Landscape Photography - Steve Watkins

Landscape
Photography
STEVE WATKINS
THE EXPANDED GUIDE > TECHNIQUES

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 2 28/7/11 10:13:42
Landscape
Photography
THE EXPANDED GUIDE
Steve Watkins

First published 2011 by
Ammonite Press
an imprint of AE Publications Ltd
166 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XU, United Kingdom
Text © AE Publications Ltd, 2011

Illustrative photography © Steve Watkins, 2011 (except where
indicated)
Copyright © in the work AE Publications Ltd, 2011
All rights reserved
The right of Steve Watkins to be identified as the author of this

work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988, sections 77 and 78.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.
This book is sold subject to the condition that all designs are
copyright and are not for commercial reproduction without the
permission of the designer and copyright owner.
The publishers and author can accept no legal responsibility for

any consequences arising from the application of information,
advice or instructions given in this publication.
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
Series Editor: Richard Wiles

Design: Richard Dewing Associates
Typeset in Frutiger
Color reproduction by GMC Reprographics Page 2
Clouds billow at dusk above the
sea stacks known as the Twelve
Apostles, in Victoria, Australia.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Introduction 6
Chapter 2 Equipment 10
Chapter 3 Exposure 26
Chapter 4 Composition 56
Chapter 5 Light 78
Chapter 6 Color 106
Chapter 7 Creativity 120
Chapter 8 Locations & subjects 130
Chapter 9 Digital workflow 164
Chapter 10 Using your images 176
Glossary 186
Index 190

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Landscape photography
There has never been a more exciting time to be a landscape
photographer. Powerful new cameras, accessible locations, and
sources of inspiration abound—and in our otherwise frenetic
world the sense of peace to be found in the great outdoors can be
transformative.
When pioneering landscape photographer be able to point the camera at any scene that
Carleton Watkins set out in the 1860s to creates an emotional response and to capture
capture scenes of the Yosemite Valley in the an image that will remind the photographer at
American West, few could have imagined least of his or her connection with that place at
just how photography of the planet’s that particular moment in time.
natural spaces would go on to impact the
public consciousness. From encouraging Personal view
countless millions or even billions of people As the genre has matured, the definition of
to seek out the places featured to driving what constitutes a landscape photograph
major conservation initiatives, landscape has altered, too, further widening its popular
photographs have become a defining appeal. Whether you love photographing
influence on what it means to be a human the grand scene as the pioneers did or prefer
being living on this Earth. seeking out more intimate, close-up views,
we all have the ability to become landscape
Open season photographers, connected by a love for
One of the inherent appeals of landscape wilderness, wherever it can be found.
photography as a genre is that it is open to
anyone who owns a camera and who can
step outside of their own back door. There
is no absolute need to own the best, or even
good equipment—though of course it helps
in the pursuit of ultimate image quality—and
landscapes of one form or another exist
within walking distance of just about every GRAND SCENE (right)
The classic “big view,” such as this
house that has ever been built. scene in Lofoten, Norway, is still as
There is no great level of training needed to popular as ever with photographers
8 Landscape Photography

CHAPTER 2 EQUIPMENT

Choosing equipment
While it is true that great equipment does not make a great landscape
photographer, the right kit can make the difference between getting the
shot you are after or missing it, so plan your equipment needs carefully.
One of the first decisions to make before yourself. Instead of buying several prime lenses,
investing in lots of equipment for landscape it might be worth getting one zoom lens that
photography is just how you envisage covers the same focal range. Your tripod will
undertaking your photography. If you are need to go with you everywhere, too, and
likely to shoot most of your images at these can be weighty and awkward enough
locations that are within a short walking to carry to seriously dent your enthusiasm for
distance of your car, then you can buy as getting out there. So, if you can afford one
much equipment as your budget will allow. made from lighter materials, such as carbon
You can also pay less attention to the weight fiber, then you will reap the benefits on those
of the items you are considering and focus, tough hikes.
instead, on the other features. Invest in the best quality of gear that you
If, on the other hand, you foresee that you can and if you have to choose then opt for
will want to get away from the more easily good lenses first and foremost, and then a good
accessible locations and venture off into the tripod. You will very likely upgrade your camera
hills and mountains in search of rarer images, quite regularly anyway, whereas good lenses
then it is essential that you don’t overload should serve you well for many years.
Kits for every budget

Beginner Intermediate Advanced
Entry-level DSLR Mid-level DSLR High-end DSLR or medium-format
28–70mm lens 24–70mm lens camera
Aluminum tripod 70–200mm lens 16–35mm lens
Polarizer filter Carbon-fiber tripod 24–70mm lens
Cable release Polarizer filter 70–200mm lens
Hotshoe spirit level Neutral-density graduated filter kit 1.4x teleconverter lens
Cable release Carbon-fiber tripod
Hotshoe spirit level Polarizer filter
Neutral-density graduated filter kit
Neutral-density filter
Cable release
Hotshoe spirit level

What type of camera?
There are superb cameras on the market these days to suit
everybody’s needs, tastes, and budget. You just have to decide what
you want.
If you are in the market to buy any type DSLR
of digital camera, then you are going to The digital single lens reflex (or DSLR) camera is
be completely spoilt for choice. Fierce and the type used by just about every professional
increasing competition across all the sectors and advanced amateur landscape photographer.
(aside from large format) has led to a glut of That is not to say that beginners cannot jump
highly specified cameras being available for straight into this part of the market, since
pretty much bargain prices. So, how do you the main camera manufacturers have been
go about choosing the one that best suits your doing their utmost to tempt beginners by
needs? Following the steps below should help manufacturing DSLRs with built-in help guides
to narrow things down. and a host of technological advances that
significantly increase the likelihood of taking
Decide your budget flawless landscape photos in almost any situation.
To some degree, this will govern both the type
and the quality of the camera body that you
SONY ALPHA DSLR
can get—though it is hard to buy a truly bad
camera these days. The key to getting the most
value for your money is to be very specific
about the features that you really need on the
camera. Modern cameras have so many fancy
functions that it is easy to be swayed by an
extensive list of capabilities that in reality you
will rarely or never use.
It’s not that you can easily avoid getting
excess features bundled into the package, but
if you have a clear idea of which ones are the
most important for your type of photography,
then you can focus on the quality of those,
rather than the superfluous ones touted by
the salesman.
The Expanded Guide 13

CANON 600D – MID-RANGE DSLR NIKON D3S – FULL FRAME DSLR
A big advantage of buying a DSLR is that there are also improving in leaps and bounds, and
is usually a comprehensive lens system available often match their more expensive stablemates
to go with it, offering the maximum level of in some of the features they offer.
flexibility and potential for the system to grow
with you as your photography improves. DSLRs Full frame
also offer greater control over composition The term “full frame” refers to DSLRs with
compared to most other types of camera, sensors that match the size of an old frame
thanks to their mirror and pentaprism systems, of film (36mm x 24mm). Because they have
which give up to 100% image accuracy through big sensors and thus don’t need to pack in
their viewfinders. They also give maximum the pixels, the image quality is often, though
levels of control over exposure and the other not always, better than cameras based on
main functions of the camera, which is ideal for smaller sensor formats, with lower noise
working in tricky lighting conditions. levels at high ISO ratings and a wider dynamic
The top-end DSLRs often feature better range, to better capture the subtle light in
weatherproofing seals on the body, a real bonus an image: an important consideration for
for landscape photographers, and are more landscape photographers. Using a full-frame
rugged than models farther down the range. camera means that your lenses will operate at
They do tend to be big and heavy, though. Mid- their stated angle of view and won’t need a
range DSLRs have improved enormously thanks crop factor applied, as they do with smaller-
to competition in this area of the market, and format-sensor cameras. Full-frame sensors are,
are very worthy of consideration, even for however, more expensive to manufacture, and
professional photographers. Entry-level DSLRs the camera prices reflect that.

APS-C just 17.3mm x 13mm. The Micro systems also
This sensor format, which stands for do not include a mirror or pentaprism, instead
Advanced Photo System type C, uses a sensor relying on an electronic view finder (EVF), which
approximately sized at 25.1mm x 16.7mm, allows the manufacturers to make far smaller
which significantly reduces manufacturing and lighter cameras.
costs compared to full-frame sensors. Cameras
featuring APS-C sensors have become Compact
immensely popular, since they offer very good Although compact cameras have improved
image quality at lower prices. A downside for enormously in recent years and now offer
landscape photographers who love using their high megapixel counts and a wide range of in-
wide-angle lenses is that the smaller sensor camera software for adjusting your images, they
introduces a crop factor, which reduces the still fall short as serious landscape cameras, and
angle of view of any lens attached to the so are best avoided unless you just want to take
camera. A camera with a 1.6x crop factor turns landscape snapshots.
a 24mm lens into a 38mm lens (in equivalent
terms to an old 35mm film or full-frame digital Medium format
camera). To get an equivalent to a 24mm lens Although they are significantly more expensive
in APS-C format, you need to use a 15mm than DSLRs, digital medium-format cameras are
lens, which is more technically challenging and preferred by many landscape photographers
expensive to produce. (film-based medium-format cameras are quite a
bargain these days if you want to try the format
Micro Four Thirds out). One of the big advantages of medium-
These sensors are based on the Four Thirds format over smaller-format cameras is that the
system developed by Panasonic and Olympus. sensors do not feature an anti-aliasing filter, so
The sensor is smaller than APS-C, measuring the images you get from them are significantly
sharper out of the camera and they resolve
OLYMPUS E-5 – FOUR THIRDS DSLR
more detail.
Large format
If you want to have fun and try something more
challenging, then large-format film cameras are
still very much a favorite for some landscape
photographers. The quality of the images you
get from them is simply breathtaking, but they
are rather unwieldy to use and quite a load to
carry around on location.

