How to Shoot Landscapes with Greater Impact
Find the best possible light: There is really no such thing as bad light, but it's hard to create high impact images during the middle of the day when the sun if high., Have the equipment you need, but don't break the bank to do it., Use many...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find the best possible light: There is really no such thing as bad light
By midday, the sun tends to be harsh and it washes out color and texture with heavy dark shadows.
Getting the best possible light in a landscape shot is the same difference between shooting a model with and without makeup.
The best time to shoot is when the sun is low in the sky, because it creates more interesting side lighting that will give the subject much more depth.
The light is warmer, creating highlights with great texture detail.
This low warm light is also found near sunrise and sunset, and those are obvious times to add amazing color to a landscape photo.
Another great place to find amazing light is at the edge of a storm.
When a storm passes through, the clouds will often break up, allowing the sun to peek through and create a dramatic scene with well lit foregrounds against a dark sky.
You absolutely must exercise patience.
You might be hiking during the day and find an incredible view, but it's midday and the light is terrible.
To get the shot you desire, you may need to wait several hours for the sun to get lower and provide you with a beautiful sunset.
Or the light may not do what you want, and you'll have sat for hours only to have to return the next day. -
Step 2: but it's hard to create high impact images during the middle of the day when the sun if high.
Equipment is not as important as you think:
The common misconception that better equipment produces better photographs is completely untrue.
Every photographer needs equipment, but equipment is nothing more than a vehicle used to transmit what is in your brain to someone else.
You need to have a point of view and then you can use anything from a smart phone to a Nikon D3X and your results will be more or less the same. , When most people think of a landscape photograph, they tend to envision a large shot taken with a wide-angle lens.
While there is nothing wrong with wide-angle photography, you should break the mold and try shooting with longer focal lengths.
This will allow you to focus in on specific detail and see past all distractions. , How many times have you arrived at a beautiful landscape and failed to get the shot because you didn't want to cross a creek or you didn't want to lay in the dirt to get an awesome new perspective? This is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make as a photographer.
Do not hesitate to go above and beyond when it comes to getting the shot you desire. -
Step 3: Have the equipment you need
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Step 4: but don't break the bank to do it.
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Step 5: Use many different focal lengths.
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Step 6: Don't be a chicken.
Detailed Guide
By midday, the sun tends to be harsh and it washes out color and texture with heavy dark shadows.
Getting the best possible light in a landscape shot is the same difference between shooting a model with and without makeup.
The best time to shoot is when the sun is low in the sky, because it creates more interesting side lighting that will give the subject much more depth.
The light is warmer, creating highlights with great texture detail.
This low warm light is also found near sunrise and sunset, and those are obvious times to add amazing color to a landscape photo.
Another great place to find amazing light is at the edge of a storm.
When a storm passes through, the clouds will often break up, allowing the sun to peek through and create a dramatic scene with well lit foregrounds against a dark sky.
You absolutely must exercise patience.
You might be hiking during the day and find an incredible view, but it's midday and the light is terrible.
To get the shot you desire, you may need to wait several hours for the sun to get lower and provide you with a beautiful sunset.
Or the light may not do what you want, and you'll have sat for hours only to have to return the next day.
Equipment is not as important as you think:
The common misconception that better equipment produces better photographs is completely untrue.
Every photographer needs equipment, but equipment is nothing more than a vehicle used to transmit what is in your brain to someone else.
You need to have a point of view and then you can use anything from a smart phone to a Nikon D3X and your results will be more or less the same. , When most people think of a landscape photograph, they tend to envision a large shot taken with a wide-angle lens.
While there is nothing wrong with wide-angle photography, you should break the mold and try shooting with longer focal lengths.
This will allow you to focus in on specific detail and see past all distractions. , How many times have you arrived at a beautiful landscape and failed to get the shot because you didn't want to cross a creek or you didn't want to lay in the dirt to get an awesome new perspective? This is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make as a photographer.
Do not hesitate to go above and beyond when it comes to getting the shot you desire.
About the Author
Jacqueline Murray
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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