landscapes - how to get good light?

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annao

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Anna
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Hi

landscapes and scenery aren't realy something i've done much of before. I thought i might try and do a few nice prints for some family members for xmas -local landmarks / scenery etc.

I know that typically best light for striking scenery is just before sunrise / after sunset but how do you landscape photographers know which days will be best to shoot? Do you look for indicators in the weather forecast or is it purely by luck?

I've got 2 small children so unfortunately hanging around waiting for the right light over a number of days is not an option. Have you any tips to increase my chances of identifying when the best time or day?

Many thanks

Anna
 
I think it's really just pot luck tbh :shrug: You can read the weather forecast, but whether it turns out to be correct or not is another story :LOL: I would say you best bet is the sunset option though. Since you should get a fair idea of what it will be like having just had a nice day or not.
 
It's a good question, and I'll not help by saying that whenever there is a great sunrise/sunset, I never have my camera with me.

Maybe I should post every day to say whether I am taking my camera out with me, and if I am you can leave yours at home, if I am not, then get out and get the shots I am missing!!!:LOL:

There are calculators which can be used to work out exactly where the sun will rise and set and at what time depending on where you are, but as for other, less predicable things (the weather) it's a case of luck, and monitoring the weather forecasts and weather websites....
 
Weather forecasts do help, as does knowledge of local countryside (i.e. so when you're on what you think is the perfect hilltop for a sunrise, there isn't a pylon in the way etc. :)). The Met Office five day outlooks aren't too bad, actually, and it's not always clear sunny skies that give good landscapes - moody threatening clouds work well too :). But always have your camera with you :LOL:. It's rare that a given planned day will only realise landscape shots - I pack a long telephoto and a macro in the bag too, so if the light is flat I'll go and shoot something else :).
 
Have a baby sitter on standby...;)

As has been said, a good bit of luck (weather) and a great deal of patience.
 
This time of year is good as the sun is lower throughout the day - but it's pot luck as to whether it shines at all!
 
Jo said:
I would say you best bet is the sunset option though. Since you should get a fair idea of what it will be like having just had a nice day or not.
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I agree, that is after getting up early for the sun rise on several occasions for it to be cloudy and a waste of time. Sunsets are easier to 'work out'!
 
Get a really big flash :LOL:
its just depended on the day its always a good opertunity for moody lighting though :D
 
thanks for all your replies. Looks like i'll be looking for the services of a pysic baby sitter for the next few weeks, anyone know one?

Was planning on geting out this pm but light is just pants and sky is just flat...:crying:
 
Always take your camera out with you

Always carry a compass (and learn how to use it) and take notes when you shoot (either on a pad - or a digital voice recorder).

Often I will find a good composition, but the light is not right - so I make notes - figure out using the compass what time and what weather conditions would be right, then go back and shoot. IF you make enough notes - you can always find somewhere to go in any conditions - even with the kids.
 
Thanks Nigel

Thats really good advice. Need to be more organised! :)
 
I ordered a Sun Compass the other day. Thought it would be good use for when I am out walking before sunrise in unfamiliar places to know where the sun will rise. It also has a chart on the back showing you the hight/angle of the sun in different seasons/months. Not sure if thats any help for you?
 
I'm not sure that i've ever managed to catch 'good light' so might be speaking out of my arse, but my advice is PLANNING.

I have my first shot that I now know exactly what's need to make it what i want (does that make sense). ie: i have done the shot before and know what i would like to improve. I know what sky i need, i know where I want the sun to be, and I know what i want the tide to be doing.

Now that I know all this, i feel I can achieve what i want... though i will still be relying on luck and patience, and may never get what i want!
 
annao said:
Hi

landscapes and scenery aren't realy something i've done much of before. I thought i might try and do a few nice prints for some family members for xmas -local landmarks / scenery etc.

I know that typically best light for striking scenery is just before sunrise / after sunset but how do you landscape photographers know which days will be best to shoot? Do you look for indicators in the weather forecast or is it purely by luck?

I've got 2 small children so unfortunately hanging around waiting for the right light over a number of days is not an option. Have you any tips to increase my chances of identifying when the best time or day?

Many thanks

Anna
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I suggest you're mistaken in believing that the best light is before sunrise/ after sunset! Or perhaps you didn't actually mean that?

Many of the top landscapers work mainly in the hour after sunrise/ hour before sunset. They like the warm quality of the light that you get then.

Personally I prefer the quality of light that you get about 2/3 hours after sunrise or 2/3 hours before sunset. I find that the polarising filter gives the most pleasing results then.

It's a lot to do with how high the sun is in the sky. If its too high - ie 4hours either side of mid-day in summer - the lighting will be harsh and flat at the same time. Near sunrise and sunset it is too low and too weak (in my opinion) to illuminate the scene pleasingly; others prefer the warm light you get then.

