A creative approach to landscape photography. Useful Tips for Shooting Landscapes

- genre visual arts, the main task of which is to display the surrounding nature both in its original form, and in a modified form by man to one degree or another. Since photography is a type of fine art, landscape photography fully complies with this definition. The main pictorial center of landscape photography is nature in all its manifestations.

Of course, landscape as a genre appeared long before the invention of photography - in painting. And honed for centuries artistic means landscape images formed a row necessary conditions must-haves for this genre of photography. Linear perspective , tonal (aerial) perspective, optical perspective,frame composition , light space and color - these are the main characteristics of landscape photography, which can not only very accurately convey the state of the surrounding nature at a certain point in time, but also highlight semantic center picture without the use of additional manipulative techniques. And despite the fact that in landscape photography, the presence of people or animals in the frame is allowed, they are clearly assigned the role of staffage - an element of the landscape that exists to revive the image and plays a secondary role in this image.

In essence, landscape photography is documentary photography about nature. By the type of space depicted, landscape photography can be terrestrial, water, astronomical and meteorological. Terrestrial landscape photography depicts landscape, relief and vegetation, and it can be rural and urban.

Water landscape (seascape, marina) Is an image of the water (sea) element.

Astronomical landscape photography depicts the heavens (stars, constellations, the sun, the moon),

and meteorological - weather and precipitation (fog, rain, clouds, tornado, etc.).

By the way of depicting space, landscape photography can be camera and panoramic. In this case, camera photography does not imply narrow circle viewers, but expresses purely technical characteristics- a small, narrow angle of view of the imaged area.

Panoramic landscape photography is the exact opposite - this is a photograph, the viewing angle of which can often exceed 180 degrees.

By the degree of perception by the viewer, the landscape can be, by analogy with music, minor or major. Tragic or solemn. Sad or cheerful. In solving this problem, the photographer comes to the rescue color theory, namely one of its sections - psychology of color... Knowing what colors and how they affect the mind of the viewer, the photographer can adjust color balance of the composition landscape to achieve a specific result. At the same time, in a landscape, not always cold shades can create an atmosphere of hostility, and warm ones - friendliness. Small colored vegetation against the background of black thunderclouds looks defenseless, and the picture as a whole evokes a feeling of anxiety, while the cold Elbrus evokes awe and delight in its grandeur.

Of course, several of the listed natural spaces and conditions can easily overlap in one shot at the same time, but in this case it will be important for a landscape photographer to decide what exactly is semantic center, and select this center with visual mediaperspectives, compositions, Sveta, colors.

If there is no such center, then landscape photography is purely aesthetic, narrative-specific in nature and is used for decorative, scientific or journalistic purposes. Landscape photography belongs to the category of aesthetic perception. plein air- true reproduction in the image of nature of the colorful richness of color changes in natural conditions under the influence of sunlight and the atmosphere.

If there is still a semantic center in landscape photography, then such a landscape will be charged with emotional-dramatic (or epic) energy and will acquire features artistic landscape photography.

As well as mandatory conditions creating landscape photography, there are a number of conditions that are specific in nature - dynamism , foreshortening , detail. Considering that photography is a static and soundless form of fine art, it is in a landscape photo that it is most difficult to convey certain atmospheric phenomena with great accuracy. How to show a strong wind in a photograph of a desert? How to portray mountain giants more majestically? It is in these cases that the knowledge of the dynamics of the frame, the point of the shooting and the angle of view save the landscape photographer.

Widespread in our time has received tourist landscape photography... Not being essentially a separate genre, tourist landscape photography has become very popular due to both the availability of photographic equipment and the ability to visit the most remote corners of our planet.

The main feature of landscape photography is its accessibility. It does not require any decorations and stunts, it does not depend on the mood of the model and the preferences of the customer. It depends on the surrounding nature and weather conditions. And in this sense landscape photography unique. Whether it is a park or an alley within the city, or maybe a mountain range or a quiet surface of a lake outside of it - wherever you are, on vacation or on a business trip, in your own country or abroad, it is everywhere - nature is amazing natural space that can change shape, content and color every minute, day after day, all year round, over the millennia ... And even if a landscape photograph taken by you does not contain any semantic core, it will always be aesthetic, which means it will always remind you of the essence and forms of beauty.

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Landscape photography can be divided into several components, the main of which are landscape photography and cityscape. The first part of our tutorial will focus on landscape photography.

Shooting landscapes is one of the most difficult and problematic areas of photography. I will say that for me, an experienced photographer, landscape photography still causes difficulties. It's not that difficult from a technical point of view - just have a tripod, a wide-angle lens and pay more attention to exposure. So what makes this kind of photography so challenging?