Lenses Telephoto (85–200mm)
After wide-angle lenses, the telephoto range
Ultra-wide-angle (14–20mm) is the next most popular with landscape
Wide enough to include detailed very near photographers. They compress the perspective
foregrounds all the way through to very distant and are ideal for picking out smaller sections
backgrounds, these lenses give an extraordinary of an expansive landscape, or for recording
perspective on the landscape. You have to abstract details.
compose an image with great care, though,
since they quickly introduce an unnatural look Extreme telephoto (200mm plus)
if they are tilted up or the main subjects are These large lenses significantly compress
placed too close to the edges of the frame, perspective, which can be great for making
where the distortion of the lens is at its worst. abstract images of the landscape. Point them
at a rolling range of hills and the ridgelines will
Wide-angle (24–35mm) look like they are stacked one upon the other.
Lenses in this range are the workhorses of any
landscape photographer. They provide a far
more natural look than ultra-wide-angle lenses,
yet retain enough angle of view to include large
parts of the scene in the image.
CANON EF 300MM F/2.8L IS II USM LENS
Other lenses
NIKON AF-S NIKKOR 24MM F/1.4G ED WIDE- There are several other lenses that can be of
ANGLE LENS
use to landscape photographers. Tilt-shift lenses
Standard (50–70mm) give fine levels of control over the depth of field
A much underused lens range in landscape in an image by allowing you to move the front
photography, these lenses offer the most element of the lens parallel to the sensor plane
realistic portrayal of a landscape relative to our (shift) or by tilting it. Then there are fun lenses,
own human vision. They can also be among the like the Lensbaby, which gives only a very tiny
cheapest lenses to buy, so it is always worth “sweet spot” of sharply focused image, with
popping one into your camera bag. the rest of the image being very softly rendered.

Camera support Aluminum tripods come in at the lowest prices
and offer excellent rigidity, albeit at generally
Tripods greater weights.
An essential part of a landscape photographer’s • Leg lock mechanism There are two
armory is a tripod. No other piece of your methods of locking tripod legs in place: lever
equipment can bring you greater joy or more locks or twist locks. There is no right or wrong
frustration, so it is wise to spend quite some choice with these; it purely comes down to
time considering the options available. They personal preference. Whichever system you
may seem like simple, three-legged tools, but go for, make sure that the locks can be easily
the level of sophistication available these days is operated while wearing gloves.
quite astonishing. Fundamental tripod features
to consider for landscape photographers are: Tripod heads
• Maximum working height The height of Selecting a good tripod head is possibly more
the tripod without the tripod’s center column important than getting good tripod legs. There
being extended is crucial. You don’t want are many varieties and brands, and this is
to be bent over double to look through the generally a product where you get what you
viewfinder, and extending the center column pay for in terms of quality, ease of use, and
turns your tripod into more of a monopod, durability. Make sure the head you choose can
with subsequent loss of stability. Don’t
on t forget cope with the
th overall weight of
to add the height of your camera onto nto the the camera and lenses you want
maximum height of the tripod to get et the true to use with it. Ball heads are fast
working height. and easy to use,
use but making fine
• Weight and rigidity Searching for great adjustments to your composition will
landscapes to capture usually entails a fair amount be more difficult, since the head
of hiking, so finding a lightweight tripod
pod will can move in i all directions once the
significantly improve the chances of you ou carrying head is unlocked.
un Heads where
it with you on any trip. Carbon-fiber tripods you can separately
s adjust the
offer superb levels of rigidity and weigh
gh up to horizontal
horizont and vertical planes of
a third less than aluminum equivalents—the
s—the movement
movem give much better
downside is that carbon-fiber tripods are control
contro over composition, but
far more expensive. There are now other her can be a little slower
lightweight materials being used to make to uuse.
tripods, such as basalt, which produceses
lighter tripods than aluminum, but
heavier than carbon fiber, and the prices
rices
for basalt tripods lie between the two.
wo. STURDY TRIPO
TRIPODS ARE ESSENTIAL

Filters and accessories Neutral-density filter
Unlike the previous filters, these do not
Neutral-density graduated filter graduate at all and are neutral gray across the
If you decide to buy only one type of filter, then entire surface. The increasingly popular 10-stop
make it neutral-density graduated. These filters neutral-density filters give the opportunity
graduate from a neutral gray at the top to clear to use far slower shutter speeds even during
at the bottom. They are commonly used to the brightest parts of the day, in order to blur
balance the light between sky and foreground, movement of water, clouds, or other elements
thus allowing the limited dynamic range of of the landscape. Also they are available in
the camera sensor to capture more detail in varying strengths.
both the highlight and the shadow areas of
the photograph. The filters come in varying TOO MUCH LIGHT!
strengths, so the effect can be fine-tuned. Using a neutral density filter allows you to use
slower shutter speeds to introduce motion into
Although they are available to screw onto the daytime landscape images.
front of your lens, this type offers no scope for
manipulating where the split in the graduation
effect falls on the image. The square and
rectangular filter types that fit into a separate
filter holder are the best option, since then you
can slide the filter up and down in the holder to
place the graduation effect exactly where you
want it.
HARD OR SOFT ND GRADS?

ND grad filters come with either hard or
soft transitions. Hard is good for clean
horizons; soft is best for busy horizons.
Polarizer filter
Another essential filter for your kit bag, the
polarizer helps to eliminate glare and reflections
from surfaces, and to saturate colors, especially
the blues in the sky. They work most effectively
when the camera is set at 90 degrees to the
direction of the sun. They can either screw onto
the lens filter thread or fit into a separate filter
holder, such as those sold by Lee Filters and
Cokin in their “P” filter series.

Canon EOS 1DS MKII with BLUE, BLUE SKY
16-35mm lens at 22mm: (left) A polarizer helps to saturate the blues in an image and reduce glare,
1/320 sec. at f/7.1; (right) 1/180 which helps to add contrast to the scene, as seen here with the clouds.
sec. at f/7.1, ISO 100
Accessories
There are a few extra accessories that are very

useful for landscape photography. A bubble
spirit level that plugs into the hotshoe of your
camera is great for ensuring that the horizons
are straight in your compositions. Remote
shutter-release cables allow you to trigger
the shutter-release button without touching
the camera, which significantly reduces the
possibility of your images being blurred by
camera shake. The most sophisticated cable
releases boast other useful features, such as HOTSHOE SPIRIT LEVEL
multiple-frame shooting at customized time
intervals. If you are shooting with a tripod in
very windy conditions, a sand or rock bag,
which attaches to the hook at the bottom of
the tripod’s center column, can be filled on
location to provide a substantial amount of
added stability.
REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE CORD

Outdoor equipment
Any fool can be uncomfortable in the outdoors, but if you want to
maximize your enjoyment of being in wild places and allow your mind
to focus solely on photographic matters, then good-quality outdoor
gear is essential.
Waterproof clothing Footwear

A good waterproof/windproof jacket and, when Depending on the type of terrain you are going
appropriate, waterproof pants are the most to be covering during your location shoots, your
fundamental items of outdoor gear you will choice of footwear can make the difference
buy, so research them carefully and buy the between an enjoyable hike and a miserable
best that you can afford. The difference they trudge. Sturdy boots that give good ankle
will make on any inclement day, as you head support are advisable, especially as you will be
into the mountains during a storm or wait for carrying significant loads on your back, making
the light to be right in an exposed place, will be you more susceptible to turning over on your
significant. If you are too cold or wet, it is highly ankle. Boots with a waterproof lining, such as
likely that you will abort the photo session Gore-Tex, are ideal for keeping your feet warm
before you get your shot. and dry, although they can be a little too warm
Key things to look for in a jacket are: a wired in hot climates.
hood that stays out of your face in strong
winds; sufficient ventilation options (you don’t Outdoor accessories
want to be taking your jacket on and off in There is a host of other items of outdoor gear
variable weather); and a large map pocket, that may be useful on a landscape shoot. Top
which can also double as a temporary place of the list would be a headlamp. These not
to store a lens. With the jacket and pants, it is only give superb, directional lighting when you
worth looking for those that are designed to are accessing locations in low light or at night,
cope with a good range of movement. You will but also leave both your hands free to get on
often end up shooting from low angles, so you with taking photographs—indispensable. Also,
want your waterproof clothing to move with I never go on a shoot without a pair of thin
you rather than restrain you. thermal gloves. They allow you to use all the
controls on your camera, but stop your hands
freezing and can be worn under a thicker pair of
gloves in particularly cold conditions.

Setting up your camera
Image format
RAW JPEG
The two main image formats used within digital The JPEG format is a compression format, so
cameras are RAW and JPEG. The big advantage the camera strips out data that it deems to
of shooting in RAW format is that the camera be not important to the overall look of the
captures all of the available data, which means image. This means there is less data to work
there is far more scope for adjusting the image with if you are adjusting the image later. JPEG
later using RAW processing software. So, RAW images take up less space on your memory
is the format of choice for serious amateur and cards and are instantly shareable straight out
professional photographers. One disadvantage of the camera with other people using other
to the RAW format is that because the camera computers/software.
captures more data, fewer images fit onto the Some cameras offer the option of shooting
memory card—although this is less of an issue both RAW and JPEG formats at the same
with the large-capacity cards available today. time, which may be useful if you need to send
You also have to process RAW images before some off quickly from a shoot, but also want
you can convert them to a format such as TIFF the maximum level of manipulation available.
or JPEG, which are more commonly accessible Using this option, though, does increase
by other computers. A little known fact is that further the demand on memory space on your
when you shoot in RAW format, the camera storage cards. If you opt to shoot only in JPEG
also creates a fairly good sized JPEG image, then inspect the camera menu and ensure that
which is embedded within the RAW image. This the Image Quality is set to its highest setting,
JPEG image is the one that you see on the LCD often referred to as “Fine” or “Super Fine” in
display on the back of the camera after taking the menu.
a photo. There is a free and very useful piece of
software called Instant JPEG from RAW, which
can quickly strip out the JPEG image for it to be
used—download it from: www.mtapesdesign.
com/instant-jpeg-from-raw-utility/.

