Post by The Herald on Apr 1, 2007 6:17:59 GMT
Landscape photography is one of the most popular forms out there. It is also one of the more difficult kinds of photography due to the elements that are involved in creating a well-snapped picture. Landscapes might be beautiful to the human eye, but a camera lens can only capture just so much. It also translates it to the film or memory card a bit differently then how we originally perceive it. That’s why there are specific elements that are taken into consideration when shooting a landscape. If not, the photo won’t have good composition to it and you might not feel as if it’s worth being put in your gallery.
The very first thing to be considered when shooting a landscape is what your color scale will be. Are you going to do it with your spectral scale, or will you grayscale it into black and white? Depending on which is chosen will determine a bit more as to what you are going to try and focus in on when you shoot the picture.
If it’s going to be done in grayscale, then you aren’t going to be focusing on the emotions that color sets off; so much as the emotions that texture, contrast, and gradation set off. To create the mood you will have to monitor the lighting of the area and the shadows that are cast around. The dramatic impact will be brought on by the interplay of light in the image. Shadows are essential to this feature. Another great way to achieve good effects with a grayscale image is to look for contrast in textures, for example moss growing on a stone wall.
With the spectral scale of colors, you are trying for an emotional impact. What kind of dramatic colors can you capture with your camera to really wow your audience? You can look for intense contrast of colors to help your image and to capture interest, among other things. With color, however, you lose the attention to many minute details that grayscale can illuminate. So both scales will have their pros and their cons.
In any landscape photo you are taking, you are going to need a focus—something that will grab the attention of the viewer into the photo, and then lead the eye to other areas. Going hand in hand with composition, this is essential to creating a shot worth the gallery. When looking at these two things, remember that the eye views things from the top left to the bottom right, and without balance and something to lead the eye, it’s going to cause “jumps” in the photo. Keep it smooth flowing and balanced to achieve good composition. With your focus object, try to have it leading into the rest of the picture. The focus should always lead right into a good composition in some way.
Lighting is another big thing with landscapes, and it is always good to know where the source of light is. Will it be front lighting, side lighting, or back lighting? Each one achieves its own effect. Front lighting comes from the behind the photographer and will reduce the amount of shadowing you have. Side lighting comes at angles and will give you a variety of shadows and highlights. Back lighting comes from in front of the photographer (often blinding, sunglasses are suggested), and will create silhouettes. So depending on how you want to capture that scene depends on how you want the lighting.
Something else to consider is the angle at which you are shooting the picture. Everyone views things at about the same eye level. So shooting from a very high area (like panoramic) or from a low angle (such as ground level) will add interest to the shot. This is because we don’t view the world at those angles every day. When you make the ordinary more extraordinary you have a better chance of enrapturing people in the scene you’ve created. Another item that is also rather closely related to angles is the horizon line. If you capture this in the shot, try for an angle that will break the mundane run of a line. Put the outcropping of the mountains in it, or the wisps of a foggy dawn—anything is better than a relatively flat line.
Filters can be essential to the photograph as well to enhance certain things, and to soften others. Depending on what you are shooting and what you want to capture will determine the filter you want to use. So keep filters in mind for those shots that might need a bit of adjusting to add interest or bring out some detail. They’re always helpful in doing so, and it’s more professional to alter the photo via filters than Photoshop or any other graphics program.
Also keep in mind your depth of field and use of lines. The depth of field is how images are going to be perceived when you put them onto a 2D surface, after being in a 3D world. Using an aperture setting that will blur the background, while keeping the foreground sharp, will give you the most natural effect. Lines are things in the picture that will be shown to move the eye and cause emphasis. Blurred lines suggest distance, while sharp ones suggest that it’s close by.
When you are shooting a landscape, you’re probably going to want a tripod. Landscapes often need to be set up, and timing might be essential in case a cloud passes over head or there’s an annoying fly that keeps trying to land on your lens. Whatever it is, it will cause camera shake as your arms get tired. Having a tripod eliminates this problem, unless of course there’s an earthquake. Then you have problems again, and they probably exceed that of camera shake. A wide-angle lens might also be of service to you, because it will allow you to capture more of the scene available. It all depends on your sense of creativity.
In short though, be sure to keep all aspects—both natural and mechanical—in mind when shooting a landscape. It will all play a part in the outcome of your photograph. The better planned it is, the better chance you have of creating a museum-quality picture.
Happy shooting!