First of all, you need to be creative when shooting a landscape in order to be able to capture the mood and convey it to the viewer. If the technical side of the issue can be described, then regarding the creative component of photography can only be advised - you need to develop your vision of truly unique photographs.

Equipment

Let's start with the simplest. Which lens should you choose? While great photographs can be obtained with any lens, it is preferable to use wide-angle lenses. They allow you to capture the space of the landscape, emphasizing perspective, which adds depth to the image. If you are using a DSLR camera with an APS-C sensor, then pay attention to the wide-angle 10-20mm AF; for full-frame cameras there is a choice of lenses with 12-24 mm, 16-35 mm, 17-40 mm FR. The zoom lens is easy to use, but the best quality is provided by fixed focal length lenses. In the range of EGF 12-24, a wide viewing angle is provided, while 16-35 and 17-40 provide a much smaller viewing angle, but they provide less optical distortion, especially at the corners of the image. The use of ultra wide-angle lenses and a fisheye lens will make the pictures more expressive and original. But it will not be interesting to shoot all the frames only with “fishy”, so it is good as an addition to the main lens.

When shooting landscapes, small apertures are almost always used to obtain a large depth of field: usually f / 11 - f / 16. It is recommended to avoid very small apertures such as f / 32 as this will degrade image quality due to diffraction (an effect that reduces image sharpness and contrast).

When photographing landscapes, only manual focus should be used, especially when photographing objects in the foreground close to the camera.

ISO sensitivity must be set to the lowest that the camera allows, usually ISO 100-200. It is not recommended to use the ISO 50 extension, which is available as an option on some cameras, due to the reduced dynamic range. Shooting at ISO 100, the image will be virtually noise-free, with a wide dynamic range and excellent image quality that can be sharpened during processing without the fear of loud noise. Shutter speed: As you can imagine, the combination of a small aperture and low ISO values ​​will give a long shutter speed. Depending on the lighting conditions, the shutter speed can be from a fraction of a second (1/250 or 1/500) to several seconds or even minutes.

If you are seriously interested in landscape photography, then you must understand the need to use a tripod. A tripod is a key element for delivering sharp, detailed shots, especially at long exposures. Moreover, the tripod allows you to carefully choose and think over the composition. Using a tripod, it is possible to use a special technique that allows you to take stunning pictures: at sunrise or sunset, take a couple of shots of the same scene - the first exposure to the sky, the second to the foreground, then combine them - you get an original shot with the widest dynamic range. When shooting handheld, it will be impossible to shoot two absolutely identical shots.

When shooting landscape, we recommend using filters - polarizing, and. UV filters and safety filters are useless as they can reduce image quality, reduce sharpness, and increase the likelihood of glare. When choosing filters, it is important to take into account that their use on ultra-wide-angle lenses (18 mm or less) can lead to the undesirable effect of uneven illumination of the frame and vignetting.

Preparing to shoot

Much of the success of your photography depends on how well you prepare for it. You need to think carefully about what might interfere with filming or make you return. The more possible nuances you consider, the more likely you are to focus entirely on shooting. Solve organizational issues: how will you get to the shooting location, where you will stop. If you are not planning to stay overnight, you still need to consider the option of overnight stay - you may not calculate the time, circumstances may change.

Dress in a way that your clothes and shoes are comfortable. Take an umbrella or hooded jacket with you. Consider protecting your vehicle in case of heavy rainfall. A flashlight should be at hand. However, try to get out of the forest or mountains before dark, as spending the night there is not the best option. Get a map of the area, be guided by it and by objects that cannot be confused. It's a good idea to have a compass at your disposal.

Don't forget to bring food and water with you. It is better not to go to distant and desolate places alone. Make sure that the account mobile phone had money and his battery was fully charged. If you go by car, check the "spare", fill the tank with gasoline, do not leave in a faulty car. Tell friends, relatives exactly where you are going (going) and orienteering time when you will return.

Check the camera settings, battery charge, and memory card space before shooting. It's best to shoot in RAW by setting the white balance setting to auto, then you will find the desired balance in the converter. By using different white balance settings, you can provide more attractive color reproduction.

Light

Light is an essential element in landscape photography. The right light can transform even a nondescript subject, while the wrong light can ruin even the best scene. Interestingly, many aspiring photographers believe that a clear sunny day and clear sky are great conditions for shooting - but this is not the case - these are the worst conditions you can imagine for shooting landscapes. The best light is not the bright midday light, but the soft light of sunrise or sunset. Shadows are crisp, colors are warm, rich and pleasing to the eye. Experienced photographers call this time.