Color space
The color space on a camera dictates the extent Adobe RGB (also referred to as Adobe RGB
of colors that can be captured in a photo at the 1998) is a wider color space. It is the preferable
point of pressing the shutter-release button. option for shooting landscape images, since
There are two common color spaces that are it captures more color tones, especially in the
used: sRGB and Adobe RGB. Almost all digital blues and greens, which are crucial in many
cameras are sold with the default color space landscape photos. It is easy to convert an Adobe
set to sRGB (or Super Red Green Blue) and RGB image to sRGB later for distribution to
although this sounds like a good option from other computer users, but you cannot convert
its name, it is in fact a very limited color space. an image originally captured in sRGB to Adobe
It was developed to represent the limited color RGB and recover the missing colors. So, it is
palette that can be displayed on the screens of always better to shoot images in the Adobe
most computers. RGB format. Almost all digital cameras, even
the high-end professional
models, are sold with the
x color space set to sRGB;
sRGB the settings menu needs to
be accessed to change it to
Adobe RGB.
ADOBE RGB
SRGB VS ADOBE RGB

The sRGB space records less
y data in the green and blue
channels than Adobe RGB.

Location planning and research
Thoroughly researching a location is just as important as setting
up your camera gear correctly if you want to get the best possible
landscape photographs. Luckily, it has never been easier.
Researching locations information, such as the history, geology, or
It doesn’t matter if you are planning to culture of the location. This can all feed into
photograph your local patch or off to exotic your composition decisions later on, when you
locations, the more you know about a location might be able to include some visual references
before you go, the better your images will to this background information.
be. As well as finding out the simple logistical
information you need, reading about and Online images
seeing other photos of a location will help to There are few places, if any, on the planet
build a mental picture that can be invaluable in that haven’t been photographed, so there is
previsualizing the shots you want to obtain. a wealth of research material available on the
internet. Search stock image libraries, Google
Maps and books Images, or the web sites of photographers local
Whether you look through traditional paper to your chosen location. This shouldn’t act as a
copies or go to the online versions, there prompt to copy what has already been done,
is nothing better than a map to help build but rather to give you the visual foundation
a visual image of a place you are going to to conjure up your own personal take on the
visit. You can use them to look for potential place. I often carry with me a printout of the
vantage points and clues as to how the light thumbnail images that I come across and like,
may fall on the landscape at different times just to act as a quick reminder in the field.
of the day.
If you have online access to Google Maps, Photography forums
then the 3D imaging they offer when you zoom The advice of a local photographer can prove
right into a landscape is very useful for making invaluable. So, once you know where you are
decisions on where to go. Read as many books heading, try posting on photography web
or online articles about the place as you can, forums to see if anyone can offer inside advice
not just ones about the landscape itself, but also on the location. You will be surprised at how
anything from which you can glean background forthcoming other photographers can be.

GOLDEN HOUR RISING OR FALLING TIDE
The half hour before and the half hour after Knowing tide times will not only keep you safe,
sunrise and sunset often offer the best but also help to shape your thoughts on where
conditions for landscape photography. to go to get the best coast shots.
Weather Sunrise/Sunset times

Nothing will make or break a location shoot The hour or so around sunrise and sunset is the
like the weather you encounter. It pays rich “golden time” for landscape photography, so it
dividends to know as much about both general is imperative to know exactly what time the sun
weather patterns for the area and more time- is coming up or going down to be able to plan
specific forecasts for when you plan to be there. your shoot. There are many sources for finding
Generally, the times when there are significant out the times online, including
changes occurring in weather systems give www.sunrisesunset.com.
rise to the best landscape photography
opportunities. Blue skies make us all feel better Tide times
in ourselves, but they are usually too bland to If you are planning a coastal location shoot,
be of use to outdoor photographers. Weather you will need the times of high and low tide
forecasts become much more accurate when for the day concerned. There are two high tides
they are for the next 12–24 hours, so check and two low tides per day, roughly six hours
them out as close to the time of your shoot apart. At low tide, more of the shoreline will be
as you possibly can. More often than not, on show, which may give you interesting rock
though, you simply have to take a chance on features to include in your images. High tide
the weather being right for your shoot. Some of holds more dangers, since it is easy to become
the elements that make great photographs are cut off if you stray too far from a coastal
unpredictable and so fleeting that you simply access point. Tide timetables are available
have to be there waiting with your gear set up. online for many locations around the globe. Be
aware though that they can vary markedly for
locations that are relatively close together.

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LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH3 26-55.indd 26 28/7/11 10:16:22
CHAPTER 3 EXPOSURE

Understanding exposure
Get the exposure on your images right and it will stand out from the
crowd; get it wrong and the image won’t get a second glance.
The most important aspect of any landscape especially when you are photographing scenes
photograph to get right, or just about right, is that have a fairly average overall brightness,
the exposure. Thankfully, exposure, at its most such as landscapes with deep green fields
fundamental level at least, is also one of the and mid-blue sky. However, outside of these
easiest technical aspects of photography to get to average scenes, and certainly as you become
grips with. There are only three factors involved more creative with your photography, you will
in controlling the exposure levels of an image: encounter more difficult exposure challenges.
aperture, shutter speed, and, to a lesser degree, By improving your skills and increasing your
the ISO rating selected within the camera. experience in subtly manipulating the three
The in-built metering systems in digital governing factors of exposure, the better you
cameras today are, on the whole, outstanding, will become at pulling the desired amount of
so the camera will do much of the work for you, detail out of any landscape scene.
TRICKY LIGHTING
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, Shooting into the sun makes it difficult for
24–70mm lens, 1/100 the camera’s auto-exposure to cope. For this
sec. at f/18 shot, a spot reading was taken off the sky.
LIGHT LAYERS (Right)

If there are layers of light
and shadow in a scene
then it can make it more
difficult to know which
part to expose for. I
wanted to keep the dark
shadows in this image,
so exposed for the
highlighted rock.

Aperture
The word “aperture” simply relates to the size is let in during the exposure. Big apertures are
of the hole in the shutter of the lens when associated with very shallow depths of field,
a photograph is taken. This in turn controls where only a small part of the image is in
the depth of field in the resulting image—the sharp focus. Small apertures let in less light and
amount of the image that is sharply focused. produce results where much of, or even the
The bigger the physical aperture, the more light entire image is sharply focused.
APERTURE SETTINGS
The aperture settings move in “f-stops” and the These are known as the full f-stops, and they will
quoted numbers are inverse, so the bigger f-stop likely be broken down into one-third f-stops, too,
numbers represent the smallest aperture holes, giving you numbers between those shown. Each
and the smallest f-stop numbers represent the full f-stop setting lets in half as much light as the
largest aperture holes. The available f-stop range larger aperture preceding it.
will vary from lens to lens, but will go something
like this: f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32.
f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, ISOLATING THE SUBJECT
70–200mm lens, 1/500 Using a large aperture, such as f/5.6 or more can help to isolate a
sec. at f/5.6, ISO 100 single subject from an otherwise busy scene. Take care about the
exact point you focus on.

Lens choice and depth of field
The amount of depth of field achieved at any different magnification factors of the lenses.
given aperture setting varies with the type of Depth of field is also influenced by the distance
lens you are using. A wide-angle lens offers a from the subject, with closer subjects giving
much greater depth of field at a given aperture relatively less depth of field than subjects that
setting than a telephoto lens, due to the are farther away.
HYPERFOCAL DISTANCE
The way depth of field works means that the area that is acceptably
sharp at any given aperture is not split evenly in front of and behind
the focus point. Instead, around one-third of the depth of field zone
falls in front of the focus point and the other two-thirds lie behind
the focus point. This knowledge can be used to calculate and set
the focus point in a scene to the hyperfocal distance—a term that
refers to the focus, at any given aperture, being set at the closest
possible point while maintaining the depth of field zone reaching
out to infinity. This ensures that you get the most possible detail
acceptably sharp, from the very near foreground (typically around
½ the hyperfocal distance) all the way through to the far distance
background. There are various depth of field and hyperfocal
distance calculators available online, including from the following
web sites:
www.dofmasters.com (they also offer a DOF calculator for
iPhone/iPod Touch)
www.bobatkins.com

WIDE-ANGLE SHARPNESS
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, It is easy to get all of a scene sharply focused when
16–35mm lens, 1/50 using a wide-angle lens. This image was shot with the
sec. at f/18, ISO 100 lens at 16mm so f/18 provided front to back sharpness.

