LPM Issue 4 LQ

Landscape
Photography
magazine
On the map: Mupe Bay by Stuart Billington
Issue 4
June 2011
http://landscapephotographymagazine.com
Readers Portfolios: Natalia Martinez - Tony McGarva - Bruce T Smith

Four Stages of Photography: Pele Leung
Open Talk: 10 Stop ND Filters by David Hay
Spotlight: Looking for Shelter by Dimitri Vasiliou
Editor's Views
Hello everyone
Issue 3 found us in the middle of changes.
We started the first of many upgrades
on the website, in order to create one
as interactive as possible. We would
like our readers to participate, interact
and be part of a lovely community of
Landscape Photographers and not
just readers of one more magazine.
We are working not just on website
improvements but also on the look,
feel and functionality of it.
Our aim was to create a membership. This
would help us to send out newsletters
every month and let you know of the
publication of each new issue, as this
was one of your requests. However,
the software we used did not want
to work the way we wanted it to.
Our apologies for all the confusion
caused. We will soon try different
software and hopefully this time
everything will work nice and smooth.
Portfolios
24
Thank you
Front Cover:
Bamburgh castle, England
by Scott Harrower
54
C ontents
12
Articles
18
Viewpoint: Four Stages of Photography by Pele Leung
30
Spotlight: Looking For Shelter by Dimitri Vasiliou
32
Open Talk: 10 Stop ND Filters by David Hay
48
This Month: Orange Nights by John Cox
58
Hay Fever: Colour & Composition by David Hay
62
Beginners Guide: Choosing a Tripod by Mike Bell
Desde mi escondite - Playa de LEsparrell Villajoyosa

Alicante - Spain
Portfolio:
Natalia Martinez
P o r tfo li o : N atalia M ar ti n e z
My name is Natalie Martinez, I live in Alfaz Del Pi, Alicante in Spain.
My devotion to photography is something I inherited from my
grandfather and my uncles as they are photographers, I have always been in this environment. As I am doing contract work at
the moment, I can enjoy photography every time I can go out.
It is something I need as it makes me relax and I really do enjoy
this magnificent hobby. I currently spend most of my time doing
landscapes during sunrise and sunset.
I also enjoy macro, portrait and still life photography.
It is a great feeling when people who look at my images are filled
with the same emotions as myself while capturing them. All my images have their own history and
memories.
What fascinates me the most is the idea of visiting places with friends, admire their beauty and then take
them home with me through my pictures.
It has been an honour for me to have my images included in this wonderful magazine, full of great photographers and talents, thank you very much.
Below: Bajo la luz del atardecer-cala ximo, Benidrom, Alicante, Spain
6 - Landscape Photography Magazine
Below: My world, Altea, Alicante, Spain
Above: Calido amanecer, Cabo San Juan, Alicante, Spain
Landscape Photography Magazine - 7
Entre cascadas, Cala Baladrar, Benisa, Alicante, Spain
Amanece, La olla, Altea, Alicante, Spain
Tres en Raya, San juan, Alicante, Spain
Expirar, Inspirar, Cala Baladrar, Alicante, Spain
Mupe Bay
Diamond in the rough
In this edition of On The Map we explore one

of many bays that can be found around the
Dorset coast area of South England.
Mupe Bay is a geological coastal treat for the photographer, as

it is where some of the Portland Stone beds are exposed due to
erosion, and extend out in to the English Channel.
On
th e map
- M upe B ay
England
See website for link to Google Map
About Mupe Bay

This being a typical feature of the Dorset Jurassic
coast, the ledges and off shore rocks at Mupe can
make a great and striking subject against the backdrop of the sea.
rock falls, some quite large, can be seen. Access

over the ledges and on towards Bacon Hole, can
be tricky underfoot and slow going, mainly over
large, often slippery rocks.
At the foot of the access steps to Mupe from the

coastal path on the cliffs above, a sweeping vista
to the East can be enjoyed, towards Arish Mell and
Worbarrow Bay beyond. To the right of the steps
down, the mighty Mupe ledges protrude out into
the sea in an eastward direction.
Care must always be taken when exploring Mupe,

and bear in mind, there is no mobile phone signal
here. It is also worth checking tidal predictions before visiting Mupe Bay. Low tide may involve more
scrambling over the rocks and ledges in order to
get nearer to the sea.
To the south and west lie the majority of the amazing Mupe Rocks, towards Bacon Hole, a curiously
named spot which also boasts its own smugglers
cave. Traversing the main bay is relatively easy,
being shingle based, but caution must be given
to the towering chalk cliffs here, as evidence of
At high tide, in particular the stretch between

the ledges and Bacon Hole, the available area between the sea and cliffs is limited. I would advise
that this stretch should be avoided in the case of
a high spring tide, especially in stormy or windy
conditions. In addition to the sea level delights
On
th e m ap
- M u pe B ay
of Mupe, a stunning eastward view over the rocks extended opening times during school and public
and ledges can be enjoyed from the coastal path holidays.
above Bacon Hole.
However, there are exceptions to this throughout
Photographers View
the year when military exercises are underway, so
always check before planning a trip, and follow the
The classic wide angle views at Mupe, are gener- MOD guidelines once within the range.
ally eastwards out over the monster ledges at sunrise, or alternatively westward including some of Mupe Bay can be approached from either the west
the great rocks at sunset.
or the east via the Southwest Coast footpath, but
assuming arrival by car, the nearest parking (pay
The months from late autumn through to early and display) is at Lulworth Cove to the west, adjaspring can often be the best for sunset, as later/ cent to the visitors centre. Lulworth Cove can be
earlier in the year and the sun will set more north- approached via the B3071 from the A352 at Wool,
wards behind the cliffs towards Lulworth cove.
or via the B3070 & B3071 from the A352 just west
of Wareham. Lulworth Cove is clearly signposted
After early March the sun will rise over the cliffs from either route off the A352.
north of Worbarrow Tout, so visit before this time if
you prefer the sun to rise over the sea. In addition From the car park, follow the road down to the
to the classic views, Mupe has an abundance of cove itself, where upon you are presented with two
geology which can be used in an abstract manner. options. The first (and easiest) is to walk around the
Some of the large individual standing off shore beach of Lulworth Cove to the east.
rocks, used in conjunction with a longer focal
length, can make great isolated subjects in their The second option is to take the steep footpath
own right.
which goes up and over the cliffs above Lulworth,
and drops you back down above the eastern side
of the cove.
How to get there
If taking the route around the cove at sea level, tides should not generally be a problem at
Lulworth, except on perhaps a very high spring
tide. Once you reach the eastern side of the cove,
there is a set of wooden steps which takes you up
the cliff to rejoin the coastal path.
Mupe lies within the Lulworth MOD firing ranges,