It is necessary to get up early and go to bed later to capture the landscape in this light, but the result is worth it. Sometimes, fantastic pictures can be taken even before the sun rises - it is quite possible to take beautiful landscape pictures even at night. Whenever possible, capture the moon to make it more interesting.

If you don't have the ability or desire to wait for dusk or dawn, shoot at noon is another strategy for getting better lighting. If the sky is cloudless, try to exclude it from the frame as much as possible and, conversely, if the clouds form an intricate pattern, be sure to make the sky part of the composition. A polarizing filter in this case will help to emphasize the contrast between clouds and sky and make colors more saturated.

Another way to get a great shot is a black and white shot. Even in low light, a photo can be captured perfectly by converting it to black and white, but not all images will benefit from “discoloration”. In black-and-white mode, frames saturated with textures, edges and other contrasting elements clearly benefit, while others can look "flat". In any case, do not hesitate to experiment with contrast when post-processing in a graphics editor (not in-camera!).

Shooting midday, sunset or sunrise is not the only time a photographer can get a good shot. Even when the sky is overcast or in a pouring rain, you can get a great shot. Clouds and stormy skies will add the appropriate mood to the photo, allow you to give landscapes an unusual look.

Mood

The same places can look very different. The weather, time of day and many other factors affect the environment - it is never the same.

The two pictures show the same waterfall. The first picture was taken in summer, on a sunny day - the waterfall is almost invisible, and the light is not very pleasant. In short, this is a typical photo taken by a typical tourist. The second photo was taken on a day when no one would have thought to visit this waterfall. A cold autumn day, fog and rainy weather, which intensified the waterfall, filled the picture with mood - it is mesmerizing.

Do not be afraid to shoot in the rain or snow - professional lenses and cameras are dust and moisture resistant (you can find out from the description of your photographic equipment), and even if not, you can get 100% protection from moisture by purchasing a special plastic or polyethylene casing.

Use a gradient filter to reduce the brightness of the cloudy, colorless sky and the appearance of the cloud texture. This will add extra dimension to your shot. When you turn on the blue sky fragments in the break of the clouds, the effect of the gradient filter on them will be equivalent to the action of the polarizing filter.

Seasons

Each season gives the photographer its own gifts, so don't postpone shooting the landscape just for your summer vacation.

SHOOTING IN AUTUMN, IN PASTY WEATHER
When photographing rain, it is necessary to strongly aperture the lens in order to shoot at a slow shutter speed. In this case, the raindrops will appear as stripes, which will give the impression of rainy weather in the picture. You just need to be careful not to get rain drops on the lens. Drops will result in blurred images.

You can shoot spectacular landscapes in foggy weather. The foggy impression can be enhanced by placing a rare silk mesh in front of the lens. To convey the depth of space, some dark object must be placed in the foreground in the frame.

WINTER LANDSCAPE
On bright, sunny days, the contrast of the landscape is very high, which is caused by the combination of dazzling highlights in the snow and, say, dark trees, especially conifers.

It is better to photograph a winter landscape in the morning or in the evening, when the oblique rays of the sun create elongated shadows - this enlivens the composition and well emphasizes the texture of the snow.

The snow in the winter shot should be well defined. Therefore, when photographing a landscape in which snow takes up most of the frame, the exposure is determined by measuring the brightness of the snow. If the snow and dark objects in the subject are of equal visual quality, the exposure is determined by their average brightness, but taking into account the greater elaboration of details in the snow compared to dark objects.

Composition

1. Rule of thirds

Good composition is an essential part of landscape photography, but it is also the most difficult task. There are a few "rules" to help you improve your composition, but you must constantly develop your "creative" eye to get decent shots.

The most common mistake aspiring photographers are placing the horizon line in the center of the frame - resulting in a static and unbalanced image. The first step in improving composition is shooting the landscape according to the rule of thirds. We have already considered it in our previous tutorials on composition, but it will not be superfluous to remind. It's very simple - mentally divide the frame into three parts horizontally. And shoot in 1/3 foreground, 2/3 sky or vice versa - 2/3 foreground, and 1/3 sky. In other words, create an asymmetrical composition.

Naturally, the rule of thirds will not be a panacea for all photographs, but you need to remember about it.

2. Foreground and perspective

One of the most effective ways to create a strong composition is to use a wide angle of view and place an object (flower, stone, etc.) in the foreground.This object, combined with the perspective enhanced by the wide-angle lens, will give a sense of depth.

The depth of field must be able to accommodate all objects. Therefore, it is recommended to set the aperture values ​​to f / 11 or f / 16.

3. Other elements of the composition

There are many elements in nature that help create an expressive composition - the diagonals are the most influential of these. Use diagonal lines to draw the viewer's attention to the subject. If you take a closer look, you will see that everything around is subordinated to some guides. Look for guidelines and try to fit them into the composition.

