[Photography] 10 Tips for Better Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is a very popular genre and many amateur photographers start their hobbies doing it. There is, however, a lot more to it than just going out somewhere beautiful, putting your camera up to your face, and clicking the shutter button.

Have you gone out and taken some landscape photos, then found that they didn’t look that good when you got home? Do you get lost when you go out, and don’t know what to photograph, or how? Here are 10 tips to help you get you do better landscape photography.

A bush trying to grow on the edge of some cliffs show how harsh the environment is and leads you to the cliffs.

1 – Work the scene

One thing you see a lot of new photographers doing is walking up to a scene, taking one photo, and think they are done. However, a more experienced person will take a lot more photos, and spend time walking around and seeing what they can get from that scene.

Think about different angles, and different heights. With digital you can take so many photos, and it won’t cost you anything, other than a few minutes. So work the scene, and see what else you can get.

2 – Leading lines and patterns

This is something that we all learn from the beginning, find a leading line that will take your viewer into the image. Fences, roads, or anything that is like a line, that starts at the side of the frame, and takes people into your image. It is the invitation to look at the photo.

Patterns can be a great way attracting attention. If you notice a pattern somewhere, and take a photo of it, there is a good chance that your audience will also find it interesting. Patterns can be anywhere, in the ground, on the bark of trees, how they are planted. They can be fascinating.

Roads can be great leading lines to take your viewer into your image.

3 – Time of day

This is something that we all learn at the beginning, time of day is important. It is also dependent on the time of the year. Here in Southern Australia you can shoot all day long in winter. The sun is never high in the sky, the shadows are soft, and it is a great time of the year to take photos. On the other hand, summer is terrible. It is hot, the light is harsh, the shadows are sharp, and often the colors in your images can look bleached.

Think about where you are, and what time of the day is best where you want to take photos. Some people prefer early morning, there aren’t many people around, and you can get what you want before the day starts. Others prefer later in the day, and don’t mind sharing their location.

Some areas that you want to photograph will be better for sunrise, as you may not be able to get a sunset there. Or it could be the other way around. Many coastal areas on the east coast of Australia mean that is it almost impossible to get a sunset, so you need to get up early and aim for sunrise instead.

Early morning can mean sunrise, but at certain times you can also get mist on water.

4 – Look at your foreground

The foreground is often forgotten when taking landscape photos, but sometimes what is right in front of you is exactly what you need to make your image stronger.

Some images of landscapes can be a bit more interesting by adding a small plant or something that is in the front, close to the camera. It can also be a leading point to the scene at the back of the image.

The foreground plants give interest to the landscape behind.

5 – Look at what other photographers do

Without a doubt, one of the best things you can do is to look at other photographers, and take note of what they do. Don’t underestimate how much you can learn by looking at the work of others. Not just good or professional people, but also amateurs, you can see the good and the bad.

Look work that you like and determine why you like it, exactly what it is that you think makes it work. Can you pinpoint what it is about that image that makes you jealous that you didn’t take it?

Take notes of images that you don’t think are very good. Analyze them and see what it is that you find isn’t working. Learn from them, and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes.

6 – Think about the seasons

It’s very easy to go out one day and take photos of a particular place, then forget it exists, but what about thinking about other times of the year. Some places will look better in summer than they do in winter. Spring could be a time with lots of flowers, while autumn will give you colourful trees.

Photographing the same place throughout the year can give you a different feeling to your images every time you go there.

It is also a good idea to think about where you want to take photos, then consider what will be the best season to show it off. The mountains can look sparse and uninspiring in the summer, but in winter they are covered in snow; it adds a different dimension.

Autumn can bring lots of color to your landscape photography.

7 – Look for the smaller landscape

When you are out, it is very easy to put on a wide angle lens, and take all your photos with it. Most landscapes are wide vistas showing the scene that is before you. But, there are other ways to show what is there. Look around for objects or flora that you can use in the foreground. This is especially good if the subject is in the distance. It can give something interesting in front of your image.

Try taking a zoom or macro lens with you. You might be able to photograph something like the flora. Don’t just zoom right in on flowers that may be growing on it, try considering the whole plant and where it is situated. It can you give it some context as to its environment. This can help you tell a whole other story at times.

Flowers trying to grow in sand helps to tell the story of the location.

8 – What equipment do you need

You don’t need anything special to photograph landscapes, a camera with a decent lens is enough. You can use a compact camera just as well as a DSLR, it is really up to you.