and is the most difficult of Dorsets bays to reach
(actually Arish Mell, between Mupe and Worbarrow Bay would be the winner here, but it is closed
to the public at all times). Mupe is only accessible
when the MOD ranges are open to the public, and
involves a hike from Lulworth Cove of approx. 2 Once joining the coastal path again, head south
miles of mixed terrain.
for a short distance through a small wooded area,
following the route signposted to the fossil forThe range opening times are available from the est. You will soon join the cliff top above the far
Dorset Council website (www.dorsetforyou. south eastern corner of Lulworth Cove. Head east,
com), but generally they are open from 9am Sat- and after a short distance you approach the metal
urday morning until 8am Monday morning, with gates and fencing which denotes the entrance to
Mupe bay, Dorset, England

Camera
Lens
Focal Length
ISO
Shutter Speed
Aperture
11mm
100
1/8 sec
f/16
On
the MOD range land.
Provided you observed the range opening times
the gate will be unlocked, pass on through and
continue to follow the range walk east, which is
clearly marked by the yellow posts. After approx.
1 mile you reach a large cut into the cliff top above
Bacon Hole and the wonderful view over Mupe
Rocks and ledges to the east.
Follow the path inland slightly and around Bacon Hole (keeping well away from the unstable
cliff edges), and you will shortly arrive at the steps
which take you down to Mupe Bay.
th e m ap
- M u pe B ay
of Dorset coast. To the east of Mupe Bay in order

of arrival you can find, Worbarrow Bay, a beautiful
sweeping bay flanked by its Tout (headland) on
the eastern side.
Just inland from Worbarrow is the deserted ghost
village of Tyneham, a very interesting place to visit. Continuing on eastward is the much loved and
popular Kimmeridge Bay, Chapmans Pool and St.
Aldhelms Head, before reaching Peveril Ledges at
the edge of the seaside resort town of Swanage.
West from Mupe Bay, you can find the stunning

crescent shaped bay of Lulworth Cove, and the
hugely popular natural arch of Durdle Door, probAllow at least an hour to get to Mupe Bay from ably the most iconic of Dorsets coastal features. To
parking at Lulworth Cove, and maybe longer in the the west of Durdle Door, stunning cliff top walks
dark.
and beaches continue towards the coastal town of
Weymouth.
What else
Mupe Bay is part of the Dorset Jurassic coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other popular and great
photographic locations abound along this stretch
www.stubill.com
Stuart Billington
I am a Dorset, UK, based photographer, with a deep rooted passion for the coast. Self taught after acquiring my
first DSLR in 2005 and always having lived near the sea, I
have a natural affinity for the coast and making seascapes
images, which is clearly represented in my work.
Whilst it can be somewhat of a clich to say that the best
light for land and seascape photography is around the
hours of dawn and dusk, I do have a personal preference
for making images at sunrise, and I often find these moments can be quite humbling and inspiring.
I shoot with a Canon EOS body and lenses, but I am a firm
believer that excellent photography is more about subject, attention to detail and execution, rather than having
the latest and greatest gear.
Viewpoint:
Four Stages of
Photography
Pele Leung
Photography appears to be a simple craf t to many people but is also
an intricate ar t that most people cant master well. If you think digital
photography has changed this situation, think t wice.
There is no doubt that the latest digital tools The second stage is the bogging stage and they
speed up our learning progress but unfortunately make little progress and do not have any sense of
the massive computing skills required have also direction. Basically they are stuck.
slowed us down.
The third stage is a happy stage as they overcome
As a result, more people could take sharper pho- the immediate barriers and resume their sense of
tos but in fact there are still a handful of photog- direction.
raphers who can really master all related photographic skills from operating cameras to producing The last one? We will talk about this separately.
quality photographic output themselves.
To many photographers, the following four - stage
progress model could be a good indicator of estimating their skill level in photography.
The Beginning Stage
So which stage are you at now? Lets find out.
If you still can remember how you first discovered

photography in the old days, you probably had
The first stage is the beginning stage and most missed some sweet experiences during this stage.
photographers learn quickly and make progress
At this stage, all photographic knowledge is new
easily.
V iewpo i nt : F our S tag es
of
P h otog r aphy
to you, from photo composition to camera opera- own opinion!

tions. You learn so quickly that you are satisfied
and almost want to be a professional photogra- What is next? You have photographed most subpher because you think you can!
jects like mountains, sunset, sunrise, waterfalls,
deserts, coastal scenes or whatever in your photoAfter mastering a lot of technical skills, you get graphic area of interests.
great shots in almost every trip. In simple words,
you are able to capture what you see in record lev- After a while, you may start to realise that your
el well.
photos appear to be similar without any new elements or fresh ideas. To you, creative engineering
People around you start to give you good com- does not work anymore. Believe it or not, you have
ments such as nice photo, you must have a good just entered the second stage, the Bogging Stage.
camera. Thank you very much! Honestly this kind
of good-camera-creates-nice-photo comment is
The Bogging Stage
actually an insult to a photographer but it is another story.
If you work even harder, you might soon come up I can imagine and feel your pain if you are here
with a portfolio with reasonable quality - in your now. Although you try to capture and present
V i e wpo int : F ou r S tag es

something more than just recording, your mind
appears to be bogged with limited creativity. At
this stage, you achieve much less as your photography seems to be locked mainly for recording
only. In other words, your creativity is still limited
by the knowledge model you are familiar with previously in the Beginning Stage.
Many photographers could get stuck here for quite
a long time and sometimes stay forever. If so,you
are really bogged.
of
P h otog r aphy
To those who are persistent, they might finally get

through if they could really re-learn photography
from an artistic approach.
Of course you need unlimited imagination, an artistic mind and the courage to refine your vision.
Obviously your aim is to become an artist with
technical skills. When this happens one day you
wake up and see things differently.
The power of creativity gives you the ability to