Patterns (repeating shapes) and textures are other elements in the composition. It is not easy to see natural patterns in nature, but various textures are common: small particles of sand, tree bark, stones and many more interesting objects will help make the picture more interesting.

The main thing in the frame

Determine what will be the main thing in the frame. It can be a lonely tree, rock, mountain, picturesque forest, slope, road. Using the composition grid on the LCD (viewfinder), divide the frame into thirds and position main object at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal grid lines.

Try to make sure that there are three shots in the picture: foreground, middle and far - this will make the landscape look more voluminous, and the space will be better conveyed. The foreground should be drawn clearly, in detail, the background may well be blurred, hidden by atmospheric haze.

Try not to make the landscape "empty". It is better to fill the empty space, if possible. In the sky, this filler can be clouds. In the foreground are shrubs, tall grass, stones, leaves, branches, animals.

Do not try to place everything that you see in one frame at once, get rid of the random and monotonous space that inexpressively fills most of the frame - water, sky, foliage. Leave only the most important, beautiful and interesting. Look for open spaces in the forest.

Too dense foliage, branches create variegation, small highlights and very thick shadows that look like "black dips" in the photograph - such pictures look worse than a carefully thought-out composition.

If you can't find the fill, crop the image to highlight the more interesting part of the landscape. You can walk a little and take different pictures - straight or at an angle, from the bottom point. Climb a hill, a slide, any structure - from there you can take a multi-dimensional spatial panoramic photo.
When choosing a plot, look for main element the landscape that will be accentuated, and the way in which the environment will accentuate and complement it. When composing your shot, make sure that the subject fits harmoniously with the subject. For example, a tree should not grow from the bottom of the frame - leave some space at the bottom; don't cut the mountain off the top, leave some "air".

When photographing a landscape, always pay attention to the fragments, because it is not at all necessary to shoot only general shots. A close look can highlight an interesting part of the landscape, beautiful and expressive details. But do not get carried away with strong zooming - here you need to preserve the integrity of the fragment, otherwise the image will end up with an abstract piece torn out of the general plan, devoid of meaning.

Panorama

Finally, practice taking panoramas. Several rules should be followed here. All future shots of your panorama should have the same scale of the subject, so do not focus closer or further away from it. The aperture value should be kept constant. The frames need to be done with some overlap. Otherwise, due to the lack of information at the edges of the frames, the program for stitching panoramas will not be able to collect the final image.

You can use the bracketing function in your camera to avoid exposure errors.

Shooting water

If it is necessary to photograph water covered with ripples or a small wave, then it is removed with counter-side illumination at an angle of 35-45 ° to the optical axis of the lens.

Water against the light is photographed when rays from the sun, hidden by a cloud, strike the water, creating expressive shiny stripes. But care must be taken to keep the sun out of the field of view of the lens.

It is better to shoot the sea from a high point. Then the water space takes up a significant part of the frame, the photo is more expressive.

Surf is usually photographed from a low point with a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 s.

It is better to shoot flowing water with a short shutter speed. In this case, there is a slight blurring of the image, which creates the impression of water movement.

Mountain landscape

In the mountains, it is best to shoot early in the morning. During these hours, the air is transmitted most effectively. Cloudy weather also contributes to more expressive pictures.

On sunny days, the subject should be chosen with a dark foreground, the brightness of which determines the exposure. In this case, the distance will be somewhat overexposed and will appear on the print lighter than the foreground, which will emphasize the depth of space, fill the landscape with a feeling of air and spaciousness.

Side lighting is considered the best, since it emphasizes the shape of the mountains, and the haze illuminated by oblique rays creates the impression of depth. When the sun is behind the camera, the image becomes flat. When - from the front, the picture is very contrasty, details, especially in the foreground, disappear.

Photographing a mountain landscape during the day with a high sun position brings out details in the image without sufficient contrast.

When determining the exposure, it is necessary to take into account that the intensity of solar illumination increases with altitude in the mountains, and it acquires a different character than on the plain. With height, there is a decrease in the brightness of the shadows and an increase in the brightness of the light areas of the landscape. Therefore, when shooting a distance without a foreground, the shutter speed is reduced compared to shooting on flat terrain: at an altitude of 500 m by 1/4, 1000 m - by 1/2, 2000 m - by 3/4, 3000 m - by half.

To get glare on the surface of the glacier, you should photograph in backlight.

The main question of the topic: how to learn to see beautiful landscapes?

A beautiful landscape is based on the fact that the plot unites everything in the frame and subordinates the environment to a common idea - the author's thought, creating a certain mood, emotions, conclusions in the viewer.

I wish you success and everything photographic!