If you are using a DSLR then you probably want a wide angle lens, or something a bit longer. Landscape photographers tend to use wide angles more, though many also use up to 200mm lenses as well. You don’t need the best camera that is available, and often it’s the lens choice that will give you the best results.

A sturdy tripod is good to have. The best advice is to get the best you can afford, don’t skimp on the price, you will regret it later if you do. A remote shutter release is a great piece of kit to have as well, or you can use the self-timer on your camera.

When you progress, and as you get more skilled at landscapes, the equipment list tends to grow. You will find yourself wanting items like filters for long exposures or better lenses. The list can be endless.

9 – Tripod: when to use or not

There is an opinion that if you are a serious landscape photographer, then you will always use a tripod, no matter what. If you are not, then you can’t be sincere about your craft.

It’s one way of looking at it. But, so many new and experienced photographers, find it can be limiting, or stifle your creative flow; that you can’t move around easily when taking your photos.

The short answer to this is that you have to feel comfortable when you are doing photography, so there is nothing wrong with not using a tripod. Though you also have to accept that, at times, you may not get the sharpest images – so it’s a trade-off.

If you are shooting at night then a tripod is a must, especially if you don’t want noisy photos. A tripod means you can use the best settings on your camera to get the highest quality image.

10 – Look for the story

There is no denying that some places you go to will seem boring, and you will wonder why on earth you went there. It’s one of those times when you will want to consider other tips here, but one tip that can really help is to find the story of the area.

Consider where you are, and why you went. Is there some history that you can see that still remains? How can you incorporate that into the image to show the story?

In many places in Victoria, Australia, you can travel to a town and find very little there. The only thing there might be grain silos, and fields of crops in various stages of growth. Look at the silos up close, and see if you can photograph how long they have been standing there. Look for how they are used. There will always be railway tracks next to them, so shoot how they lead you to the silos (see tip #1 above). Maybe do one from a distance showing the silos standing tall in a flat country. The story becomes all about the silos and that countryside.

Landscape photography is wonderful, and what you can take photos of is endless. Think about all the tips here and they should help you do your best landscape photography.

Please share any other tips you have for landscape photography, and your images in the comments below. If you use some of the tips, let me know how they worked out for you.

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[Photography] 7 Tips to Improve Your Skyline Photos

Is there a more iconic photograph to depict a big city, than a beautiful photograph of its skyline? Skylines can provide stunning photographs that have a big sale potential, but to capture those wow shots, you have to be prepared to plan for them in advance, and to allow time and patience, as well as determination, to capture them. Here are some tips to help you capture striking skyline photos.

1 – Plan in Advance

Like most types of photography, you will need to plan, and research, in advance to get the perfect skyline shot. It’s all about finding the right location, so before you even get on the plane you should have an idea of where you might be able to get a good view from, and with Google Maps it’s now easier than ever to plan your skyline photos. Start by looking at where the city center is on a map, and identify vantage points around it that could give you a good view. Keep in mind that if want to capture a wide photo of the skyline you will need to be a fair distance away.

Parks, river fronts, lakes, and harbors generally offer a good view of the skyline (if they face in the right direction), so look for these on a map, and make a note so that you can scout them out when you’re on location. You can also research image libraries to see what already exists, that can give you an indication of what viewpoints are available.

2 – Speak to Locals

No one else knows the city better than the residents and locals, so get friendly and take advantage of their knowledge. After all, the people who live in a city will often, over time, go beyond the post card locations and might be able to offer you advantageous advice, which gets you a unique image.

For example, as a Londoner, I know that most people head to the river or one of the number of bridges across the Thames to get a photo of London’s skyline, but you could actually get a very unique view from some of the amazing bars such as the Vertigo Bar.

Speaking to locals means you could get unique views that others won’t see.

3 – Lenses, Tripods, and Filters

I’m one of the biggest advocates of not carrying too much equipment, however when you are photographing skylines it’s best to ensure you have what you might need. These include:

• A tripod if you are photographing early morning, late afternoon, or at any other time that might need long exposures.
• A wide angle lens is usually what you will need, but there may also be occasions where you need a telephoto lens if you are far away from the skyline.
• An array of filters – these could be anything from Neutral Density filters to Polarizing filters and more.

The key is to make sure you have everything you need, as you might not get a second chance. So it might be worth paying for a taxi there and back, to avoid having to carry lots of heavy equipment or leaving something behind.

4 – Early Morning and Late Afternoon Light

It is not a coincidence that most of the skyline photos that wow, are usually taken at dawn or dusk. The hour after sunrise, and the hour before sunset, give a beautiful light, which can transform any scene. In fact, you can get two very contrasting photos taken from the same place at different times of the day. Instead of getting to your location at these times, aim to get there half an hour earlier so that you are set up and ready to go.