Aperture—Controlling depth of field
Selecting either a large or a small aperture is one field to create an alternative way to engage the
of the most powerful creative tools available to viewer. These images rely on precisely picking out
landscape photographers. The classic school of the intended subject in the composition and then
landscape photography dictates that you should ensuring that this plane is in sharp focus while
always be aiming to capture the maximum the other planes, both in front of and behind the
amount of sharp detail throughout the image, main subject, are very softly focused. This creates
from near foreground to far background, to an irresistible pull on the viewer’s eye to the main
allow the various relationships between the subject, but the brain still takes some account of
elements of the composition to be revealed the blurred surroundings to add context. Both
without biasing the viewer—a sort of “it is what approaches are equally valid, so it is well worth
it is” approach. However, there is a growing experimenting with both to see which appeals
movement of landscape photographers who are most. Some examples of these techniques are
using large apertures and very shallow depths of shown on the following pages.
HOW TO ACHIEVE ULTIMATE SHARPNESS
Although it is useful to use the smallest aperture, so test all your lenses and make note of
available aperture to ensure that everything their sharpest apertures, so that you can aim to
in your landscape photograph is in focus, the use these as often as is practical in the field.
compromise is that camera lenses do not
perform at their optimum levels of sharpness MID-RANGE APERTURES ARE BEST
at either extreme of possible aperture settings. Optimum aperture for this shot was f/18.
Most lenses produce their sharpest images
somewhere in the middle of the range of possible
apertures, so if the scene you are shooting does
not demand an extremely small aperture (i.e.,
there is not very near foreground and very far
background parts to the scene), then the final
image will be sharper if you use the biggest
aperture that you can while maintaining the
depth of field necessary for the entire scene to be
in focus. Each lens will have a different optimum

BLURRED BACKGROUNDS
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, With this shot it would have been easy to lose the main
70–200mm lens, 0.5 sec. at subject. You don’t need to be able to see the detail in the
f/6.3, ISO 100 background to know that it is also rock. The shallow depth
of field, f/6.3, helps the pebbles to stand out.

Big depth of field 1
This shot was taken very quickly when the sun suddenly broke through the storm clouds
during the late afternoon. It is a tabletop mountain called Jugurtha’s Table, in Tunisia.
The sunlight on the rocks was more than enough to draw the viewer’s attention to it, so
I could safely use a small aperture to record full detail in the rest of the scene, without
risking it becoming too confused.
Exposure mode: Manual

Sensitivity: ISO 50 (Velvia)
Shutter speed: 1/60 sec.
Aperture: f/22
Support: Tripod

Big depth of field 2
Down in the slot canyons of Arizona, in the USA, there is relatively little light available
no matter what time of day you are down there. The main subject in this image was the
patterns in the canyon walls and there was no dominant part of the wall that I wanted to
“highlight” by using a shallow depth of field. Using f/20 allows all of the rich detail in the
rock to show through.

Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed: 30 sec.
Aperture: f/20
Support: Tripod

Shallow depth of field 1
This feather was stuck to the lower part of the canyon wall in one of the slot canyons near
Page in Arizona. I’m not sure if it was naturally there or whether someone had placed
it. It made a great subject either way. I wanted to keep the viewer glued to the detail in
the feather while giving a feel of the canyon beyond. An aperture of f/7.1 let the middle
ground and background drift off softly.

Aperture: f/7.1
Support: Tripod

Shallow depth of field 2
This photo was taken around the battlefields of the Somme, in France. It was a very
somber experience and I was keen to try to convey what it felt like to be a soldier at the
time. They spent much of the time at ground level, either lying on open ground or down
in the trenches, so it felt natural to capture these poppies from the same perspective. The
shallow depth of field ensured the scene remained simple.

Aperture: f/5.6
Support: Handheld

Exposure—Shutter speed
While aperture choices control the amount of DSLR cameras offer shutter speed ranges from
light hitting the camera sensor through the size 30 seconds to around 1/8000 of a second,
of the hole in the shutter, the shutter speed although they all also offer a Bulb setting,
controls the level of light entering the camera where the shutter can be opened and closed for
through the speed with which it opens and as long as you desire. One of the creative side
closes the shutter. The faster the shutter opens effects of using different shutter speeds is the
and closes, the less light gets in; the longer ability to determine whether a moving subject in
it stays open, the more light gets in. Most the photograph appears sharp or blurred.
SUBTLE WATER MOVEMENT

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, A shutter speed of 1/160 sec. was just right to allow the movement
70–200mm lens, 1/160 in the breaking waves to bur slightly to make the image more
sec. at f/14, ISO 100 dynamic, without the sea becoming blurred overall.

THE YING AND YANG OF EXPOSURE
Shutter speed and aperture work a greater depth of field, so more of the image in focus.
together to control the overall amount These are the constant decisions and compromises
of light entering the camera. The amount that every photographer needs to make with any given
of light in a scene is a given factor at scene—so this is where you can apply your creative
any particular point in time, but there vision to what you want the final image to look like.
are numerous combinations of shutter
speed and aperture that can be used to SUNNY SIXTEEN!
correctly record the amount of light in 1/125 sec. at f/16 works on sunny days.
the scene on the sensor.
If you choose a faster shutter speed,
you also need to make the aperture
bigger to compensate, and if you choose
a slower shutter speed, the aperture
needs to be smaller to maintain the
same overall level of exposure. On a
bright sunny day and using ISO 100, a
classic setting to use for landscapes is
the so-called “sunny 16” rule, or 1/125
of a second at f/16. However, that is just
one possible combination of settings
that are correct for those particular light
conditions.
You could also use, for example, 1/500
of a second at f/8 or 1/60 of a second
at f/22 and the overall exposure would
remain the same for the image, but in the
first image you would freeze the motion
more of any moving elements in the
frame and have less depth of field. In the
second example, moving elements would
appear more blurry, but you would have

Shutter speed—Using fast shutter speeds
Landscapes are not the most dynamic of alignment with the subject also play a part in
photography subjects, so it is safe to assume the shutter speed equation—the closer you are,
that generally you do not need to be using the the faster the shutter speed you need to freeze
upper levels of your camera’s shutter speeds the action, and if the water is moving across
to be able to freeze the action in a landscape. the frame, rather than toward or away from
However, there are often many moving elements you, then, again, you must use a faster shutter
in any landscape scene, and shutter speed speed to stop the movement in the image.
can play an important role in determining the The same thought process applies to clouds:
ultimate look and mood of an image. Some of the faster they are moving on the wind, the
the more obvious examples of moving elements faster the shutter speed you need to stop them
in landscape photography are water and clouds. from blurring in the image. There are many
If you are shooting a scene that includes a other elements that move within a landscape,
river or the sea, then to freeze the motion including the sun and moon, tree branches and
you will need to use a relatively fast shutter leaves, and even long grasses blowing in the
speed—around 1/200 of a second should suffice wind. All of these need to be carefully assessed
for most moving water, but it depends on how and the movement of each factored into the
rapidly the water is moving. calculations for shutter speed.
A tumbling waterfall might need a shutter One of the advantages of trying to freeze
speed closer to 1/500 of a second to freeze the any motion in a landscape is that the higher
motion, while a gently lapping sea might only shutter speeds may allow you to shoot handheld
require 1/60 of a second. Your proximity to and rather than using a tripod or monopod. If you
are out hiking in the mountains and don’t relish
FREEZING WATER carrying the extra weight of a tripod, then
A shutter speed of 1/800 sec. has “frozen”
committing to using faster shutter speeds is one
individual drops of water in this image.
way to get around the problem of camera shake
if you do not have a support for the camera.
Also, by using higher shutter speeds, you are
enforcing the use of wider apertures, too, which
can help to dictate the creative appearance of
your images.
COUNTER THE WIND (Right)

Fast shutter speeds can be very useful on windy days
to stop the motion in trees and grasses, for example.
A speed of 1/320 sec. kept this wheat field “calm.”


Shutter speed—Using slow shutter speeds
If using fast shutter speeds to freeze all with slow shutter speeds, despite being a
movement harks back to the classic forms of relatively recent trend in the history of landscape
landscape photography, then utilizing slow photography, is already being overused and
shutter speeds is most definitely a technique of over exaggerated.
the modern landscape movement. With our own As with many photographic techniques,
eyes we tend to see the world as if it is all shot though, the ability to use them subtly and
with fast shutter speeds, so using slower shutter in moderation is where the real skill resides.
speeds immediately injects a freshness of vision Expose the ebb and flow of a tide for too many
into your images, giving an abstract expression of seconds and it almost seems to disappear in
time and motion. a swirl of ethereal milkiness. Try instead to
Rather than being caught up in the infinite find the shutter speed that allows the faster
detail of the moving elements, slow shutter moving parts of the sea, such as the breaking
speeds allow us to immerse ourselves in the soft waves, to display the blur of motion while the
and slightly dreamlike motion of water, clouds, slower moving areas retain some details, and
tree branches, and grasses. Some photographers you will be on the way to creating powerful
may feel that it is all a little too surreal at times, and memorable photographs. Again, there are
and that the technique of blurring movement no set speeds to use as it totally depends on
MILKY WATER
A popular effect of using slow
shutter speeds for shooting
moving water is that it can make
the water appear milky and soft.
A shutter speed of 4 sec. was
enough to create a lovely blur
in this small waterfall along the
Amalfi Coast, in Italy.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 16–35mm

lens, 4 sec. at f/16, ISO 100

the relative speed and direction of travel of the camera shake, which will soften or possibly
subject, but try exposures of between half a even ruin the final image. Although the shutter
second and two seconds when you are taking is open for some time and will capture a range
photos of the sea to start with. of motion, it is still crucial to try to time the
Using a tripod or other firm support for shutter release to coincide with the moving
the camera becomes critical to success when elements being in the best possible position in
utilizing slow shutter speeds. With the shutter the frame and at the peak of their movement.
being open for long enough to register any Any slow shutter speed photography usually
vibration, it becomes more important still to use involves some “hit and miss” experimentation,
a remote cable shutter release, so that you don’t so study the image on the LCD screen (if you
have to touch the camera at all to operate it. are shooting digitally!) to see how it can be
Even the gentlest of touches can result in minor improved each time.
MOON GHOSTS
A note of caution if you are trying your hand at

night photography and want to include the moon
in a slow shutter speed exposure. The moon rises
far more quickly than it appears to the naked eye,
so even relatively short exposure times can see
the moon’s movement recording on the image,
resulting in a blurry or even elongated moon. As
a general rule of thumb, you need to keep your
exposure times below 1/8 of a second to prevent
the moon from blurring across the image. This
exposure time changes with the focal length
of the lens you use, longer telephoto lenses
requiring faster shutter speeds than wider lenses.
STOP THE MOON!