When you think of something as classic as landscape photography, chances are you are imagining high mountains or tranquil seascapes. But what do you do if these places are not available ... or maybe you just want to photograph something else?

1. Capture local landscapes

There are many very good reasons to start photographing local landscapes and not waste time traveling and try your luck and get the practical experience in the end that was right under your nose.

We should all take a break from photographic "norms" and there is nothing wrong with that. But will it reward you with the great images you've dreamed of?

Photo trips away from home are a great way to recharge your “creative batteries” and gain invaluable experience, but in photography, this means you are playing a very gamble.

Without knowledge of the area and depending on unfavorable weather conditions, you can return home empty-handed.

Whereas, by concentrating on your home place, you are much more likely to be in the right place at the right time and therefore, by capitalizing on better conditions.

The main advice
Many photographs show what kind of deep knowledge of the landscape you want to show.

It will be much easier to do this in your home area than away from home. You will have better performance about when flowers and trees bloom, what angle of the sun throughout the year and what the best time day to visit a particular place.

2. Do your photographs tell a story?

Good landscape photography is a bit like a good story. She needs a beginning, a middle and an end.

The landscape should have three components - foreground, golden mean and background. This rule can help you make your images more effective.

Of course, not all images fall into this simplistic kind of composition, but in most cases, you won't lose if you follow this rule. It's also a very good way to frame your photos from front to back.

Once you have constructed your images using this method, you will instinctively begin to “compose” your photographs. The end result is a photograph in which the foreground subject is closely related to the background.

One way to do this is to give a strong foreground accent and then compose the shot. Thus, the eye moves to something interesting in the middle of the photo and its background.

On the other hand, the background may be the most important object of the picture, in which case the foreground should cause some interest, but should not distract attention from itself.

The main advice
This approach to composition tends to work better when used with wide angle lens... This is done in order to represent the foreground of the photo as well as its background well enough.

Just be careful not to photograph too wide an angle. By changing the perspective, you will greatly reduce the significance of the background objects.

3. Use side lighting to add depth to your images

Using side lighting will add a sense of depth to your landscape images. This method is one of the best for creating shadows and revealing the shape of objects.

We often tell newbies to photography to photograph with the sun over their shoulder. But when it comes to landscape photography, this is not the best solution.

The problem is that front lighting makes the landscape very flat and two-dimensional. In this case, shadows appear behind the subject and are therefore hidden from the camera.

If you simply rearrange the camera so that the sunlight falls from the side, then create all the conditions for the appearance of a three-dimensional landscape.

Shadows now fall across the frame to help bring out the shape of objects within the landscape and help create the illusion of depth in the final photo.

The main advice
The lower the position of the sun in the sky, the more shadows there will be. Therefore, it will turn out to reveal more features of your landscape.

Generally, the best time to shoot landscapes is when your own shadow is longer than your height, i.e. try to avoid the midday sun and take pictures in the early morning or late afternoon.

You can read about this time, which is called, in more detail on our website.

4. Give the weather a chance

Blue and clear skies are good for sunbathing. But if you want to give your landscape some kind of drama, then we advise you not to be lazy and go to shoot in the rain.

Weather is often a decisive factor when it comes to landscape photography, and as long as blue skies are pleasant and peaceful, they won't thrill the world.

No drama, that's what you need. Large, brooding skies full of intent or piercing rays of sunlight shining through rain clouds.

To capture such exciting moments, you must be prepared for multiple setbacks, as well as be prepared for a great opportunity to get a good wet.

The sun can only rise for a few moments, so you need to be fully armed, with the correct camera settings and ready to shoot.

It often takes a long wait and you can only be rewarded in isolated cases.

But these moments will never happen again, and only you will have this magical picture.

Windy or rainy days are also very good for transient light, during which time the clouds move constantly, allowing sunlight to seep through narrow gaps.

5. Eliminate the sky

A good sky can play a big role in landscape photography, but if the sky is of no interest then feel free to crop it out.

Small, cloudless, blue skies are more or less acceptable, but if they are uniform, pale gray in color, it is usually best to eliminate them altogether.

You just need to re-evaluate your capabilities. Forested interiors, waterfalls, and coastal scenes all look really good on cloudy weather. In most cases, much better results are obtained when shooting in soft light than in bright sunlight.

This is due to the fact that when working in cloudy weather, the contrast level is much lower. It allows you to preserve in detail, both dark and light areas of the image.

The main advice
Take full advantage of cloudy weather. Set a slow shutter speed to capture moving water as creative blur.

You will get rich colors by installing a polarizing filter to remove surface reflections from water and foliage.

The polarizer will also reduce light reaching the sensor. This means you can shoot at longer exposure values.