express your ideas with abstract elements. If you
Your current technical knowledge just cannot help can do this, you are at the next stage, the Heaven
you to enter the artistic world.
Stage.
This is the hardest part in photography and some
The Heaven Stage
average photographers would probably give up
because they realise that this is no longer their You have visited paradise and then dived deep
game.
into hell. Finally you are now in heaven.
V iewpo i nt : F our S tag es
of
P h otog r aphy
To you, every scene is a picture. Your mind has Just use your imagination.
been opened once again with distant boundary.
Finally you might realise that the destination is
There is no doubt that your photographic skill is actually the starting point. Be prepared to learn
now at a higher level. Congratulations if you are again!
here.
If you are still reading this, thank you. I hope I have
Is there another stage from here? In theory, there drawn your attention to what photography really
is but you will not be able to tell until you become is.
a super master photographer (artist). When the
time comes, you may no longer use cameras to In simple words, the whole concept above only
capture your dream photos and the sky is your means one thing to us - we never finish learning.
limit.
Every day is new to us and we will succeed if we
are determined.
The Undefined Stage
It is really hard to imagine what this stage is because you are no longer bounded by anything.
Ne
Landscape
xt
Photography
M
th
on
magazine
Out 1st of July

Issue 5
July 2011
http://landscapephotographymagazine.com
On The Map: Tnsberg beach, Norway

Readers Portfolios: Bert de Vos - Henry Liu - Ricardo Alves
Fisheye lens landscapes: John Freeman
Spotlight: Expensive cameras = Better pictures?
Beach Blaze, Aberdeen, Scotland.

I still recall this morning in Autumn 2008 whilst driving
to work as it appeared the sky was on fire and lava was
flowing from the sea. Many magazines inform the reader
about always taking your camera where ever you go and
this image is a great reminder to myself. The best light
for sunrises is always caught prior to the sun appearing
over the horizon.
Portfolio:
Tony McGarva
P o r tfo li o : To ny M c G arva
I have been a resident of Aberdeen, Scotland for the majority of my life,
which I personally consider to be privilege in terms of Landscape photography. The Granite City is located on the Aberdeenshire coastline and
boasts tens of miles of a mixture of rugged seascapes and golden beaches. To the West, along the meandering rivers and valleys of Royal Deeside, many prime photogenic locations can be reached within two hours
and the whole of the Scotland within four hours. So lets add to this the
very changeable weather and light in Scotland and I have all the visual
ingredients required for landscape photography.
I discovered my passion for photography during my teenage years when I
used to borrow my fathers Olympus Trip 35mm camera. Even at this early
stage of my life the ability to capture moments as stills intrigued me immensely. Since then a camera
has always travelled with me at all times. Canons have been my tools and the later evolution has been
EOS3, 300D, 30D to finally arrive at the very impressive EOS 5D mkII.
The majority of my landscape images are captured during the golden hours, morning or evening, when
light, colour & drama can be captured in multitudes. Capturing vivid colours combined with natural
beauty is always my goal. With this being my natural style it did intrigue me to read Ian Camerons article in Issue 1 about exhibition psychology and what type of pictures sell. Have I chosen the right path?
My portfolio selected to share with you is a mixture from the Aberdeen coastline and from some of Scotlands wonderful photography locations.
Nigg Bay
February 2011 had been a week
of high seas, high winds and
amazing scenes at the harbour
breakwater in Aberdeen.
Buachaille Etive Mor

Glencoe, Scotland
The skeleton tree

Rannoch Moor, Scotland
Look ing For Shelter

Dimitri Vasiliou
Having mentioned to some friends that Scottie
and I are heading for the isle of Lewis in the outer
Hebrides of Scotland for a week in a campervan,
the laughter that followed was of course expected
(but not by me). Isle of Lewis, in November, are you
out of your mind? The island is right at the edge
of the Atlantic Ocean and the weather at this time
of year can be...well, nasty, especially for landscape
photography, they said.
Anyway, while there and on almost complete
isolation (the island is sporadically populated), we
had the freedom of travelling wherever we wanted
and staying overnight wherever we decided to.
Basically, there was no one around to stop us from
doing so.
The days were going by and I must admit that we
were happy with the weather conditions, we had
some beautiful light during our stay there until...
that day. The forecast was for gale force winds
from the west and indeed they were right. As
one would understand, there was no place on the
island to do any landscape shooting. So, maps
came out and we tried to locate a possible area
that would be sheltered from the wind.
We had planned to go to a place called Aird Uig but
at a later date. There was a small bay there facing
North/East with more than 30 metre cliffs behind
it. The decision was made very quickly as it did
seem like the best (and only) solution at the time.
After all, we would go there, scout the area, have

lunch and if sheltered indeed, we would content
ourselves with some close up photography.
You cant really see the bay from the road but after
a short and slightly steep descent, we realised that
there was potential for a variety of things there. We
had lunch and started exploring the possibilities.
Large and colourful pebbles combined with sea
stacks and facing North/East? Perfect for a sunrise
during summer. However, the problem was what
do we do now, today, early November. Yes, of
course we were sheltered by the wind but the
sea was rough, the sky heavy with clouds and no
colour anywhere, a typical winters day.
After a bit of consideration and thinking, we
decided that the only way to produce a decent
image would be to harness nature. Slow down
motion and create an environment that didnt
really exist. With the use of filters, we managed
to get the exposure down to 12 sec and with very
careful composition, focusing and metering, the
results were very surprising. Out of nowhere, I
managed to make an image that has become one
of my favourites of all time and a lot of people who
comment on it agree.
The moral of the story? Dont just walk away from a
scene because the weather doesnt play ball, think
of alternatives, improvise and use your creativity.
You will be amazed with the results.
Sea stacks of Camas na h - Airde

Camera
Lens
Focal Length
ISO
Shutter Speed
Aperture
Canon 5D
Canon 17-40
40mm
50
12 Sec
f 22
O pen Talk
10 Stop ND Filters
David Hay
10 Stop ND filters and long exposures

