Landscape photography

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bullybaby2011

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Name
Rosie
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Morning all!

Hope you all had a good Christmas!

Just been discussing with OH and a couple of friends about Landscapes. Not something I've ever done before, but would like to understand....

So the question is...For you...what makes a good landscape shot?

Feel free to post your shots with the reason why they work for you.


Thanks

Rosie
 
For me, 95% of the time, it has to be the quality of the light. Shoot an hour either side of sunrise/set when the light is at it's best otherwise you'll only ever produce shots that anyone can take with a P&S on an afternoon's walk. It's a frustrating genre of photography but it doesn't half feel good when it all comes together!
 
Can be many things, but I think it has to include a diffrent perspective. Pointing a camera over a hedge whilst looking at a nice view is rarely enough to make a good landscape shot.

I personally like to use perspective, but as above the light is more often than not what makes or breaks a shot.
 
Quality of light as said above
Composition
Foreground interest
A good lead-in
Rule of thirds most of the time but this can be broken
 
A read here may help http://www.great-landscape-photography.com/index.html
I have not read it lately, as far as I can remember it covers all the points that have been listed already.

Study the landscapes posted in the forum and try to determine what makes certain shots good. Also study the landscape artists and see how they used light, subject matter & composition when painting.
 
Not just time of day but Timing and angle of view / lens used.

I like the one i took below, it's by no means the best shot i ever took but after a long hard walk and scramble around Snowdonia walking back to our camper van with my friends I just saw this and took it:

4500610672_eae4b36232.jpg


Had the sun remained behind a cloud we'd have just walked past it and i'd not have taken a shot.
 
stumeech said:
For me, 95% of the time, it has to be the quality of the light. Shoot an hour either side of sunrise/set when the light is at it's best otherwise you'll only ever produce shots that anyone can take with a P&S on an afternoon's walk.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with this. It's easier to make something look pretty early morning or late evening but it's not the be all and end all of it. I've seen some wonderful work taken in overcast conditions and during the middle of the day. Is the time of day really what seperates a great photographer from a random person who has been handed a camera?
 
I've never really delved into the world of Landscape and dare I say it but I find a lot of landscape shots well... a bit dull. The ones I do like however tend to have loads of atmosphere and show the power of nature - how the photographer achieves that I suppose can vary and as I've never tried it I'm not sure. I know I like landscape shots with angry skies, mist, crashing waves... all that good stuff. Green and pleasant land - not so much...
 
The Matt said:
I don't agree with this...
Click to expand...

Fair enough, I do realise you can do nice stuff in overcast conditions/middle of the day etc (I have resorted to this enough times when the weather isn't playing ball with me!) but for me it is the quality of light that really makes a shot, it is normally what will make a shot stand out when the scene looks utterly unique for a split second - but then again my main job is a theatre lighting technician so I am a bit biased.

:)
 
As said above light is everything' in the summer months i'm usually out around 4am when the light is best.

I would like to do more sunset shots but family commitments won't allow it.

Good landscapes for me are full of contrast 'colour and atmosphere.

Lagoon-PoolDerwent-Water.jpg
 
stumeech said:
Fair enough, I do realise you can do nice stuff in overcast conditions/middle of the day etc (I have resorted to this enough times when the weather isn't playing ball with me!) but for me it is the quality of light that really makes a shot, it is normally what will make a shot stand out when the scene looks utterly unique for a split second - but then again my main job is a theatre lighting technician so I am a bit biased.

:)
Click to expand...

I agree that lighting is all important, but sometimes gloomy is just what the doctor ordered :)
 
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