All images by Mark Hamblin.

Landscape is one of the most popular and widespread genres in photography. Sooner or later, all the masters of their craft pass through the passion for landscape photography. And there are reasons for this: when shooting a landscape or panorama, you can get great results even without using expensive equipment and a specially equipped workshop or studio with special lighting. All that is required to create a masterpiece is a camera and, preferably, a tripod, as well as certain professional skills and a fair amount of patience. It should be noted that very often the final result depends not only and not so much on the camera, but on the skill of the photographer. Of course, any photography is, first of all, a creative process, but there are a number of rules, the observance of which will allow you to avoid common mistakes made by novice photographers.

Lighting

The object of attention of the landscape photographer, first of all, is nature. Of course, the landscape can be urban, rural or marine; it can be panorama or macro photography; the pictures may contain buildings, animals and even people, however, the main difference here is the lack of artificial studio lighting. Landscapes are shot in natural conditions. This means that the issue of illumination should be taken very seriously, since the final result often depends on the light, or rather on the play of light and shadows. Morning and evening are considered the most favorable for shooting landscapes, when the sun is not high in relation to the horizon. It was at this time that the most contrasting images were obtained with a rich and varied play of light and shadows. As a rule, at noon such results cannot be achieved due to the blinding sun and the almost complete absence of shadows - the pictures come out bright, but lifeless and “ flat". Late evening, after sunset, is also not the best time of day. For shooting at twilight, you need a powerful camera with a good lens and noise reduction system, as well as, preferably, an external flash. Otherwise, the pictures will be blurry, grainy, with a lot of digital noise. It is equally important to choose a suitable position in relation to the light source, in particular the sun. It is not recommended to shoot against the sun, as you risk getting completely blown out photos. Ideally, the light source should be located behind the photographer's back.

Shot composition

An equally important condition for obtaining a truly successful landscape is composition, that is, what falls into the frame and how objects in the frame are located in relation to each other. It is not enough just to choose a picturesque area - often the charming landscapes in the pictures seem trivial, and, on the contrary, in the most ordinary setting you can create a real masterpiece. To do this, you need to understand what exactly is the main subject of the photo, why you are shooting it, and how the photo can become more expressive. It is necessary to remember some of the golden rules of the photographer:

. Rule of thirds... When composing your shot, try to mentally divide the frame into three equal parts horizontally. If you want to draw attention to the landscape, then it should occupy two-thirds of the image. Conversely, if it is necessary to emphasize the beauty of the sky, the horizon line should follow the lower horizontal line.

. Golden ratio rule... Similarly, mentally divide the image into three parts horizontally and three parts vertically. The most significant objects should be located at the intersection of these virtual lines. It is best if the main object is one, for example, a tree, house, stone or flower. ()

. Diagonal rule... Objects such as a road, river, path are best placed along the diagonal of the frame. The picture will look more lively and dynamic.

And finally, one important nuance for a professional landscape photographer is the mandatory use of a tripod. Without this accessory, it will be very difficult to create a truly professional picture, since ideal lighting conditions are rare in nature, which means that even a slight shake of the hands can provoke blurry and blurry pictures.
Of course, all of these rules are just the foundation of your creativity. However, their practical application will greatly facilitate the process of mastering landscape photography techniques.

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Landscape in photography

Landscape is one of the most popular and widespread genres in photography. Sooner or later, all the masters of their craft pass through the passion for landscape photography. And there are reasons for this: when shooting landscapes, you can get great results even without using expensive equipment.

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Several years ago I became interested in landscape photography. This is a fantastic hobby, very rewarding and very teaching. I do not consider myself a professional in this field yet, but I have some useful tips that can be useful to those who are just starting to get acquainted with the world of landscape photography.

Why you need to study the shooting location

If you are planning a photography tour, it is important to do some preparatory research. Use the internet to find as much information as possible about a future filming location. Try to identify potentially interesting locations and find out the best times to shoot - some locations are most photogenic during certain times of the year, while others are most photogenic throughout the year. Try to avoid the peaks of the tourist seasons as in popular locations, many people will get in the way of your shots.

There are some great utilities to help you prepare for your trip. Google Maps and Google Earth will allow you to get an idea of ​​exactly how everything looks there, and in some cases even take pictures without getting up from your computer! A detailed view is not yet available for all points, but at least you can get a rough idea of ​​the places you are going to visit.

Another great utility for the landscape photographer is The Photographers Ephemeris. This component will tell you the exact time of sunrise and sunset of the sun and moon on any day anywhere in the world. Moreover - it will show you the direction in which the sun or moon will be at this time. Based on this information, you can plan your shoot more carefully.