Background
Our cameras have never been more sensitive
to light. In the old days, when I used slide film,
you couldnt mix 400 ISO slides in a 100 ISO slide
presentation because you could see the grainy
skies. Now I use image stabilised lenses, that give
me up to an extra 4 stops hand-holding ability
and I will happily print a 1600 ISO image at A3 size.
These two improvements give me a total of 8 extra
stops compared to my slide film days. There are
even cameras now that will shoot at 102,400 ISO!
So how have photographers responded to this
new freedom? Many have responded by crippling
the sensitivity of their sensors by putting incredibly
dense filters in front of them, so dark that they
look completely black. In one fell swoop they have
turned the clock back more than 100 years and
returned to the need for multi-second exposures
in broad daylight and exposures lasting several
minutes at dawn and dusk. Why?
The answer lies in some of the beautiful long
exposure images that were produced by large
format photographers. The first book I bought by
Michael Kenna included amazing photos of steam

rising from cooling towers at night, like rivers in the
sky, and blurry gondolas bobbing in Venice. He got
these results by using very long exposures, usually
at night. He went on to shoot seascapes where the
sea and the sky were simplified by extremely long
exposures that gave them a magical simplicity. The
sea and the sky were reduced to glowing layers,
proving that less is more in photography. We cant
all photograph at f64 for several hours at night but
we can get the same effect with ultra-dark filters.
So the demand for 10 stop ND filters was born.
Different types of ND filter

Originally most filter manufacturers offered a
range of 1, 2 and 3 stop ND filters. These were
used to reduce light levels to allow an increase in
exposure times for subjects such as moving water.
Some high quality digital compacts, like the recent
Canon G-series models and others, have a 3 stop
ND filter built in. When it is switched into the light
path it allows longer shutter speeds to be used
instead of having to use the smallest aperture,
which is diffraction limited.
O pe n Talk - 10 S to p ND
0.7 sec - f22 - EOS 10D

50mm - Polariser
Filter strengths
Manufacturers of ND filters use several different
ways to describe their exposure effect.
1 stop, 0.3, ND2
2 stop, 0.6, ND4
bright light to minimise the depth of field and

create a filmic look.
Types of ND filters
In recent years more extreme ND filters have
become very popular. They are available in three
different types.
3 stop, 0.9, ND8

I was once offered the loan of a 12 stop ND filter
by a friend. I had never come across one before
but it turned out to be a 1.2 filter (4 stops). I think
there should be a standard method of describing
the strength of these filters to avoid people buying
the wrong one.
Video
Nowadays, with the HD video capabilities in most
new DSLRs, ND filters have become popular to
allow filming with fast lenses at full aperture in
30 sec - f5.6 - EOS 40D - 16mm

B+W 10 stop
Circular, screw-in, fixed strength filters.

Rectangular, slip-in, fixed strength filters.
Circular, screw-in, variable strength, rotating filters.
Circular, fixed strength.
In the first category I have used the B+W 10 stop
ND filter. I found that the true filter factor was
between 10.5 and 11 stops, requiring a check of
the histogram after each exposure to fine tune
the result rather than just adding 10 stops to
2 sec - f16 - EOS 10D

85mm - Polariser
30 sec - f16 - EOS 40D - 18mm

B+W 10 stop
the original exposure. The filter has an obvious
brown cast, which tended to warm up the results.
This was not a great disadvantage as it often
complemented the image. Slight sunset colours
in dusk or dawn skies were accentuated and rivers
in flood in autumn looked good with a brown
palette. Unlike with film photography, colour casts
are easily removed after exposure if required.
thread securely. I was conscious that if it fell off, it

would land in the sea a long way below. Time to
try a different system.
Rectangular, slip-in
Most landscape photographers have a Cokin or a

Lee filter holder. Lee have had great success with
their 10 stop Big Stopper filter, so much so that
The main disadvantage of the fixed strength availability has been the major problem. However
screw-in filter is the need to take it off after each some suppliers are now indicating that supply is
photograph to frame up and meter the next catching up with demand and availability is now
shot. Some people say that they can see through much improved. The big advantage of slip-in
a 10 stop filter in Live View but with my camera, filters is that you can raise them in the slot while
even on a bright day, you could only see slight focussing and metering and then just slip them
details in the centre of the frame, not enough to back down for the exposure. The disadvantage of
accurately frame the edges of the composition. these filters is that reflections from the back surface
One evening, standing on the edge of a cliff near of the filter can show up during long exposures.
Stonehaven, I was trying to screw the filter on This can lead to milky or smoky patches appearing
with cold hands. My wide-angle zoom has a very on the images. The novelty of the Lee design was
shallow filter thread to reduce vignetting. Try as the inclusion of a foam gasket to seal the gap at
I might, I couldnt quite get the filter to catch the the back of the filter to prevent this. Like the B+W,
8 sec - f6.3 - EOS 40D - 55mm

B+W 10 stop
the Lee filter is slightly stronger than claimed at
about 10.5 stops and has a mild blue cast.
the filter. The filter is made from 2 polarisers which

cut out light as one is rotated in front of the other.
However doing some research on the Premier Inks
Lower cost slip-in filters include Formatt Hitech website revealed a potential problem. My main use
which are available in both 85mm (to fit Cokin P for one of these would be on a 10-20mm lens. The
holders) and 100mm widths. They are made in problem is the appearance of a cross-shaped dark
all strengths from 1 to 10 stops. I have an 8 stop patch at shorter focal lengths. This would limit the
version. In the absence of a foam gasket you can filter to 2 stops maximum at 10mm and 5 stops
simply drape a lens cloth over the top of the filter at 20mm before the cross appeared. A lower cost
holder during exposures. With my 10-20mm lens option for this type of filter is now available from
I found some vignetting with the Cokin P holder 7DayShop. However the first sample I got from
at 10-12mm. After filing away bits of an old filter them had a small crack at the very edge of one
holder I found a simpler solution. Kood sell a wide- of the polarisers, not enough to affect the image
angle 85mm filter holder with a single slot which quality but they replaced it immediately with a
eliminates vignetting at all focal lengths.
new one. There are 15 markings around the edge
of the filter between max and min but they dont
Circular, variable strength
correspond to half stops.
The last type of filter, the rotating variable ND
filter, superficially looks the most versatile.
LightCraftWorkshop produce an ND Fader filter
which promises a 2-8 stop range just by rotating
30 sec - f16 - EOS 40D - 49mm

