Needing Some Tips

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Hi,

I've just started to look more towards doing landscape photography. I've done some bits and bobs with what I had but I'm looking to do it properly in locations I need to hill walk to get to etc as well as sun rises and sunsets. I've only done one sunset before and I liked the photo. I just need some tips to be well rounded.

I've got a 16-35 f/4, Lee 105mm Landscape polariser, Lee Big Stopper, Kood soft edge ND grads 2 and 4 stops. Is there potentially any more kit that I could require to get started out in capturing sunrises and sunsets? Also can anyone point me in good material for certain situations that can arrise when shooting landscapes i.e. shooting into the sun, haze etc please?

I've watched many videos on YouTube about landscape photography but the most I can get out of the videos I've watched is about composition and basics of using filters even though I already know that.

Thanks

P.S. I've also attached a couple of my landscape images which were taken a while back. At the time I'd had a 17-40mm and pretty much the other filters listed above except for the polariser. I'd appreciate feedback, critique etc on them :)

Buachaille Etive Mor by Kris Blair, on Flickr

TitanCrane by Kris Blair, on Flickr

TitanCraneSilhouette by Kris Blair, on Flickr
 
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You seem to be doing fine. Interestingly I like the central crane composition better than the last one with it in the right third even though that breaks some people's idea of "rules". Get out and shoot stuff and see what works for you. One pretty obvious point is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west and it rises and sets at different points along the horizon depending on time of year, so picking locations can be dependent on time of day and time of year.
 
You seem to be doing fine. Interestingly I like the central crane composition better than the last one with it in the right third even though that breaks some people's idea of "rules". Get out and shoot stuff and see what works for you. One pretty obvious point is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west and it rises and sets at different points along the horizon depending on time of year, so picking locations can be dependent on time of day and time of year.

Thanks for the comment. I do prefer the central one myself. I guess practice makes perfect and am probably over thinking about the kit on the day because I would be disappointed if I trekked for hours to not get a useable photo haha.

I've got a pretty nifty tool for sunsets and sunrises etc which will help with the times :) here it is if you'd want to use it. http://app.photoephemeris.com/
 
Hi Kris,
Looks like your doing fine so far Kris...
No 1 Is a nice shot albeit the lights a little harsh as you have pointed out. Like the foreground rock, the nice water movement has been a little stuffed by the light. Very nice lead in from the stream. The location is definitely needs a revisit in better conditions.
No 2 is my choice too, although a central composition it seems to work well and that's a stunning sunset, great colours and reflections. Nice Shot!
No 3 I don't know what it is about this, maybe lens distortion as the superstructure of the crane is not vertical and it gives the illusion that the rest of the shot is distorted too. Maybe its me;)

One of the main problems with shooting into the sun is flare, some love it some hate it, and I have the opinion that it depends on the shot and the type of flare! Sometimes its bloody awful, sometimes it adds a little interest, and looks ok (add to taste).
What doesn't look good is bright patches, and veiled areas. The rainbow coloured bokeh type flare can look interesting in some photos depending on what you are trying to portray. ( I like a little of this flare in sunburst shots ).
Tip here.... if you take a shot and its destroyed by bad flare then take another shot and use something to obscure the sun, then with some careful use of blending layers in PS you should be able to remove any nasty flare and balance out the exposure between the two combined shots.
Another problem can be clipping and washing out of the colour. Some of this can be taken out using the above method, normally you will notice a stark difference between the contrast of the shot you have taken with the sun obscured and the one with the sun in the frame. You will need to do some work to combine the two images. One shot taken essentially for the Sun and one (or more) for the surrounding area, foreground etc. I normally concentrate on getting the sun looking correct probably using highlights, shadows and saturation also maybe checking that the greens haven't got into the yellows then when the Sun looks right (or as good as your going to get it) then blend it with the other Image (images) its a balancing act!
Veiling where a whole part of the scene is washed out by a haze or fog, is difficult and I have removed it before by pulling a graduated filter over it in LR and reducing the contrast and playing with the shadows. The detail is always going to be lost in this case.

With shooting into the sun your asking the camera to try and handle a massive dynamic range as I'm sure you know so your grads will be a great help. They also make a reverse grad, Formatt-Hitech and Singh-Ray I understand supply them. This is a special type Grad for sunrise / sunset and because the ND part of the grad is upside down, with the darker part at the middle of the filter and the lighter part at the top. This ensures the maximum light reduction when the sun is at or near the horizon. I have never used one but it might be worth considering.


Don't fall into the ABS (another bloody Sunset) trap though;) I guess what I'm trying to say is there are lots of sunset shots but without a subject (like your crane for example) its just ABS:). Location and Subject is everything. (I should listen to myself :eek:). I think what it is, is that a lot of people get swept away with a beautiful sunset and forget the basics!

"I would be disappointed if I trekked for hours to not get a useable photo" Welcome to our world:).
I have lost count of the times the camera hasn't even come out of the rucksack:rolleyes:.
I think most togs visit locations endless times just trying to get that perfect light.... it would be great if we could predict the weather very accurately would save a lot of early morning;).

I think the most important things is to scout out locations. Look at Google maps, and satellite images, check out other photographers photos and locations they have used, and log it all down so you build up a map and notes on various locations. Start Locally and work outwards. Take notes like car parking , access routes, (especially if you are likely to be ascending or descending in the dark) position of sun at various time of year. If your going up onto the hills or mountains, nearest emergency help, (Does your phone have a signal at the location). Emergency contact number in you car window (not your Mobile, but the number of someone that knows where your going and what your doing).There is an endless list I guess.

Just my 2d
Hope some of the waffle was useful!

PS here is another tool http://www.photopills.com/
 
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Light and conditions plus subject matter make or break you in landscapes. Your gear is more than upto the job.

Fwiw 2 and 3 are good. I'd liked to have seen you up river near the Clyde arc. That sky against lit up buildings would have been award winning stuff.

Or down river with a silhouette of the Erskine bridge reflected.

With one I think you're a bit late in the day and too far from the mountain.

You seem to be keen on what I like to shoot.

Here's some ideas for you,
http://www.sftphotography.co.uk/outdoor-photography-top-ten-images-2014/
 
There you go Kris..... Steve's you Man(y)
 
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