Regardless of whether you plan to shoot on the road or near your home - take a look at the photos that other photographers have taken in the area. This will give you ideas for locations to shoot. But don't just try to copy their successful photographs, have your own perspective.

Conduct local reconnaissance

Your journey does not end with the start research... While the Internet allows you to plan and prepare your trip, nothing replaces walking around a location in terms of finding the locations from where you will be filming. Use the middle of the day for this exploration when the light is too harsh for photography. This will allow you to present your shots and their composition before you go to shoot. The last thing you want to do when the light is right is to desperately search for the best vantage point.

This is the most time-consuming and boring part of the photo tour, but if you do not have an organizer or do not know the place well, this is a necessary evil.

Getting a great composition

Once you've found an interesting spot, you still have to decide how to compose your shot. This is a very subjective area and it is difficult to give precise recipes for what is good and what is bad for composition. The best photographers seem to have their eyes arranged in such a way that they can immediately see from which angle and from where it is best to take a picture that will attract the viewer. There are several rules that are customary to follow, but on the other hand whole line outstanding photographs violates these rules, so do not take them as dogma. However, keep these in mind:

  • Avoid clutter. Include in the frame only what you want to show to the viewer. The most the best photos usually simple and clean. If unwanted objects such as electric poles, cars, roads, buildings, etc. enter the frame. - try a different angle in which they are not visible. Small objects can be removed in post-processing, but large ones will distract the viewer.

Simple compositions are usually the best.

  • Include an interesting foreground. You should not rely only on the beauty of the sky when shooting a sunset. Foreground objects such as rocks, water, etc. balance the photo and draw attention to the photo.

Lots of boulders create an interesting foreground.

  • Leading lines are a great way to draw attention to a photo. Pier, piers and roads are obvious examples, but look at rocky formations too.

Using stones to create leading lines.

  • Avoid placing the horizon or the focus of the picture in the center of the frame. Use the rule of thirds as a guide to cropping.

And do not forget to regard all of the above as recommendations only. Rules are made to be broken!

Waiting for the light

After the work on the study of the area is completed, it's time to move to the selected location and wait for the correct light to release the shutter. The future does not depend on you in any way, and you just have to rely on mother nature in everything.

The best time to take a photo is the clock around sunrise and sunset, which is commonly referred to as a golden clock by photographers. At other times during the day, the light is usually too harsh and flat, which makes the photos look dull and washed out. There are, of course, exceptions, but most of the beautiful landscape photographs are taken in the golden hours.

After you have built your compositional frame, it remains only to wait for the right light. This is easier said than done! There are days (in fact, there are many such days) when Mother Nature does not want to play with you and shows you the sunrise or sunset is not as beautiful as you expect. This is the hardest part of being a landscape photographer in my opinion - no matter how much effort you put into preparation and planning, how well equipped you are, how experienced you are as a photographer - if you don't have the right light, you won't get beautiful photos.

Moments like these are hard to get through - coming back empty-handed after getting up at 4am to shoot the sunrise is never fun - but when it's done, little things like that are quickly forgotten. There is nothing better for a landscape photographer than when the light is good and you capture this magic with your camera.

It's worth it when everything works out.

Lighting types

Depending on where the sun is, there are different types lighting. The type of light you use is sometimes dictated by the landscape you are shooting, but sometimes you can use different composition options and therefore lighting. It is generally accepted that for landscapes, side light is best suited, with the sun to the left or right of the camera. This is due to the contrast between light and shadow created by directional light and adds depth to the shot. However, backlight and front light, when the sun is behind or in front of you, can also create good photographs.

I often shoot against the sun because I believe that this is where the most intense colors are concentrated. To do this, it is better to wait until the sun is low enough above the horizon to avoid highlights and sun glare in the frame. When the sun is higher, side lighting is preferred.

Side lighting creates long shadows, adding shape and texture to the photograph.

The front light accentuates the clouds beautifully.

Shots with the sun in the frame usually look impressive if the highlights are under control.

Equipment

One of the questions I am often asked (especially by non-photographers) is what kind of camera and lenses do I use. For me, this is a bit of a strange question - like a question to an artist about what brand of brushes he uses, or to a builder - what brand of his hammer. The point is that neither the camera nor the lenses have a very noticeable effect on the final result. Yes, it's true that top-end cameras produce higher-resolution photos with less noise, and better lenses produce slightly sharper photos, etc., but if you don't print huge prints, then this is not so important.

By the way, now I use Canon 40D, and lenses most often - Sigma 10-20 and Tamron 17-50. However, some of my earlier shots were taken with a Canon 350D, which is inferior in functionality to any camera today. entry level, but giving more than acceptable results.

Filmed onCanon 350D.