An exposure of 1/40 sec. prevents blur.

Shutter speed 1
One of the key decisions to make when shooting moving water is just how much blur you
want to introduce. My preference is to show blur while still retaining some texture in the
water. Around 1/5 sec. is often the speed that produces this, though it depends on the
speed of the water and its direction of travel relative to the camera.

Aperture: f/8
Support: Tripod

Shutter speed 2
Once your shutter speed goes to 2 seconds or slower, the water becomes a milky blur. It’s
a nice effect, though a little overdone these days. Still, if this is the look you are after, then
it is a good idea to find water that is tumbling over a boulder. The water thins over the
top of the boulder, revealing the rock texture, before turning silky white beyond it.

Shutter speed: 5 sec.
Aperture: f/20
Support: Tripod
THIS ONE IS INTENDED FOR

THIS SECTION.
BUT SO IS 261512 AND 160416

Exposure—ISO rating
Although it was always possible to use films of difference in what can be achieved, especially
different speeds for varying light conditions, the with handheld photography. Many new DSLR
advent of digital cameras has brought the ISO cameras produce pretty much flawless images
rating far more into the exposure equation than up to around ISO 800, and some high-end pro
it ever was before. The sheer ease with which cameras boast upper ISO ratings of 102,400,
you can flit from one ISO rating to another, which basically allows you to take photographs
and back again, means that it is just as much of subjects at night or in low light when you
a useful exposure tool as aperture and shutter can’t even see them with your naked eye!
speed in influencing the creative mood of your So, if you find yourself in a situation where
images. Moreover, recent advances in noise you need a great deal of depth of field and
reduction capabilities in digital camera sensors you need to use fast shutter speeds to freeze
at high ISO ratings also mean that the low-light the movement in a scene, then you can readily
shooting capabilities of modern digital cameras increase the ISO rating on the camera to allow
are nothing short of staggering. It is now you to achieve both goals. Higher ISO ratings do
feasible to shoot day and night, and come back tend to desaturate the colors slightly compared
with very usable images. to lower ISO ratings, and there is a slight
The ISO settings work in stops, too. So ISO increase in the levels of noise in the image at
400 is two full stops faster than ISO 100, which higher ISO settings, but the big advantage is
equates to being able to use a shutter speed of that now at least you can take a photograph
1/500 of a second rather than 1/60 of a second where before, in the days of film, that was
in the same light conditions—quite some almost impossible.
LOW LIGHT LIFE

The advent of digital SLR cameras
has opened up a whole new era
for photography. When the sun
has set, the cameras’ high ISO
capabilities can reproduce low
light scenes that were previously
impossible.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII with

24–70mm lens at 30mm,
6 sec. at f/3.5, ISO 1600

Controlling noise
There was always an increase in the “grain” a shift in ISO rating to help with the overall
visible as you used films with faster ISO ratings, exposure of an image. Another cause of noise in
and there is a similar issue, called “noise,” with an image is heat generated by the sensor itself.
using faster ISO ratings on digital cameras, too. The longer the exposure time, the more heat is
Noise appears as blotchy patches and becomes generated, so once you are looking at exposure
more noticeable in large areas of continuous times of more than a few seconds then, again,
color and tone, such as the sky. Generally, noise it is good to be aware that the compromise of
levels rise as you increase the ISO rating, but doing this is increased noise in the final image.
over the last few years great advances have The best way to deal with unavoidable noise
been made by the manufacturers in controlling in an image is by using the excellent software
noise across a wider range of ISO settings. So, available that can analyze a photo and reduce
with the latest cameras, you can generally shoot noise levels without impacting the quality of
at ISO 400 with little concern for the quality of the image too much. Adobe Lightroom, from
the image deteriorating to a noticeable extent. Version 3 onward, has excellent noise reduction
With some of the best cameras, this even capabilities included. In addition, there are some
applies to ISO 800 and maybe ISO 1600, too. stand-alone packages that also provide effective
Beyond this, noise is an issue that needs to noise control, including Noise Ninja, Neat Image,
be taken into account when you are employing and Noiseware.
LESS NOISE PLEASE!

Shot at ISO 1600, this night shot of Mount Kilimanjaro had excessive noise in it, both
from the high ISO setting and the long exposure. Applying noise reduction within
Adobe Lightroom has significantly improved smooth tones of the image.

Expose to the right
EXTRACT MORE DETAIL
Expose your image to the right of the histogram
There is very little latitude for error when and bring it back to the levels you want in post-
shooting slide film, but with digital capture it processing to maximize detail.
is possible, using RAW conversion software,

Canon 1DS MKII with
to recover extraordinary detail from incorrect
70–200mm lens at 200mm,
exposures. This does not mean that you ISO 100, 1/60sec. at f/20
shouldn’t aim to get the correct exposure in
the first place, but the optimum exposure with
digital differs from the one aimed for with
film. Digital camera sensors capture light in a
linear fashion, starting at the highlight end and
finishing at the shadow end of the histogram.
Based on the assumption that a digital sensor
can record light across a range of about five
stops of light, it would be natural to assume
that each stop of the brightness range would
record an equal amount of tonal values, but
that is not the case. The brightest stop records
half of all the tonal values captured by the
sensor, the next brightest another half of the
remaining tonal values, and so on. Thus, the
shadow end of the range actually records
significantly fewer tonal values than the
brightest end. This has led to the theory that
you should expose digital images “to the right”;
i.e., slightly overexpose the image, without
blowing out highlights, because this captures
the maximum level of tonal detail possible. You
then bring the exposure back to normal during
post-processing. In most cases, creating your
images in this way does result in more detailed,
less noisy photographs.
BETTER SHADOWS (Right)

Exposing this image to the right enabled more shadow
detail to be extracted later.

Using ND graduated filters
There are many photographic filters available, format, which screw into the filter thread on
but relatively few can be considered essential your lens, and square or rectangular formats,
for landscape photographers. However, one which require special filter holders that attach
type that you will find in the camera bag of to the lens. If you are considering buying
just about any serious amateur or professional them, then without a doubt opt for the large
landscape photographer is the neutral-density rectangular ones, since they give the best levels
graduated filter, or “ND grad” as they are of control over where the graduated zone
affectionately known. Digital camera sensors (where the filter transitions from dark to clear)
can record detail across a range of light sits in the frame.
equivalent to about five stops, whereas our eyes Using ND grads is a skill that needs time to
are capable of seeing across about 11–12 stops perfect. A good way to get a more accurate
of light. This leads to a significant difference in idea of where the split is sitting in the frame is
how we see the world and how the camera can to depress the depth of field preview button,
record our view of it. if you have one, on your camera and slowly to
ND grad filters help to bring those two slide the filter up and down in its holder; this
varying views closer together by blocking light makes it far easier to see the graduated area.
from the highlight parts of the frame—usually Another advantage of the non-round filter types
the sky—while allowing all the light from the is that the holders can rotate on the end of the
shadow area—normally the foreground—to lens, too, so you can place the graduated zone
pass unimpeded. The filters come in both round on an angle if that best suits the scene you are
SOFTWARE ND GRADS
Some image processing software, including

Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture, offers
tools for creating the effect of an ND grad filter
in post capture. These work well and give very
similar effects to the filters you can use in the
field, but by using the filters in the field you
will come back with a far better initial image,
containing more data across the entire tonal
range of the image, which makes a better
starting point for processing your image.

photographing. The filters are also available you have an irregular horizon line, then the soft
with different gradation zones: a “hard” ND filters work best, since they avoid the problem
grad moves quickly from dark to clear, whereas of foreground and midground objects suddenly
a “soft” ND grad transitions more slowly from appearing unnaturally dark above the horizon
dark to clear. The hard filters are more suitable line. As your skills in using the filters improve,
when you have a fairly clean horizon line in the you can start to experiment with multiple filters
image, with no important elements from the on each shot, since some brands of filter holder
foreground or midground jutting into the sky. If allow several filters to be stacked together.
FREEZE AND BLUR

Canon EOS 40D, 105mm lens, When shooting water, it’s a good idea to include a static object
1/40 sec. at f/10, ISO 160 (left); (such as a stone or leaf) in the frame to provide a point of
0.3 sec. at f/22, ISO 160 (right) reference for the viewer. “Freeze” (left) was taken at 1/40 sec.

