.

Try using different blending modes with the different adjustment layer masks (not sure that's the right name, but it seems near enough).

This was flat out of camera, but a bit of PS made it pop.

3212727524_237d862bd0.jpg
 
Wow, that is stunning! I would also like to know a little more about the setup, my landscapes always look flat too.
 
The best thing that you can buy to improve your chances of getting good pictures is something like a nice piece of jewellery or outfit for your new wife. To keep her off your back. Seriously. To get good pictures you're going to have to spend time, looking, waiting, setting up - lots of time. She'll be sat in the car saying "Have you finished yet?" "How much longer are you going to be?" "You've already got a hundred pictures of that" "Why not just buy one of those nice postcards we saw in the gift shop?" "It's getting dark, we need to get going" "You want me to get up at what time?" .......on and on and on...... In the end you'll be wanting to push her over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Trust me. Get her the gift on the understanding that she keeps quiet and lets you get on with it.

Once you've got that out of the way - graduated nd filters (0.6 and 0.9 I use most, never a 0.3). Polariser - suppose so, but I keep forgetting to use mine.

Lenses - despite the popularity of ultra-wides for landscapes, my better GC pictures have been shot at the 50 to 65 region (on full frame - convert for cropped sensors). Yes, I've got a few at 24mm that are ok too. Ultra-wide means you miss a lot of the detail on the canyon because it's too far away.


South side of the GC is much better than the north. North side is too much for too little. Las Vegas - go up the Eiffel Tower for best elevated pics. Don't worry if it's crowded when you get up there. The snappers soon drift off and you can get to the places you want to.

That's all for now. Got to go...
 
GeForce Junky said:
Whats the secret to get such a good feeling of depth like this:

205192359_xut2K-L.jpg


Stunning photo! My photos always look much 'flatter', are they just really steep hills?
Click to expand...

DeanPhoto said:
Photoshop.
Click to expand...
Well, since that was my photo, I feel somewhat qualified to answer this.

So what's the secret?
  • Not a fancy camera. This was taken with a Canon 350D.
  • Not a fancy lens. This was taken with my trusty go-everywhere do-everything Sigma 18-200.
  • Not a tripod. I can't be bothered to carry one when I'm in the hills.
  • Not a filter. None used here.
  • Not any particular attention to technique. I probably shot that at f/8, ISO 200 - because I usually do - with whatever shutter speed my camera gave me.
  • Not Photoshop. I didn't do very much at all to that image - fix the white balance, saturate the sky a little, and take some time to sharpen it properly.
I'd say this sort of photography - big landscapes - is all about two things: the vantage point and the light. I've climbed hundreds of hills in the Lake District over the years, and in the course of doing that I've taken hundreds if not thousands of photos. This is the best by far. I don't expect to get another one this good within the next 10 years. (Perhaps I might if I could be bothered to get up early and chase the light, but I'm lazy.)
 
StewartR said:
Well, since that was my photo, I feel somewhat qualified to answer this.

So what's the secret?
  • Not a fancy camera. This was taken with a Canon 350D.
  • Not a fancy lens. This was taken with my trusty go-everywhere do-everything Sigma 18-200.
  • Not a tripod. I can't be bothered to carry one when I'm in the hills.
  • Not a filter. None used here.
  • Not any particular attention to technique. I probably shot that at f/8, ISO 200 - because I usually do - with whatever shutter speed my camera gave me.
  • Not Photoshop. I didn't do very much at all to that image - fix the white balance, saturate the sky a little, and take some time to sharpen it properly.
I'd say this sort of photography - big landscapes - is all about two things: the vantage point and the light. I've climbed hundreds of hills in the Lake District over the years, and in the course of doing that I've taken hundreds if not thousands of photos. This is the best by far. I don't expect to get another one this good within the next 10 years. (Perhaps I might if I could be bothered to get up early and chase the light, but I'm lazy.)
Click to expand...

That is bloody amazing. I was just talking to a guy in work today about people that can shoot out of this world pictures with low budget kit.

Well done.:thumbs:
 
I used just a handheld S3IS at about 1 1/2 hours before dusk and got these:

3489244175_2d3d89e927_o.jpg


3490058552_7d6ca36a92_o.jpg


The Grand Canyon is so big your widest lens will never be eough so make the best of whatever you take.
 
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