A tripod is a necessary piece of equipment due to the fact that many shots are taken in conditions of lack of light, which leads to slower shutter speeds than can be shot handheld. Another advantage of a tripod is that it allows you to compose the shot in advance and also to do bracketing (multiple shots of the same frame with different exposures).

Exposure bracketing is important when it is not possible to capture the entire dynamic range of the frame in one shot. For example, at sunrise or sunset, the sky may be several stops brighter than the foreground. Typically, the difference in brightness is too great for the camera, so a compromise is needed. Either preserve shadows at the cost of losing highlights, or vice versa - in any case, some of the details will be lost.

When taking multiple shots with different exposures of the same frame, you can assemble the frame in post-processing via HDR or layer blending. For such processing, it is desirable that the camera remains stationary between shots - which is why a tripod is so important. Almost all SLR cameras have an auto exposure bracketing mode that can be enabled via the menu.

HDR image obtained from 3 frames.

Until now, the most important part of my equipment is filters. In particular, gradient filters. These are square plates, in which one half is light and the other is dark with a gradient transition between them. The dark part is neutral gray and is intended to reduce the light intensity in that part of the frame (usually the sky). They are available in different weights (1 to 4 stops) and are also available in soft and hard versions. Soft have more smooth transition gradient and are used when the foreground overlaps the sky (for example, mountain peaks), while the hard ones have a sharper border and are used when there is no strong sky overlap with the foreground.

I use gradient filters for almost all of my sunset / sunrise photos, where 3 and 4 stop hard filters are most useful. They balance the difference between the brightness of the sky and the foreground and allow me to be limited to one shot instead of several, which are then collected on the computer. I find it more appropriate to take a photo in camera than spending extra time processing the photos and getting the result I want.

Gradient filters. On the left with a hard border, on the right with a soft one.

A 3-stop hard gradient filter balances a bright sky with a dark foreground.

Another filter that I use is a polarizer. The two main uses for polarizers are to reduce glare (such as from water) and enhance color intensity (such as blue skies or fall foliage). This filter cannot be simulated by post-processing.

A polarizer can enhance the color of autumn leaves.

The third type of filter that I use is a powerful neutral gray (ND) filter. Unlike gradient filters, it is all dark and reduces the intensity of light across the entire field of the frame, and not in specific places. An ND filter is usually used to use slower shutter speeds than the available light allows. This is especially useful for capturing flowing water, as long exposures give the water a smoother ethereal look that many photographers like.

ND filters are available in various strengths, usually up to 3 stops (they reduce the amount of light entering the matrix by 8 times). However, much stronger filters are also available, such as the B + W ND110. This is a 10 stop filter and it reduces the amount of light by 1000 times! This strong filter gives some creative possibilities for shooting in light conditions where the light is usually too harsh for landscape photography, especially with moving clouds and flowing water in the frame.

Lake Hayes, Queenstown. Shot with a 10 stopND filter on a sunny day.

A 10-stop ND filter can be used to capture dawn at long exposures.

Post-processing

Since I shoot in RAW format, all my images are post-processed to some extent. RAW frames contain raw, uncompressed information received by the camera. In contrast, the JPEG format assumes conversion and post-processing (sharpness, saturation, contrast and other parameters) in the camera. So when people show off their photos “straight from the camera” and “unprocessed,” it usually means that they shot in JPEG and left the processing of the photos to the camera's automation. While this is by far the most convenient option, and for some types of photography where you need to quickly get pictures, it is necessary, but I think it is better to control the processing of your pictures yourself.

The main advantage when shooting RAW is that you get more information to work with. After converting an image to JPEG, a lot of information is lost forever, and the RAW file contains all the information that the camera was able to obtain. This gives you more freedom to adjust exposure and other parameters, allowing you to process the file. different ways... This can come in handy when your handling skills improve (or better ones become available.) software) and you'll want to re-process old photos. RAW files are sometimes referred to as digital negatives.

The degree of post-processing is determined by your personal taste. Some people prefer minimal processing, such as sharpening, reducing noise, and slightly improving contrast, curves, and saturation. Others prefer to use their artistic vision to give their photos a surreal look (this is especially true for many HDR enthusiasts). Personally, I prefer to give the floor to natural light without being interrupted by post-processing. However, if the natural light was too average or I am in a creative mood, I can use other processing techniques. Most of my pictures are classified as having minimal processing.

Good light minimizes the need for processing.

A more creative look with post-processing.

Summary

Taking good landscape photos is easy if you do it wisely. In essence, it is enough to come to Right place at the right time and, knowing a few simple tricks, take a picture. The most important thing is to leave the house more often and take pictures. The best way to learn something is to make mistakes, and remember to have fun filming!