Landscape Photography Part 1
This
is a two part article on Landscape Photography.
Good
landscape photography is not just achievable by high end cameras such as SLRs,
but very good quality photos can also be taken with a standard compact camera.
The key point here is that it is not the equipment that makes the photograph,
it is the photographer.
Compact
cameras often do not have interchangeable lenses like SLRs, but the Landscape
mode and zoom facility on most compact cameras will allow you to take landscape
photographs.
Most
compact camera should enable you to have some control over the aperture,
shutter speed, the ISO, exposure compensation (+/-) and focusing. Some compact cameras will also allow
the user to take full control over the focusing using the ‘manual’ mode.
Taking
photographs of landscapes is fairly easy if you keep the following few tips in
mind. These tips can be applied to both point & shoot compact cameras and
SLR’s.
1) Maximize Depth-of-Field
In
landscape photography, Depth-of-Field plays an important role: the normal rule
is to make sure that the fore and background of the scene is in focus as much
as possible, which is often known as maximising the depth-of-field. However,
there will be times when you will want to be creative
and experiment with ‘shallow’ depth-of-field in your landscape photography.
Keep in mind that when using smaller apertures (i.e. f11, f22,
etc.) less light is hitting the image sensor/film, you may have to compensate
by increasing the ISO or adjusting the shutter speed, in some cases you may
have to change both.
Some
lower specification compact cameras may not have the facility to allow you to change
any of the settings; in this case it is best to use the Landscape mode.
The
photograph below is taken using a compact camera set on Landscape mode:
The
photograph below is taken using a DSLR set on Aperture mode:
2) Use a Tripod
As
you may be using longer shutter speed, a tripod is recommended which will
minimise any camera shake
3) Include a Focal Point
All
images need to have ‘point’ where the viewer’s attention is drawn into the
photograph. Without the focal point, landscape photographs will look empty
leaving your viewer’s eye wondering through the image without having the desired
impact of the landscape.
Here
are some examples of Focal points in landscapes and these can range from a
building, structure, a tree, a boulder or rocks, a silhouette, etc. Using the
‘rule of thirds’ can be very useful here.
Place
your points of interest on the either one of the green dots. Most cameras have
the above grid; use the grid to frame your shot.
4) Include Foregrounds
Most
landscapes images work well with a foreground; always think carefully about the
foreground of your images and by placing points of interest in them. By
including this element you give your viewer a way of looking into the image as
well as creating a sense of depth in the photograph.
5) Change your View Point
It
is always best to take a little more time with your photography, especially in
finding the most interesting view. Look around and find a different spot to
shoot from than the one just in front of you: take a walk down paths, look for
new angles, this means getting down lower to the ground, finding a higher up
vantage point to photograph from. Explore your scene and experiment with
different viewpoints and you will find something magical.
6) Look out for Horizons
It’s
best that before you take a landscape photograph always look at the horizon on
two points:
a) Is
the horizon straight? It is easier to have your horizon straight in the camera viewfinder
before pressing the shutter release, saving time to straighten the image later in
editing softwares.
b) Where
to place the horizon? The ‘correct’ natural spot for a horizon is on either the
top third line or the bottom line of the ‘rule of thirds’, rather than
completely in the middle. In saying this, rules can be broken if you are
completely sure that your image with the horizon is very striking.
(See
diagram below for where to place the horizon)
I hope this brief insight into Landscape Photography assists you in taking better Landscape photographs.
Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography
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