Early morning and late afternoon light is a great time for photographing skylines.

5 – Wait for Night

After the sun has set it is tempting to pack up and go home. However, one of the best times to photograph the skylines of a city is at night, when the whole place lights up. Wait around for an hour or so after sunset, and you can capture the city skyline at its most glamorous. You will definitely need a tripod if you are planning to photograph at night, as you will have long exposure times, so make sure you leave your home or hotel room with it. Remember to keep safe at all times, and ensure that if you are photographing at night, you are in what are considered safe parts of the city.

At night, the city lights make it come alive.

6 – Utilize Your Hotel

One of the best places to take photographs of a city skyline is from your hotel. A lot of the big hotels in cities have amazing open-air swimming pools, or roof top bars with beautiful views across the city. This means you can get great photos right from your doorstep. So prior to booking your hotel room, research and keep this in mind, and when you arrive at your hotel you can always ask if they have a room with a view of the skyline. I have lost count of the number of times I was able to take skyline shots from my hotel – and sometimes even from my own room (use the polarizer to eliminate reflections from the window)!

These are just some of the photos I’ve managed to take from my hotels.

7 – Add a Point of Interest

Most city skylines have been photographed thousands of times, so sometimes it’s good to take a step back and add a point of interest to the foreground. Not only will this give you another differentiating shot from the same location, but it will also tell a different story which could be completely unique. Be on the lookout for people admiring the view, a runner with a dog, or cyclists, all of which make great foreground points of interest.

An example of how adding a point of interest can make a photograph tell a much more interesting story.

There is no doubt that skylines can provide some incredibly striking photographs which can be stand-out shots on their own, but which can also work as part of a portfolio. But like all types of photography it takes planning and perseverance to ensure you capture the photos that will do the scene justice. Follow these simple tips and you’ll be on your way to capturing great skyline photos.

Do you have any tips or advice for photographing skylines? Share them and your skyline images below.

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[Photography] 6 Tips on How to Make More Time for Photography

YOU have time for photography!

How does that statement make you feel? Does it ring true to you? If you are thinking, “That might be true for others, but not for me and my busy life.”, this article may change your mind.

We would all love to have the luxury of doing whatever we want, whenever we want to do it, but that’s not how life works for most of us. We have jobs, family, kids, homes, yards, church responsibilities, community obligations, the list goes on and on. If you really want to use your camera more, learn more about photography, and practice your skills on a regular basis, maybe the following tips will help.

1 – Schedule it in

Sometimes we know we want to photograph something, and we figure that sometime during the day we’ll grab our camera and it will happen. If we’re being realistic, we know that the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

If you really want to get more photography into your life, you have to make it a priority. We know that priorities get scheduled in first. You’ve probably seen the object lesson where you fill a jar with sand and then try to pack the rocks into it. Of course the rocks don’t fit; the jar has already been filled with little pieces of sand. If you put the rocks in the jar first, and then shake the sand in around the rocks, you can fit both of them in there. Priorities are your rocks. They have to fill your jar of time first, and then the other little things that don’t matter as much will find a way to fit in where they can.

Write your photography plan for the day down on your calendar. In pen. Then treat it like any other important appointment. If it’s not written down, it’s much easier to push it aside for other things that happen to come up. Also, remember that it doesn’t have to be a long session every time. Sometimes five minutes is enough to capture something fun.

2 – Let go of perfection

You may have it in your mind that you need to photograph an elaborately staged fairy tale story, or that you must photograph a mountain scene at precisely 6:30pm on a foggy day, or that your little girl has to have perfectly curled hair and perfectly matched clothes, without a speck of dirt.

If you are always waiting for the perfect conditions to happen, chances are you won’t get much photography done. Sometimes those perfect conditions happen, and it’s magical, but sometimes magical photos happen when you least expect them.

You may have to drag your night-owl self out of bed at sunrise to fit photography time into your day. You may have to snap a photo of your daughter with messy hair and mud pies on her face, because that’s when the opportunity presents itself. You may have to bring your camera to work, and find a moment in midday bright sun to explore your surroundings with your lens.

Don’t get too hung up on everything being just right. Sometimes you actually learn more when you have to deal with less-than-ideal circumstances, then you are even more appreciative of the times when everything falls into place perfectly.

3 – Keep your camera with you

We’ve talked about scheduling quality time with your camera into your day, but sometimes you may find yourself with a pocket of time you aren’t expecting. If you have your camera close by, you can take advantage of that time.