Other filters Polarizer
One of the most favored filters for landscape
Neutral-density filter images, a polarizer can help to deepen the blue
Extreme versions of these filters have become color of the sky and also reduce reflective glare
the “hot ticket” filters for many landscape from the surface of nonmetallic elements within
(or should I say coastscape) photographers. the scene, such as water. Polarizers work most
Basically, an ND filter blocks some of the light effectively when they are used at 90 degrees to
entering the lens, which allows you to set the direction of the sun. As well as deepening
longer shutter speeds or use bigger apertures blue skies, the filter will enhance the contrast
than you would otherwise be able to in bright of clouds, too, making them stand out sharply
light conditions. This has opened up a whole against a blue sky.
new art form of blurry water daytime shots, You can buy polarizers that screw into the
perhaps best expressed in images containing the front thread of a lens, or that are square or
sea. There are several versions on the market, rectangular for use with a filter holder. The
but one of the most popular has been the Big latter is better if you intend to use square- or
Stopper by Lee Filters. This filter reduces the rectangular-format ND grad filters, because
amount of light entering the lens by 10 stops, you can mount the polarizer at the same time.
allowing you to use multiple second exposures The polarizer does not work in a simple on-off
in the middle of the day to get blurry water manner; rather it moves seamlessly through all
usually reserved for low-light conditions. the gradations between those two extremes as
you rotate it, so try to employ it subtly. Using
one will reduce the amount of light that enters
MILKY WATER
A 10-stop neutral-density filter allowed a slower the lens by up to two stops (depending on how
shutter speed to be used to blur the water. strong the effect you have opted for), so be
aware of this when setting your exposures in
manual mode.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII with 24–70mm
lens at 24mm, 4 sec. at f/8, ISO 100
SATURATED COLORS (Right)

A polarizer filter helps to saturate colors and reduce
reflections in water.


CHAPTER 4 COMPOSITION

Introduction to composition
Faced with the grand sweep of a dramatic landscape, it is easy to
think that you can simply point the camera at the scene and that it
will magically capture the essence and mood of the vista.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, How cameras see the world
unless you are exceptionally lucky. How many One of the most important skills to nurture as
times have you heard a photographer mumble a landscape photographer is understanding
apologetically to their gathered friends or family the limited way in which a camera sees the
that they “really needed to be there, because world and then constructing an image within
the photo doesn’t do it justice”? This much- those boundaries in a manner that can hint at
used and usually entirely accurate statement the elements of the scene that lie beyond its
results from the mistaken belief that a camera capabilities.
can “see” exactly what we see and feel. The At the forefront of the ways in which
most significant difference about how a camera we can overcome the camera’s limitations is
sees the world compared to a person is that composition: the parts of the scene we choose
the image it captures is in two dimensions, to include in the frame and the way in which
while we, of course, see the world in three we order them. There are no finite answers
dimensions. Beyond that, the camera frame has to how to compose an image; this particular
straight and clearly defined edges, whereas our skill is one that will continue to develop over
own vision has rounded and soft edges (our your entire life as a photographer. For those
peripheral vision). Also, when we are standing just setting out, there are some really good
at a location taking a photograph, we are fundamental guidelines about how to generally
taking in the sounds, smells, and the nonvisible order the elements of a scene in a photograph,
elements of nature, such as the wind, cold, which, once grasped, will quickly enable you
and heat. These extra factors are then all mixed to improve the impact of your images. More
together with our emotional response to the advanced elements of composition technique
scene to provide us with a dense and complex include the use of shapes and patterns to add
view of the landscape before us. It is hardly depth and direction, and how we can use other
surprising that a metal box full of circuitry and factors, such as color and context, to add a
a sensor has trouble replicating the scene as we greater degree of meaning to an image. Inject
recall it! some of these into your images and you will be
well on the way to banishing the words “you
should have been there” to the history books.

Basic rules of composition
Photography is a subjective art, so technically there are no absolute
rules governing how you go about composing images.
However, there are some simple guidelines image frame into equal thirds, both horizontally
that will quickly and effectively elevate and vertically. Placing important elements
photographs above the masses. As with most around these lines, and in particular where they
learning processes, if you can practice the basics intersect, rather than in the middle of the frame
enough that they become second nature, then helps to add instant visual interest and balance
it opens the doorway to more spontaneous to an image. The classic interpretation of this
experimentation and “rule” bending. with landscapes is to place the horizon line on
the lower third, then have another important
Rule of Thirds element, such as a tree, in the middle third zone
One of the most widely recognized “rules”
of landscape photography, the rule of thirds DIVIDE THE FRAME
refers to the placement of key elements of the Place the subjects on the thirds for impact.
image on or near imaginary lines that divide the

and placed where the lines intersect, and the easy to forget that we, as a species, prefer it
sky filling the top third of the image. If there if the horizon is straight! It is one of the most
are smaller key elements in the scene, such as common errors in landscape photography, yet
a person or animal for example, then it makes it is a fairly simple problem to solve, especially if
for a strong image if they are placed on or near you routinely use a tripod.
one of the “hotspots,” where the vertical and No matter how good you think your eye is
horizontal lines intersect. It is not too clear why at being able to tell if the horizon is straight
the rule of thirds is more appealing to us visually in your image, the purchase of a simple and
than simply placing a subject in the center of inexpensive bubble spirit level (the type that
the frame, but it does contribute to the viewer’s slots into your camera’s flash hotshoe is the
eye having a more definite path to follow best) will guarantee that you never have wonky
around the photograph. horizons again. Just set up your camera on the
tripod, attach the bubble spirit level, compose
Straight horizons your photograph, check the bubble and adjust
Our view of the world is based on our entire to get it exactly in the middle, and you are
evolution as a species on the planet, so it is far there. Even if your eyes tell you the horizon still
from simple. Deep within us and our brains, isn’t level, it will be.
we like to have order in our lives, and we
become restless when things appear to be not KEEP IT LEVEL
how they should be. Yet, in our excitement to Straight horizons are critical in landscapes.
capture a glorious landscape photograph, it is

Fill the frame completely from the image can make the
One of the most critical things to decide image slightly claustrophobic, since there is
when setting up a photograph is what the no exit point for the viewer’s eye. However,
main subject will be. It is easy to have the if the patterns and shapes within the abstract
subject in mind, but then forget to transfer are strong enough, they can, in themselves,
that knowledge to the image composition lead the viewer on a journey through the
process. Think carefully before you press image. A good example of this, staying on
the shutter-release button: what is the main the desert theme, is an abstract shot of the
subject of this image? Once you have that ripples running across a sand dune.
clearly defined, you need to decide how
to use that main subject in the frame of PATTERNS IN NATURE
the image. An obvious way to ensure that When shooting abstract landscapes, it is good to
include repetitive patterns.
a viewer knows that it is the main subject
is to fill or nearly fill the entire frame with
Minolta Dynax 9, 24–70m lens,
it. With little or nothing else to look at Fuji Velvia 50, shutter and
in the composition, there is no room for aperture details unrecorded
ambiguity, and it can add some meaning to
the image. For example, if you are taking
a photograph of one of the towering sand
dunes in Morocco, then filling the frame
with the dune not only makes it a simple and
easily understood composition, but also it
adds the feeling of the dune being massive,
If you zoomed out and had lots of sky and
foreground in the image, the dune would
look far less imposing.
Abstract landscapes
Taken to its extreme, filling the frame with
the subject results in an abstract view of the
landscape, which can be particularly effective
if there are bold patterns. Omitting the sky
FILLING THE FRAME (Right)

By filling the frame with the subject, like this dune in
Namibia, it adds to the feeling of it being large and
imposing. The people gives it added scale.

Shapes & patterns
When you first cast your eyes over a landscape scene, it is entirely
normal to see trees, hills, rivers, valleys, clouds, etc. However, once
the more human response to the landscape has been assimilated, the
photographer needs to start seeing the view in a different manner:
a way that strips out the familiar forms, and instead seeks simple
geometric shapes and patterns.
It is these design principles rather than the then it is relatively simple to organize them in a
subject itself that can help turn an ordinary way that implies a triangle, even if there are no
photo into a great photo. It takes some time to connecting lines between the three points.
train the eye to view the world in this slightly
disconnected way, but seeing how more Circles
compelling the resulting images are will help to Finding circles, literal or implied, in a scene is
drive the hours of practice needed to fine-tune a good way to bring cohesion to an image,
this skill. Luckily, our brains have evolved in although they tend to be harder to come by or
such a way that they fill in missing information form than triangles. You could, for example,
in what we see, to help us make sense of look for naturally occurring frames, such as a
the world around us, and this is of crucial cave entrance, round pebbles, plants, or ponds.
importance to photographers looking to create They don’t have to be perfect circles, just
shapes and patterns in their images. It means something close to a circular shape.
that you don’t literally have to find triangles,
circles, etc to include in your compositions, Squares and rectangles
because you can simply imply them through These shapes are much harder to come by
careful placement of elements of the scene. in nature, but do occur: for example, the
water channels created in limestone plateaux.
Triangles There may often be manmade squares and
Of all the shapes that you can look to include rectangles in a landscape, such as a barn, a
in your images, the triangle is both the most house doorway, or ranch-style wooden fencing
dynamic and powerful, and perhaps the easiest around a property, which can all be used in the
to incorporate. If there are three elements, composition. These shapes suggest a sense of
such as trees, rocks, and flowers, in the frame, strength and certainty in the image.

Triangles
It is not crucial to literally have
triangle-shaped subjects in
your images. You can easily
imply the shape by including
three objects that form the
“points” of the triangle.
Circles
Round objects in an image
help to focus the viewer’s
attention within the circle.
They also add a feeling of
cohesion and completeness.
Squares and rectangles

Squares are harder to find
occurring naturally in nature,
but there are often man-made
structures that will fill the role.
Square and rectangular shapes
add a sense of solidity and
certainty to an image.