B+W 10stop
The advantages of the variable ND filter can be

considerable. I found that with a 10 stop filter, as
light levels fell at dusk, I was forced to open up
the aperture and eventually increase the ISO to
prevent exposures becoming excessively long.
With a variable density filter you can just reduce
the strength to maintain the target exposure time
in falling light. My camera can meter through the
filter in daylight over the 2-8 stop range.
images. Photographers will probably also come

across stuck and hot pixels in their long exposure
images. Most sensors suffer from this to some
extent. They are easy to clone out later.
Conclusion
Choice of shutter speeds
When ultra-long exposure images first appeared
For different subjects I find there are good and they were very successful in landscape
bad shutter speeds. For example moving water photography competitions, mainly because of
can look messy at 1/15th and 1/8th of a second. It their novelty. Now that many photographers are
is neither sharp nor smoothly flowing. Once you using this technique, the quality bar has been
use 10 stop ND filters, shutter speeds which should raised. The best images however have a magical,
have been 1/30th of a second become 30 seconds. tranquil quality to them. There is nothing to beat
This shutter speed smooths out the surface of the the moment when a striking image pops up on the
sea or a moving river considerably. In practice, it back of your camera after a long exposure in near
is difficult to see much difference between fast darkness. Give it a try.
moving water at 4 seconds and 30 seconds. I also
find there is a point after which the reflective
surface of moving water becomes unattractive
with very long exposures. The surface becomes
oily and eventually matte.
The same is true for clouds. On very long exposures
moving clouds can become attractively streaked
but, depending on the focal length and the speed
of cloud movement, shorter exposures can leave
them looking slightly messy. Neither crisp nor
blurred.
Long exposure noise reduction

Most cameras have a long exposure noise
reduction setting which can be very effective at
reducing noise in low light images. It works by
taking a second exposure with the shutter closed
then subtracting the background sensor noise
from the original image. The downside is that it
doubles the time taken for each exposure, which
can be important if you are trying to fit in extra
images as the light fades. Of course noise reduction
can also be carried out later when processing the
30 sec - f5.6 - EOS 40D - 16mm

B+W 10 stop
Lightbox
Lake Kirkpatrick, Queenstown

New Zealand
First light on a crisp autumn morning in
Queenstown. The calmness ensured the
water acted like a mirror, but it didnt last
as the wind picked up not long after I took
this shot and the reflections were gone.
Turn the page for more of Chris and other

LPM readers images
L ig htbox
Chris Gin
I started photography in 2007 when I decided I needed a new hobby. I figured it
would keep me occupied for a few months
but little did I know how addicted to it I
would become! I quickly developed a passion for landscapes and have spent the
last few years photographing my home town of Auckland
which has some amazing beaches. Im gradually making my
way around the rest of New Zealand and hope to do some
more extensive travel in the future.I love capturing scenes
during sunrise and sunset and the golden hours when the
light is at its best. Theres no better feeling than capturing
the perfect moment and seeing a magical image appear on
the LCD. I also enjoy seeing photos from other photographers and am constantly amazed at the amount of talent
out there. Its a constant reminder of how far I have to go
and how much I have to learn, but its a fun process!
www.chrisgin.com
Below: Morning rush, Auckland, New Zealand
Above: Maori Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
L i g htbox
Desiree Stover
Very much an avid amateur
photographer, I spend my days
working with high school students as a Counselor in Raleigh,
North Carolina, USA. Beautiful
photography has always been a
love and I longed to create photos like Ive seen at
over the years.
After shooting film in the past, I moved into the
digital world last year with the purchase of my
Canon T1i. Self-taught through trial and error and
advice from friends, my free time is spent finding
places to shoot around my home and exploring
my artistic side through processing my shots.
www.flickr.com/photos/desiree_elaine
Below: Carolina beach, NC, USA
Above: Lake Benson, Garner, NC, USA
L ig htbox
Ed Schroeder
Ive been taking photos for a couple of
years now, I first got an
SLR when I graduated
from university (with a
completely unrelated
degree). As a result Ive had no formal
training in photography, and tend to approach things with a learn by doing approach. I fit my photography in around
my day job, and aim to go out just to
take photos at least once every couple of
weeks. Spectacular landscape photography with massively wide angle lenses is
my thing.
www.edschroeder.co.uk
Below: Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey, Wales
Above: Black point, Anglesey, Wales
L i g htbox
Vittorio Ricci
I am a nature photographer from Genova, Italy,
aged 47. Since 2006, I
made the big step of
moving into the digital
era. Photography is my
main and great hobby
which involves much of my spare time. Surprising and rousing emotions in people is
the utmost purpose of my photography. I
think that nature photographers have an
extraordinary means to communicate with
people about nature; to make them know,
to try and save what remains, to make them
react to save the lonely planet we have to
live on.
www.flickr.com/photos/vricci63
Below: PN Monti Sibillini, Italy
Above: PN Monti Sibillini, Italy
L ig htbox
Marcia Straub
I am a resident of the State
of Illinois located in the
Midwest, USA, and also
travel extensively. We are
lucky to have four seasons
in Illinois which allows an
ever changing opportunity for landscapes.
We have healthy forested areas, wetands,
river, and both rural and urban settings.
Recent credits include: 2009 Contributor to
the display for the Climate Conference of the
United Nationsin Copenhagen
Winner of the State of Illinois Dept of Tourism Summer 2010 Contest
Featured photo in Science Daily, 2010 etc.
www.straublundphotography.zenfolio.com
Below: Wetlands around Jasper, Indiana, USA
Above: Illinois River in Central Illinois, USA
L i g htbox
Samuel Lozeau
I have immersed myself into digital photography a few years
ago through architecture and urban
photography. Then,
a recent trip to Europe made me discover beautiful landscapes, from snowy mountains to silky
waters which made me fall in love with
landscape photography. Since then, I always carry a camera when I go out in my
hometown of Montreal, Canada or on my
trips. Always trying to capture some point
of view that hopefully, nobody got the
chance to discover yet.
www.flickr.com/photos/sloz69
Below: Montreal Mirror - Montreal, Canada
Above: Schattenhalb, Switzerland
This Month:
Orange Nights
By our reader John Cox
John Cox has been living in Ontario, Canada for the past 25 years and a photographer for the past
15. He has worked in journalism, portrait photography and currently does the occasional candid
wedding. He is an alumni of Sheridan college, Conestoga college and the McMichael centre. He
specializes in Black and white images and life as art and has been well regarded for his black and
white landscapes. He works with digital SLRs and has fully embraced the digital era.
About 6 years ago I stumbled across the work of