As much as possible, have your camera with you. If the weather is mild, keep it in your car. Take it to work with you. Bring it along to family functions, or parties. You don’t have to be that person who always has a camera up to your face, but have it available, just in case. There have been too many times where I’ve been in a situation where I wished I had my camera with me, and everyone around me wished I did too. But sadly, I had forgotten to bring it, or hadn’t thought I would need it. Unless you are worried about the temperatures you will have to leave it in, or about it being stolen, just bring it.

You may want to consider your smartphone, or a small pocket camera, as legitimate options also. You can get pretty great photos, even without your DSLR, so use whatever camera you have with you to create art, and capture beautiful things around you.

4 – Combine photography with other activities

Going camping in the mountains? Make it a double-duty activity of camping and nature photography. Play date at the park with friends and kids? Bring your camera along for a fun session with lots of cute faces to photograph. Business trip for work? Your camera can be your travel companion, and help you explore a new city.

Find opportunities to work photography into the things that you are already doing. You don’t have to drop everything you’ve planned to find time to take a few photos. Look at the week ahead of you, and see how many already-planned activities you can fit photography into. It might surprise you how many activities will open up exciting photography opportunities, without adding any extra time to your already busy day.

5 – Find your motivation

We all are motivated by different things. Some of us are very goal-oriented, and some are not. Some of us thrive on challenges, and some of us get motivated by something fresh and new. Find what motivates you, and apply it to your photography.

If you like challenges, you could try a 365 Photo a Day Challenge, or make a list of objects to find and photograph, and see how fast you can check them all off. When I was new to photography, I was part of an online group called Mission 24. Each week we would take turns choosing a subject to photograph, and everyone in the group had 24 hours to interpret the subject in their own way, photograph it, and post it to the blog. Then we’d vote on which image was the winner each week. It was all in fun, and really helped us to get our cameras out, and encourage one another.

If big goals are your thing, maybe you’d like to set a goal of starting a portrait business, or selling prints of your landscapes or wildlife photography. It will take lots of time and effort to build a business, but that goal may be just what you need to make you really prioritize your photography time.

You might even find that purchasing something like a brand new awesome photography bag, or the new lens you’ve been dying to get, will motivate you to get your camera out more often.

6 – Give it a rest

This may sound like the exactly wrong advice for this article, but sometimes you need to put your camera aside, and not worry about photographing anything for a while.

If you feel like trying to fit photography into your day is stressing you out, and you’re not finding joy in it, then it may be time to take a little break. Forcing yourself will only make things worse. Put your camera in your bag, zip it up, and put it away. Don’t get it out until you WANT to.

You will most likely find that after a short break, you can’t wait to get your hands on your camera again, and it’s back to being a joyful, fun activity. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

What are your best tips for fitting photography into a busy schedule? I’d love to hear them, please share in the comments below.

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[Photography] Understanding Natural Light Part 2: Color of Light

Light has different Properties, and by understanding those differences and using them in your favor, you can become a better image maker.

Golden light of late day, mixed with cool light in the shadows.

Chapter Two: Understanding color in natural light

In this chapter, we will:

• Explore how color can affect the viewer’s emotional response.
• Understand how the color of natural light changes throughout the day.
• Learn how to mix light colors to create depth.
• Practice using exercises.

Please note that as a portrait photographer, I will be discussing portraits and using them as examples. However, this knowledge applies to any type of photography.

Color as a visual storytelling element

What we perceive as color is actually our brain’s interpretation of light reflected off objects and transmitted to the brain via our optic nerves. Under the field of color psychology, a range of studies have shown that colors can deeply affect how we experience the world around us, from the taste of the food we eat, to how we respond to new brand packaging on supermarket shelves. Colors affect how we feel, and this is precisely why understanding color is so important to you as a photographer.

There are many ways you can control or change the colors in your images, such as by editing, with the use of filters, or adjusting the White Balance. But as we are here to discuss natural light, so let us delve deeper into understanding how to create an emotional response by using the right color of natural light.

Because color is an amorphous concept (we all see colors slightly differently), there is a standard way to define color tone; this is called color temperature. We will not discuss the technical definition of color temperature for two reasons: first, it will make you very sleepy and second, it will not make your photos better. The important thing to know about color temperature is that it is a standard that is measured in degrees of Kelvin (now you understand what the “K” symbol means in your White Balance menu). Color temperatures below 4000K are considered warm (red and yellow) and color temperatures above 4000K are considered cool (blue).