Diagonal lines Vertical lines
These lines offer the most dynamic graphic The most obvious manifestations of vertical
addition to any image. They are particularly lines in the landscape are trees, which can be
good for creating a sense of three-dimensional used to compose powerful photographs that
depth to the photo as well as a very strong give a sense of strength and impenetrable
directional pull on the viewer’s eye. With nature. If you venture into a forest, it is worth
them being so powerful, it is important to looking for a stand of trees that offers the
use diagonal lines with some care, because if opportunity to shoot a relatively abstract
they are included haphazardly, they can easily photo. Then much skill and patience is required
distract from the main subject. to find the best vantage point to minimize the
There are many forms of diagonal line that overlap of tree trunks, and to decide which
can be found in nature, from coastal shorelines trees to include and which to exclude from
and rivers to tree branches and mountain ridges, the final shot. Misty, bright mornings can be
so you should almost always be able to include the best for adding some atmosphere to forest
one if your composition requires it. Although photos and avoiding blown-out highlights in
they can enter or leave the image frame at any the sky seen through the trees.
point, they are usually more effective when they
are placed near one of the corners. This helps Horizontal lines
to maximize their directional effect across the The most prevalent line in any landscape
composition and adds tension to the image by photo, of course, is the horizon line, and
contrasting more with the straight sides of the this is one line that you should endeavor to
image frame. get straight in all your compositions. We are
It is important to control where the diagonal genetically programmed to expect the horizon
lines lead within the composition. If the viewer to be straight, and even the slightest slope in it
follows the line and there is no payoff, in the can turn a masterpiece into an also-ran image.
form of an important or intriguing subject, There are also many other horizontal lines
then interest in the image will be quickly lost. that can play a significant role in your images,
The good thing is that the directions of the bringing a feeling of layers or barriers to the
diagonals are heavily influenced by your own composition. A good example of horizontal
vantage point, so they can easily be “pointed” layers or lines is a receding range of mountains
at the most interesting parts of the image simply when it is backlit by the sun and has haze or
by changing your perspective—shooting from mist between the ridges. When combined with
down low is often the most effective technique. the use of a long telephoto lens, which helps to
compress the perspective, it is possible to create
an image where the mountain ridges look like
they are stacked one on top of another.
.

Diagonal lines
Lines that run from near
one corner of the frame and
go into the image are very
dynamic and powerful. They
add a sense of movement into
the image. When diagonal
lines converge, they give a
strong visual depth cue.
Vertical lines
These can give a sense of
strength to an image, but can
also block the viewer’s journey
through the photograph.
Repetitive vertical lines, such
as stands of trees, often work
well for abstract images.
Horizontal lines
These can also serve to block
a viewer’s journey into the
image, so they need to be used
carefully. Using a long lens to
compress the perspective can
provide real impact with some
horizontal line scenes where
you have a high vantage point.

Shapes & patterns
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Third dimension
The fundamental difference in how we see the world compared to
how a camera can record it is the third dimension; we see it, but the
camera can’t (well, at least non-3D cameras can’t record it).
So, we have to incorporate visual and graphic a good idea to take an image from a low
elements into our photographs to trick the eye vantage point, which can help the lines nearer
into perceiving the extra dimension. There are to you to spread further apart in the image. It
many ways to accomplish this in landscape can also help you to place the lines so that they
photography, but those described here are come into the frame from near the bottom
among the most effective. corners, which magnifies the depth effect.
It is important with converging lines to have
Five layers something of interest at the point the eye is led
Most photographers think about constructing to, otherwise the viewer can fell cheated.
their landscape images in terms of foreground,
middle ground, and background. While this is Repetition of subject
perfectly acceptable and to be applauded, there If we see several similar objects in a photograph
is no reason why you can’t take this concept and some seem smaller than others, then the
farther by adding even more layers. If you add brain interprets this to mean that the smaller
to that list near foreground and far background, objects are farther away than the bigger ones.
and place an important and distinct segment of Now, of course, this may not be true: the
the photograph in each layer, then you open objects could actually be in the same horizontal
the door to creating images that are full of plane relative to the camera and be of different
visual depth clues. sizes (this is a popular ruse employed by
magicians to trick onlookers!), but the brain is
Converging lines difficult to convince in this way. It will fight hard
When two similarly positioned diagonal lines, to maintain the assumption that the smaller
such as the two banks of a river or the two sides object is farther away than the larger one. Some
of a road or railroad track, run away from the possible objects that might work in this manner
eye, they appear to converge as they get farther in a landscape are trees, rocks, boats, cars,
away from the vantage point. This effect adds people, and animals, so if you can include these
a powerful depth cue to the image and, when in the composition, you will be well on the way
used skilfully, can create an irresistible third to making an image that appears to be three
dimension in the image. For maximum effect, dimensional.

Five layers
Rather than just trying to get a
foreground, middle ground and
back ground into an image,
try adding near foreground
and far background, too. This
provides irresistible depth to a
landscape photo.
Converging lines
Our brains are preprogrammed
to interpret converging lines
in a particular way. Where the
lines are further apart is read
by the brain as being nearer
than where the lines are closer
together. This creates the
visual third dimension.
Repetition of subject
If there are several similar
subjects in the frame and they
vary in size, the ones that
are bigger are perceived to
be closer than ones that are
smaller. Footsteps in the sand
or snow are a good example
of this.

Third dimension
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Adding meaning
Composition isn’t only for adding order to a photograph;
used with premeditated intent, composition can also
influence the meaning a photograph carries to the
viewer. For instance, the classic rule of thirds, as we have
seen, suggests that the horizon line should be placed on
the bottom horizontal third of the image, but this only
implies normality. If you are in a wide open expanse with
a glorious, unimpeded view of the sky, you may want to
enhance the feeling of this in your photos by including
only a sliver of the landscape at the bottom of the frame
and leaving the rest to be taken up by the sky (below).
With some preshoot research and a modicum of luck
on location, you can make images that tell some of the
stories that lie behind the landscape. For instance, on
a shoot in Argentinean Patagonia, in the Los Glaciares
National Park, it was my background reading about how
Mount Fitzroy was known as the “fire mountain” by
local tribes that guided my thinking when a huge cloud
seemed to be billowing like smoke off the top of the
peak. I had initially zoomed in far closer, but this wider
view carries more meaning (right).
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Cropping and formats
In the days of film, unless you were very dedicated, you
pretty much had to stick with the original format of the
film you used in making your final images, especially
if you were shooting slide film. The digital revolution
has opened a whole new area of creative composition
control by providing easy ways to change the format of
the final image, either in-camera or in post-processing on
the computer. Many digital cameras offer various built-in
crop modes so that you can capture scenes with crops that
range from standard 3:2 and 4:3 all the way through to
16:9 panoramic.
Most image editing software offers a crop tool, and
there are several software packages, including Adobe
Photoshop, that make it easy to stitch images together
to make a panoramic image. For cropping, it takes just
seconds to move from a traditional 3:2 format to a square
or even an extended panoramic format, or any other
format that takes your fancy. With the stitching software,
you shoot a series of slightly overlapping frames of the
scene and then simply load them into the software.
Although it is possible to make many refinements to the
process, it only takes a minute or so for the software to
magically stitch the series of images together to make a
single panorama. It is incredibly accurate at analyzing the
images and working out exactly how they fit together.
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CHAPTER 5 LIGHT

Light
“I almost never set out to photograph a landscape, nor do I think
of my camera as a means of recording a mountain or an animal
unless I absolutely need a ‘record shot.’ My first thought is always
of light.” Galen Rowell
The late Galen Rowell, one of the modern will become more trained at differentiating the
masters of landscape and adventure types and varying qualities of light. There are
photography, and a great influence on my far more layers to light than simply highlight,
own journey into photography, knew that it midtones, and shadows, and the more adept
was possible to take a great photograph of an you become at discerning the light levels in
ordinary subject if you had stunning light. The between, the better your images will become.
word “photography” comes from the Greek There are many things that influence
words, phos, meaning light, and graphos, the quality of light in the outdoors, from its
meaning writing. So, if there is one major leap direction and the time of day to atmospheric
in the mind that you need to make if you are conditions. Light is constantly changing and, on
going to take powerful landscape images, it is the whole, fairly unpredictable, which is why
that first and foremost you are on the lookout the art of being a landscape photographer is as
for great light and not a great subject. The much about being a patient and knowledgeable
latter without the former is unlikely to result observer as it is a technical master.
in a satisfactory image, but if the two things
coincide, then you really do have a “wow” HINT OF LIGHT
image on your hands! Although images with bright and stunning light
have instant impact, more subtle light can often
be even more impressive.
Quality of light
Great light does not have to be dramatic light;
it only has to be the best light for your chosen
subject. While a solitary shaft of sunlight might
be superb for lighting up a mountain top, far
more subtle and diffused light may be ideal for
capturing the clouds drifting over its summit.
As you spend more time focusing on seeking
out extraordinary light conditions, so your eye

Dramatic light
Subtle light

Direction of Light SIDELIGHT
Landscapes lit from the side display far more
The direction in which light falls on the subject texture and depth than ones lit from the front.
plays a significant part in the overall look
and mood of a photograph. Although in the
outdoors we often have to take the light that lens, 1/13 sec. at f/16, ISO 100
we are given at any particular point in time, it is
still often possible to “manipulate” the direction
of light by changing your position relative to the
subject. There are six main types of directional
light that landscape photographers need to be
aware of, and there are specific ways for dealing
with each.
Front lighting
This type of lighting was once championed by
camera manufacturers when they included basic
instructions about how to take a photograph
with their equipment: “Stand with your back to
the sun…” they proclaimed. While this method
does help to stop the sun from shining directly
onto the camera lens and causing flare in the
image, it is relatively unexciting as a light source.
Any shadows from subjects within the frame
tend to disappear, leaving the scene looking very
two-dimensional, so it is best avoided in most
circumstances. light that you want to seek out most often,
especially at the start and end of the day, when
Sidelighting the colors in the landscape are at their most
Far more enthralling as a light source, saturated, and the shadows are at their longest
sidelighting helps to sculpt a landscape into and most dynamic. Exposing for this type of
three dimensions. The shadows from anything light is slightly more difficult, because the light
within the scene are all visible and cut across goes from bright highlight to dark shadow. It
the image, adding visual depth clues. It adds is usually best to opt for an exposure that sits
texture to subjects, too, bringing out intricate somewhere between these two extremes, while
patterns in rocks, trees, terrain, etc. This is the ensuring not to blow the highlights.