Russian photographer named Mikhail Petrov. He
had been taking pictures in St. Petersburg in the
middle of winter, at night, without tripods or image stabilization. His work was some of the best
I had seen in the field of documentary photography. Inspired, I took up the cause and naively set
out to shoot the winter nights around me in Canada the same way.
image quality and depending on what film you

use, theres really very little that can out res them
2mm for 2mm. That these cameras can do this and
are 40 years old is somewhat of a miracle. I know
40 years from now my current digital cameras will
probably not be taking pictures.
And in this case the mechanical camera had other
advantages; mainly it didnt rely on batteries.
Batteries were a major hurdle later on when
I couldnt take pictures for more than fifteen
minutes without batteries freezing and no longer
functioning. Knowing what I know now, I would
probably start off the same way and not tread too
far afield from the hi-res mechanical workhorse I
started with.
While every year I come back to this project

and take time to test new lenses camera and
techniques, some of the things I come away having
learned are not what I would expect. Some are
blatantly obvious. Some of the best subject matter
for night photography are things that arent all that
great during the day. This makes it really hard to
plan out what youre going to take pictures of in That first year was also a test in many ways because
advance. It also makes regular nightly excursions I had just moved to the area two years before, I
fun and rewarding.
didnt know the back streets very well and I knew
virtually no one in the city.
One learning experience as it turns out, is that
humans are not inherently nocturnal animals, I often felt awkward trudging through the night
and that cameras arent designed for when there with a camera and long lenses, and was worried
is little to no available light. This was more of a what observers would think of some guy in a
problem from a practical point than a functional trench coat with a camera going around at night
one. With control dials and screens being unable taking pictures of empty streets in the dark. One of
to be read when there was no real light source in the great things that came from this was I learned
the first year. This was the main problem because that you are not going to get into trouble for doing
I was using a fully mechanical medium format street and doc photos, whether at night, or in the
system in at the time, with no illuminated screens middle of a crowded sunny street.
and no LEDs.
The 645 medium format had only a couple of
This was part of the fun for me at the time and other small problems. The first was that the lenses
probably for a lot of us using mechanical monsters would mist. This was mainly because it was tripod
today. These great eternal creations have lasted mounted and I was breathing down a waist level
forever and can take great pictures in almost any finder. The other problem was that the film would
situation, (proven even more so in this case) and occasionally freeze.
have a real romance to them. One of the things
that makes them even more enjoyable to use is The camera was a relic of the 70s and with its
that the sensor size, -both 35mm and medium metal housing the film very occasionally became
format cameras have amazing depth of field and a casualty of frost. This may have had something
This M o nth : O r ang e N ig hts

to do with the specific film I was using, at the time
all I would use was txp 320 (I preferred 220), a film
that had stayed relatively the same for over 30
years, but I think that in some weather you have to
wind slowly or risk breaking.
take a picture of whats illuminated by one or two

street lights at this setting, but if you keep adding
street lights its a sequence of diminishing returns,
- street lights will only ever give off so much light.
In other words you can only get so bright with the
ambient light youre likely to find at night. There
That year low light offered a few other problems may be some nights where youll get up to 1/30
for hand holding. After a few nights I noticed a but the dynamic range/latitude will catch most of
trend in shutter speeds and I began recording that even if you are still set to 1/8.
them. The average shutter speed for me was 1/8th
with an aperture of f4.5 that stayed fairly consist- In any case I ended up exposing the entire first
ent throughout the entire project.
year with an incident meter and only took readings
at the start of the night, later on I just went with
This was interesting for a few reasons because I what the evening was averaging at and knew that
found that if I needed to I could put my camera in my film was fairly forgiving.
manual at this exposure and just take pictures all
night. The latitude of the film or dynamic range of The 1/8th I was playing with was well below hand
the sensor would make up for most discrepancies. holding speeds without image stabilizing, but
doable if you have it. While with the 645 cameras I
My thinking on what has happened is that there used a tripod, my goal was to hand hold. For most
is only so much light at night. Your camera can of the second year I was using my digital slr, which
Th is M o nth : O r ang e N i g ht s
for the most part was great.
feral cats and squirrels it was extremely quiet. Its

also quiet on the human side too, I often walked
I was eager to use the wide lenses I had for it and down the middle of four lane thoroughfares and I
the IS was appealing. It was a Canon 40D so it Jay walked across pretty much every street I came
was good on noise and resolution. It really looked to. At night the whole town was deserted making
like the solution to all the mishaps of the previous it seem almost eerie. But there was a peace to it
year. I should point out that I still use D-slrs for this too. It seemed like the world needed a few hours
project.
of quiet to catch up and rest before the next day
could begin. The people who worked night shift
Out of all the things digital brought to the table the at the coffee shops and 24-hour stores had a nice
biggest was instant play back. This is something slow night and took care of the overflow from the
that may seem trivial at first, but being able to see day before; I realized I was doing the same.
if your last shot was in focus or had motion blur
is really a major feature when doing this kind of Winter was a relatively dormant time for me, and
work. There were really only two problems that I was using this project to take care of sorting out
came with the digital SLR, batteries freezing, and gear and methods that would last me though the
one that I originally blamed on Canon (the slr spring and summer.
manufacturer), noise.
I also began to appreciate the people I met at
People had suggested that I take the batteries night, there were some real characters, from Greg
out of the camera when I wasnt shooting and put the 50 year old comic junkie to the over exuberant
them in my jacket, this worked well and barring staff at the local coffee shops (I swear they do
the occasionally drop in the snow from frostbitten nothing but drink coffee all night long).
fingers did the charm.
I decided in the fourth year to bring my point
The problem with putting just the batteries in my and shoot G10 and try to do the entire project on
pocket however was that the camera sensor still that, it was smaller, had more megapixels and was
got cold. Why would the sensor being cold be a mirrorless. The rational behind mirrorless being
problem? Digital noise is caused by the sensor good was that that the mirrorless Leica and Contax
heating up and pixels misfiring. If the sensor rangefinders gain about a stop of hand-holdstarts out at minus twenty Celsius then when ability because of the lack of mirror flap.
it heats up to 1600 iso more pixels are going to
misfire, thus more noise. This got a bit better when The G10 also had IS although it was a bit high on
I put both camera and batteries into my coat. But noise. Wonderfully, the small mirrorless point and
for about half the season I used noise ninja fairly shoot with image stabilizing got usable, blur free
heavily.
images, from places that I had passed by and had
wanted to take the pictures of for years. It gave
Around this time I had come far enough in my me a new appreciation for small cameras that I
journey to photograph the night that I really probably otherwise would not have.
began to appreciate it also. There were relatively
few animals out in the winter at nights here, the While in the fourth year I did almost abandon slrs;
town wasnt raccoon infested and aside from some it was only almost. As I mentioned earlier I still use
This M o nth : O r ang e N ig hts