In winter the sun is low all day long such that that mid-day light is fine.

Sunrise has special qualities like mist/fog and still water which can be well worth trying to capture, but that is less to do with the quality of the light.

For weather conditions, I prefer bright , cool and crisp, such as you get after the passage of a Cold Front. Big anticyclones and easterly winds tend to give haze and poor light.

How's that for starters!:)
 
jerry12953 said:
I suggest you're mistaken in believing that the best light is before sunrise/ after sunset! Or perhaps you didn't actually mean that?

Many of the top landscapers work mainly in the hour after sunrise/ hour before sunset. They like the warm quality of the light that you get then.

Personally I prefer the quality of light that you get about 2/3 hours after sunrise or 2/3 hours before sunset. I find that the polarising filter gives the most pleasing results then.

It's a lot to do with how high the sun is in the sky. If its too high - ie 4hours either side of mid-day in summer - the lighting will be harsh and flat at the same time. Near sunrise and sunset it is too low and too weak (in my opinion) to illuminate the scene pleasingly; others prefer the warm light you get then.

In winter the sun is low all day long such that that mid-day light is fine.

Sunrise has special qualities like mist/fog and still water which can be well worth trying to capture, but that is less to do with the quality of the light.

For weather conditions, I prefer bright , cool and crisp, such as you get after the passage of a Cold Front. Big anticyclones and easterly winds tend to give haze and poor light.

How's that for starters!:)
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:popcorn:
 
annao said:
I know that typically best light for striking scenery is just before sunrise / after sunset

Anna
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just checking you got that right....typo ??

incidentally, anybody noticed how "that" light, is extended in duration at this time of year.

^*scan reader*^:LOL:
 
Hi

Now i did say that landscapes aren't my thing... but, i am sure i have read somewhere that its actually the 30 mins before official sunrise and 30 mins after sunset??? I remember thinking it was a weird.!!!:thinking:..... probably didn't read it properly

Showing my ignorance!
 
WOW, now that's a question...wouldn't mind the answer to that one myself, save me all those wasted hours waiting for lighting that never happens :bonk:

Seriously though the best you can do is find a great location & keep visiting, obviously keep away on very poor weather days....I'd say 80% of my best shots are taken during winter months as the sun remains low most of the day & it's often possible to catch some very nice lighting out of the hallowed "golden hours", especially in mountainous areas where the low sun can cast some great shadows

During summer you'll be very lucky to catch decent lighting during the days, the sun is often too harsh & blows much of the detail - this is where the "hallowed hours" come very much into play


Good luck !!

Simon
 
annao said:
Hi

Now i did say that landscapes aren't my thing... but, i am sure i have read somewhere that its actually the 30 mins before official sunrise and 30 mins after sunset??? I remember thinking it was a weird.!!!:thinking:..... probably didn't read it properly

Showing my ignorance!
Click to expand...

Its pretty dark before sunrise and after sunset, ok you might get a red sky but it ain't gonna light up the landscape much.
Maybe 30 mins after sunrise and 30 mins before sunset.
I like the shadows nice and long, and at this time of year, they're longer for longer..:D
 
A lot depends on where, when and what you are shooting.

Which way you need to face when you shoot the view would determine what time of day you need to shoot. The time of year would also impact the best times to shoot.

Another factor impacting the time of day to shoot is whether the subject is shaded by trees, mountains or buildings, etc.

Generally earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon is the best time to shoot landscapes because you avoid the rather flat and somewhat uninteresting noonday light.

However, I was just shooting the American National Parks in the State of Utah and needed to shoot many views at just about noon, since these subjects were located either at the bottom of steep canyons or between high mountains. The cliffs or mountains surrounding the views I wanted put them in deep shadow except at midday when the sun was straight overhead.

I looked for a sun angle predictor for the U.K. and this is what I found.

http://www.chrischarlesworth.co.uk/news8736.html

http://beakster.jot.com/WikiHome/Sun

You might do a Google search using the parameters: Sun Angle U.K.; angle of the sun U.K. or some variation on those words.

There are also some general seasons when the light and/or air clarity is better than during other seasons. Again, using the American West as an example, the vistas are often clearer in the Winter than in the other seasons due to minimum haze and other airborne particulates.
 
Don't forget if your lens accepts filters, what could be a pretty rotton day to take landscapes could be turned into something good depending on the filter used.

Realspeed
 
realspeed said:
Don't forget if your lens accepts filters, what could be a pretty rotton day to take landscapes could be turned into something good depending on the filter used.
Click to expand...

The magic picture filter?
 
There is no hard and fast rule to all this - it depends on season, latitude and luck too. Here's a shot I took 20 mins after sunrise in July - this light lasted for about 5 minutes and then it was just ordinary. (EXIF intact)

AW2_4260.jpg


© Andrew Wilson 2008 - all rights reserved
 
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