Plan your shooting time

In the previous article, Understanding Natural Light Part 1: Quality of Light, you learned to forget the concept of good or bad lighting, and think in terms of suitable or less suitable. It is your responsibility to shoot under the most suitable light for the visual story you wish to create, and this concept applies to the color of light as well. Now, let’s get familiar with how the color of the light changes throughout the day.

Blue Light (about 11000K)

• When: Before sunrise and after sunset.
• Common emotional effect: Glum and mysterious, with a sense of coldness.
• Take it to the next level: If you are in an urban environment, try mixing the natural blue light with the artificial orange light from street lamps to create an amazing color combination and depth (which will be later explained).
• Please note: Due to the low level of light during this time of day, pay close attention to your shutter speed to avoid blurry images.

Golden Light (about 3500K)

• When: It depends on your location on earth, but golden light is usually around sunrise and sunset.
• Common emotional effect: Praised by photographers as the golden or magic hours, with soft, pastel-like warm colors of red and yellow. Portraits and landscape images will seem almost magical.
• Take it to the next level: By standing higher than your subject, shooting from an angle of 45 degrees, you can achive a wonderful catch light (a spark of light in the eyes of the subject) due to the reflection of the sky in the subject’s eyes. (see image below)
• Please note: As with any type of magic, you need to be swift and efficient. Plan your daily schedule carefully. For example, if you want to shoot during the golden light of sunrise, you must get up early. Very early.

Midday Light (between 5000-6500K)

• When: It depends on your location on earth, but usually from one hour after sunrise until one hour before sunset.
• Common emotional effect: This light seems neutral in color to the eye, even though it’s considered a cold color in terms of Kelvin degrees. The contrasts caused by midday light will amplify objects’ colors. So, vibrant objects will seem even more vibrant and vice versa.
• Please note: You can enjoy the amplifying benefits of midday light without the harshness if you place your subject indoors near a window.

Cloudy Day (about 7000K)

• When: When the sky is heavily overcast.
• Common emotional effect: Similar to that of blue light with a glum, winter-like feeling, but stronger and brighter, allowing you to work with faster shutter speeds.
• Please note: The biggest benefit of working on a cloudy day is the continuity of color tone throughout the day. This means there’s less pressure on you to work as fast as possible, as you would need to do at other times of the day, like the golden hours.

Mixing colors

You can achieve very satisfying results by mixing cold with warm color tones. For example, by placing warmer colors in the foreground and colder colors in the background, you can add volume and depth to make an interesting image.

You can do this by either working during the border of two periods of the day, or by mixing natural and artificial light.

Working during the border of two time frames

For example, if you choose to shoot at dusk, which I heard National Geographic photographer William Albert Allard refer to as the “The time between dogs and wolves”, you can combine the warm colors of the golden light, with the cold colors of the blue light. Here is an examples:

Mixing natural and artificial light

If you choose to mix light sources, the sky’s the limit. In this image: on one side (camera left), this lady was illuminated with the warm orange light of the shop’s light bulbs and on the other, with the blue cold light of a cloudy day (camera right).

Or in this image where I mixed the warm natural light of fire with the blue artificial light from the projector in the background.

Exercise #1: Study other photographer’s work

Search the web and gather 20 images from your favorite photographer. Analyze his or her color choices:

• Are there themes or common colors choices?
• What is the light source: natural or artificial?
• Are there specific time frames when this photographer works (golden hour, midday, etc.)?

Exercise #2: Shoot with the wrong White Balance

To make it short, White Balance is how you help your digital camera create a more accurate representation of the colors in your image. By telling your camera the lighting conditions (cloudy, sunny, flash, etc.) you help the camera adjust to neutralize the color balance in the image.

For this exercise, I will ask you to go to the White Balance menu in your camera and shoot with the wrong setting. For example, if it’s a sunny day, choose the Cloudy setting, which will make your photo look much warmer. Or shoot in the Tungsten or Incandescent setting to make it really cool.

I took this image in Tokyo’s Fish Market, under the white light of Fluorescent. On the left image, I went for the Fluorescent white balance preset, which is indeed more faithful to the original lighting situation in the market. But, on the right image, I selected the “wrong” white balance ( daylight preset), which made the image much warmer, in color and feel. Which one is better in your opinion?

If you are shooting in the RAW image format as opposed to JPEG, the White Balance setting is not that relevant, as you can easily change it in post-processing. This is one of the characteristics of RAW files. But this exercise allows you to understand how, by intentionally changing the image’s color tone, you can create different and interesting emotional effects using color.

The author would like to thank Nicholas Orloff for his assistance in writing this article.

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