them. Some focal lengths arent covered on point
and shoots and lens quality and more specifically
low light quality is better on slr sensors.
For these reasons every night I go out I weigh out
the pros and cons of both slr and point and shoot.
One thing Ive found is that its important to stay
light and limit what you carry. There are not a
lot of chances to change lenses without moisture
finding its way in and other peripherals can cause
more problems than benefits.
Interestingly enough after doing this project for 5
years Ive become more impressed with the latest
digital point and shoots than d-slrs.
I still have a fondness for manual focus film beats,
and would love to shoot on some of the great
medium format cameras I started out on. There
have been a lot of great times over the years, and
some places that I keep coming back to, either

because I like the subject matter, or it didnt work
out well previously. Usually if a picture from this
series has a particularly well thought out name, its
a picture I either plan on doing again or have done
more than once.
The future looks great for this project, theres very
little that can hinder or stop it. -Realistically global
warming is about as big a threat to this project as
it gets, and I dont see that ending winter in my
lifetime.
There will always be new equipment to test and
this is one of my most gruelling gauntlets, and
strangely its scheduled right around Christmas
too. As long as theres winter and I have a camera and a couple nights to spare I see myself doing
this. I see that being the case for a long time.
S ec ti o n -A r ti cle N am e
How to
participate!
Each month we publish your images and articles for other
photographers to enjoy and learn from, be part of it.
Dont just leave your images sitting in your hard drive, publish them in these pages and let the whole world enjoy them.
Well showcase the best photographers in Portfolio.
Lightbox
On the map
Have you discovered a good location and would like other
photographers to visit it?
If you have an interesting photo tip and would like to share it

with everyone, then submit it and we will take care of the rest.
Readers Journeys
Of course you have a very interesting and inspiring article on a photography trip
you have been in the past. The question is, would you like to share it?
Magazine cover
If you have an image worthy to be our magazine cover, we would be proud to
publish it for you.
This month
We are looking for interesting articles about landscape photography. Can you write
one? Have you written one?
For details on how to submit your material check

www.landscapephotographymagazine.com
l andsc ae
Portfolio:
Bruce T Smith
Soft White
Deep powder snow on boulders in the mountains
alongside the Icefields Parkway, between Banff and
Jasper, Alberta, Canada.
P o r tfo li o : B ruce T S m ith

Ive been interested in photography since high school,
and the passion has been re-awakened with the
growth of digital. I really strive to capture mood
in my images, if I can. I love the outdoors, from golf
and gold prospecting to gardening and photography.
My main photographic interests include old, abandoned buildings and vehicles (especially with HDR),
the mountains, birds, nature, and almost anything else
outdoors.
Top right: Athabasca River Valley. Flats of the
Athabasca River near Jasper, Alberta, Canada in early
springtime.
Bottom right: Sun Peaks Village. Beautiful condos at
the Sun Peaks Ski Resort near Kamloops, BC, Canada.
Below: Heading Home. Two horses plodding through the winter snow back to the barn. Image was
taken west of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Caribbean Sunrise
From a cruise ship near the
British Virgin Islands.
58 - Landscape Photography Magazine - March
Threatening Storm
Storm clouds building over old
farm sheds west of Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada.
H ay F eve r
C olour & C omposition

David Hay
Most landscape photographs are made up mainly of blue

and green tones. Grass, sea and sky predominate.
At the blue end of the spectrum, colours are de- with non-photographers, as they are full of warm,
scribed as cool and can give a tranquil or even pleasant colours.
bleak look to a landscape. That is why sadness is
described as feeling blue.
Some landscapes such as Bryce Canyon and Antelope Canyon in the US can provide photographs
In summer greens predominate. This is probably that are almost entirely at the red end of the specmy least favourite season for landscape photogra- trum, which results in high impact, appealing imphy. In autumn and winter there are more browns ages. Here in Scotland there is less chance to inand yellows available. Yellow, orange and red are clude reds in our landscapes. Even in the autumn
known as warm colours and people are more we lack the strongest red foliage we see in New
drawn to them.
England landscapes.
As well as the scenic details in the foreground, middle distance and background of most landscapes,
colours can contribute to the composition. Blue
and green are background colours. They look
good in the distance as they have a lower visual
impact than the forward colours such as red, orange and yellow.
This is why warning signals are red as they jump
out from the background and grab your attention
first. Sunsets are always a popular subject, even
A chance to include red in a landscape photograph

came on the south shore of Loch Shieldaig. This
red-roofed house is painted regularly and is very
accessible as the single-track road runs immediately behind it. The house is usually photographed
from the rising ground behind it as there are great
views out towards the narrows of Loch Torridon in
the distance.
On this occasion I chose to photograph the house
from the shoreline. I found an angle that allowed
the foreground rocks, and the cracks in

them, to lead your eye up through the
frame towards the house. One disadvantage of a 95% accurate viewfinder is that
stray details can appear around the edge of
the frame. I normally crop out the broken
sea urchin shell at the bottom of this frame.
The crop also helps to line up a crack with
the bottom left corner of the frame, which
improves the composition by emphasising
the diagonal flow of the image. However
I have left it in to show you where I picked
the sea urchin up from, before placing it on the junction of the cracks and taking the second shot.
The close-up shot reveals the colour harmony between the pink of the broken sea urchin shell and the
yellow and orange of the lichens on the rock. After taking a landscape photograph it is always worth
looking around for any other detail shots in the same area. Both photographs were taken hand-held
with an 18-55 lens at f11.
B eginners G uide
C hoosing
Tripod
Mike Bell
Landscape photography is an expensive pastime and beginners are often tempted to

reserve the bulk of their budget for cameras and lenses.
The ancillary equipment gets left to the bottom of

the shopping list. After all, a tripod is just a threelegged support. Why spend more than you have
to? So the high street chain camera store makes
another sale of a budget tripod to an unsuspecting
novice. This is a big mistake. Choose a good tripod
and it will serve you well for years, enhance the enjoyment of your craft and certainly give you better
images.
So what makes a good tripod?
Most important of all it must be sturdy enough to
hold your heaviest camera and lens combination
without any vibration, sagging or flexing of the
legs. It must be easy to extend and the angle and
length of each leg must be adjustable so that you
can achieve a stable and level platform for your
camera even on uneven ground. Ideally it should
allow the camera to be positioned at any height
from your eye level to almost touching the ground.
I recommend that you choose one where a
comfortable working level can be achieved without extending the central column. Many experienced landscape photographers have removed or
shortened the central column of their tripods as
they never use them. Personally I still like to have
the option of a little extra height or the ability to
re-orientate the central column to a horizontal position for low level macro work. So maximum extended height without central column is one of
the key specifications to look for; Another is maximum load - this should exceed the weight of your
heaviest combination of camera, lens and filter
assembly.
Cheaper tripods come with integral adjustable
heads but these are rarely up to the job. It is better
to purchase a separate head to fit onto your sturdy
set of legs.
For landscape photography the choice of tripod
heads comes down to two main types - ball heads
and three-way heads. A ball head is simple to set
up but fine adjustments and precise levelling are
tricky. Three-way heads allow precise independent

adjustment in three planes. Although it takes a little more time to set up your framing, this is usually
time well spent as it really makes you think about
your composition.
Once you have acquired an extensive collection of
quality equipment, weight starts to become a big
issue. You will not make good photographs if your
kit is so heavy that you are disinclined to seek out
the best viewpoint or are too exhausted when you
get there! This is where the material that your tripod is made from begins to matter.
Aluminium or alloy legs are strong but much heavier than carbon fibre. Carbon fibre is also warm
to touch and does not corrode in wet conditions,
but it is more expensive. For the tripod that you
will carry long distances I think it is the material of
choice. Ball heads are also lighter and smaller so

are more suitable for travel.
After many years of trial and error, I now have two
tripod/head combinations which are illustrated
here. The first is a geared three-way head with
coarse and fine adjustment knobs fitted to a tall
aluminium tripod. The second is a small ball head
fitted to a slightly shorter carbon fibre tripod. This
is ideal for hill walks and airline travel.
Please note that your tripod and head do not have
to be from the same manufacturer as they are
joined by a standard screw thread.
Classifieds
To advertise here email adverts@landscapephotographymagazine.com
The Authors
Creative DesIgn:
Celtic Shadows
www.celticshadows.co.uk
Viewpoint:
Ian Cameron
www.transientlight.co.uk
Hudson Henry
www.global-exposures.com
Fran Halsall
www.fran-halsall.co.uk
Martin Henson
www.digital-monochrome.co.uk
Neil Paskin
www.neilpaskin.com
John Freeman
www.naturalperspective.com
Pele Leung
www.peleleung.com
Open Talk:
David Hay
www.imagepro.photography.com/davidhay
Beginners guide:
Mike Bell
www.discovered-light.co.uk
Spotlight:
Dimitri Vasiliou
www.earthsbeautytours.com
Hay fever:
David Hay
www.imagepro.photography.com/davidhay
The Guests
Cover Page:
Scott Harrower
www.scottharrower.com
On The Map:
Stuart Billington
www.stubill.com
Portfolios:
Natalia Martinez
www.flickr.com/photos/nataliamartinez
Tony McGarva
www.pbase.com/mcgarva
Bruce T Smith
www.ferventphoto.com
Articles:
This month:
John Cox
www.theworldexposed.com/The_Idea.html

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Landscape

On the map: Mupe Bay by Stuart Billington

Readers Portfolios: Natalia Martinez - Tony McGarva - Bruce T Smith

Viewpoint: Four Stages of Photography by Pele Leung

Spotlight: Looking For Shelter by Dimitri Vasiliou

Open Talk: 10 Stop ND Filters by David Hay

This Month: Orange Nights by John Cox

Hay Fever: Colour & Composition by David Hay

Beginners Guide: Choosing a Tripod by Mike Bell

Desde mi escondite - Playa de LEsparrell Villajoyosa

Below: Bajo la luz del atardecer-cala ximo, Benidrom, Alicante, Spain

6 - Landscape Photography Magazine

Below: My world, Altea, Alicante, Spain

Above: Calido amanecer, Cabo San Juan, Alicante, Spain

Landscape Photography Magazine - 7

Entre cascadas, Cala Baladrar, Benisa, Alicante, Spain

8 - Landscape Photography Magazine

Amanece, La olla, Altea, Alicante, Spain

Landscape Photography Magazine - 9

Tres en Raya, San juan, Alicante, Spain

10 - Landscape Photography Magazine

Expirar, Inspirar, Cala Baladrar, Alicante, Spain

Landscape Photography Magazine - 11

In this edition of On The Map we explore one

Mupe Bay is a geological coastal treat for the photographer, as

See website for link to Google Map

About Mupe Bay

rock falls, some quite large, can be seen. Access

At the foot of the access steps to Mupe from the

Care must always be taken when exploring Mupe,

At high tide, in particular the stretch between

14 - Landscape Photography Magazine

How to get there

Mupe lies within the Lulworth MOD firing ranges,

Mupe bay, Dorset, England

16 - Landscape Photography Magazine

of Dorset coast. To the east of Mupe Bay in order

West from Mupe Bay, you can find the stunning

18 - Landscape Photography Magazine

The Beginning Stage

So which stage are you at now? Lets find out.

If you still can remember how you first discovered

Landscape Photography Magazine - 19

V iewpo i nt : F our S tag es

to you, from photo composition to camera opera- own opinion!

20 - Landscape Photography Magazine

V i e wpo int : F ou r S tag es

To those who are persistent, they might finally get

The power of creativity gives you the ability to

Landscape Photography Magazine - 21

V iewpo i nt : F our S tag es

The Undefined Stage

22 - Landscape Photography Magazine

Out 1st of July

On The Map: Tnsberg beach, Norway

Beach Blaze, Aberdeen, Scotland.

26 - Landscape Photography Magazine

Buachaille Etive Mor

28 - Landscape Photography Magazine

The skeleton tree

Landscape Photography Magazine - 29

Look ing For Shelter

After all, we would go there, scout the area, have