Backlighting
DRAMA IN THE FOREST
If you want to add an instant sense of artiness Backlit leaves add real impact to forest shots.
to your photographs, then try photographing
them with backlighting. It is an extreme and Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 16–35mm
abstract type of light that is seldom used by lens, 1/40 sec. at f/11, ISO 100
most photographers, so your images will have
more of a unique look if you do use it. There
are several pitfalls to avoid with backlighting,
including incorrect exposure—you really don’t
want to be using your camera in automatic
AVOID SUN FLARE

By letting the sun “clip” around the edge of an
object, you reduce the chance of sun flares.

lens, 1/100 sec. at f/18, ISO 100
mode for these shots—and distracting sun flares
appearing in the final image.
There are no hard-and-fast rules for getting
the exposure right with such extreme light, so it
is always worth bracketing your shots (shooting
several different exposures) so that you can
pick the best one later. To avoid flare, try to
find something in the scene, such as a tree, to
block the sunlight from directly hitting the lens.
If you use a small aperture, such as f/16 or f/22,
and carefully place the sun so that it just creeps
around an edge of an object, you can create
an effective and atmospheric sunburst in the
image. Backlighting can also add an attractive
halo of light to the rim of a soft-edged object
and, of course, bring translucent objects, such
as leaves, to life. It can also bring to life mist
and fog lying over the landscape. Be warned,
though: looking directly at the sun can damage
your eyesight, so take precautions.

Diffused lighting
OVERCAST DAYS
You may be forgiven for thinking that overcast Light grey clouds act as a huge lighting softbox,
days are not the best friends of landscape making overcast days ideal for shooting detail.
photographers. For big sweeping landscapes
that might well be true, but the soft diffused lens, 1/5 sec. at f/25, ISO 100
light that falls through the clouds can be the
best light for more intimate photographs of the
landscape and the fine detail that makes it up.
The reduced range of light means that digital
camera sensors can record the full range of
tones in the scene, and it also helps to saturate
colors. If the day is bright and overcast, and the
prospects of dramatic light are low, then either
head into the forest, which works particularly
well in diffused light, or turn your eyes
downward and search for more abstract images
of the landscape.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, UNDER THE CANOPY

70–200mm lens, 0.3 Forests with thick canopies also offer excellent diffused lighting
sec. at f/5.6, ISO 100 conditions. It is perfect for teasing out subtle hues from subjects.

Overhead lighting
STAY A WHILE
When the sun is directly overhead, around Once the sun sets, don’t rush home. Digital
midday, it is more difficult to find landscape cameras produce great in results in low light.
subjects that work well. The shadows cast are
harsh and the highlights are too bright for most Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 24–70mm
scenes. It’s a good time to avoid, if you can, lens, 1/20 sec. at f/4.5, ISO 200
but if you are in a situation where you have to
be shooting at this time of day, then it is better
to look for more shaded scenes, such as those
found in dense forest, and try to avoid including
the sky in the frame. It really is an ideal time to
take a break for lunch and to plan your activities
for later in the day once the sun descends in
the sky.
Low light
The advent of digital SLR cameras that can
produce exceptional image quality at high ISO
settings has opened up a whole new period
of the day for shooting photographs. Once
the sun has gone down and until it rises again
the next morning, there is an ethereal and
relatively unexplored realm awaiting landscape
photographers. The best things are that
because it is a fairly new opportunity, there are
relatively few competing images out there and
the viewing public have not had a chance to
become jaded by them—all good news if you
intend to try selling your images. Twilight, both
at dusk and dawn, is a particularly magical light
in which to shoot photographs, since the sun’s
light from below the horizon illuminates the sky,
which in turn reflects light onto the landscape.

Dawn Rise and shine
This is, without doubt, my favorite time of day Despite being such a glorious time to be out,
to be out taking landscape photographs. The there is no denying that it can be a struggle
quality of the light and the clarity of the air to leave bed in the dark, gather your kit, and
can be extraordinary, in part due to the lack head out the door, but I can genuinely say
of dust in the atmosphere after everybody that once I have got up, assessed the weather
has been sleeping rather than going about conditions, and decided to go, I have never
their daily business. Most other people still are once regretted that decision, even if the
wrapped up snugly in their beds, so there is photographic results aren’t anything to shout
an excellent chance that you will be the only about. It is just a wonderful time to commune
person watching the new day arrive, which is with Mother Nature.
guaranteed to lift the soul.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, REFLECTED LIGHT OF DAWN

24–70mm lens, 4 sec. Before the sun rises, there is a period of up to an hour where the
at f/20, ISO 100 landscape is lit solely by reflected light from the sky.

Dawn light
On the whole, dawn light tends to be slightly will quickly increase, so you will need to use
cooler than sunset light, again due to the lack of filters to help balance the light in the scene if
dust in the air; the dust allows the transmission you want to retain some details in the shadow
of red light, but blocks some of the blue light. areas. Your eyes will naturally try to counter the
Dawn light is still significantly warmer than temperature of the light in any scene, so you may
the light you get around midday, though. The find colors showing on your final image that you
range of light at this time of day is quite limited, didn’t think were there.
especially as the first light of dawn emerges. So, If you want to catch the dawn, then you will
you should be able to shoot without a neutral- need to be in position around one hour before
density graduated filter for a while. As soon as the sunrise time. Dusk can last for anything up to
the sky starts to lighten more, the range of light an hour or so after sunset.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, INCREASING DRAMA

24–70mm lens, 3.2 As the sun nears the horizon before rising, the sky can take on a
sec. at f/18, ISO 100 stunning range of warmer hues if there is mid-level cloud.

Dawn
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Sunrise One of the most exciting challenges about
shooting sunrises for a landscape photographer
Although most photographers skip the dawn is the fact that usually it all happens very
shoot, there will be many who will make the quickly. One moment the sun just peeks above
effort to get out of bed and to a location in time the horizon, but within minutes it can be high
for sunrise. The first rays breaking the horizon in the sky, where it rapidly loses its warming
have held a fascination for humans dating right soft light qualities. So, be prepared a while
back to our first presence on the planet, and the before the sunrise time, and be ready to react
allure of them has not dwindled since. It is the to the changing light situation. It’s not good to
return of life, and many photographers hope to be reaching for your neutral-density graduated
capture at least a few stunning sunrise images filters and trying to screw in the filter holder
in any given year. once the sun has broken cover.
THINK FAST, ACT FASTER

Minolta Dynax 9, 24–85mm Once the sun breaks the horizon there is no time to waste.
lens, exposure unrecorded You need to make rapid final adjustments to your viewpoint
and composition, then keep shooting as it rises.

Sunrise light
CRYSTAL CLEAR AIR
The light at sunrise tends to be slightly cooler
With less dust in the air, early light has a crisp
than that at sunset, due to the lack of dust quality that is hard to match later in the day.
in the atmosphere and the often low wind
Canon EOS Minolta Dynax 9,
conditions first thing in the morning (it is the
14mm lens, exposure unrecorded
sun being up that starts to heat the land and
drive the convection currents). The advantage
of all this is that the air quality is usually better,
too, giving crystal clarity over far-reaching
landscapes. It is usually better if there is some
level of cloud in the sky to get the best results,
since a truly clear sky will give you very little to
work with in the upper parts of your image.
Mid-level clouds are usually the best for
reflecting light. Even if, upon first inspection, Whether this makes or breaks the photo is
the day appears to be very cloudy, it is still down to your own subjective interpretation,
worth taking a chance on heading out, since but if there is significant sun flare, then the
it is amazing how many times there is a small, image will almost certainly fail. If you are using
clear band of sky right next to the horizon when large neutral-density graduated filters, then it
the sun rises. The light may only last for a few will be impossible to also use your lens hood,
brief moments, but if it does break through so you have to improvise to shade your lens
in these conditions, then you could be in for when possible. You can use your hand or a hat,
a treat, with fiery red and orange clouds to or invest in one of the commercially available
include in your composition. The light contrast antiflare tools, such as the Flare Buster. You can
is extreme as the sun rises, with the sky being also try taking your images as soon as the sun
far brighter than the land, so it is a good idea edges above the horizon, before its full glare
to seek out any landforms, such as trees, comes into play.
mountains, rocky pinnacles, etc, that can act as
bold silhouettes against the sky to add interest SUNRISE/SUNSET CALCULATORS
to the composition.
It is important to plan your shoot around the
Avoiding lens flare sunrise and sunset time, and the best way to do
One of the technical difficulties with shooting this is to use a sunrise/sunset calculator. There
sunrise (or sunset) is that to have the sun in are several available online, including
the frame means that there is a greater risk www.sunrisesunset.com.
of lens flare appearing in the final image.

Sunrise
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Midday STRONG DESIGN
When the light conditions are poor, it is more
The light at midday is the least satisfactory important to emphasize design elements.
of all the possible conditions for landscape
photographers, but if you are out in the midday Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 70–200mm
sun and want or need still to take photographs, lens, 1/50 sec. at f/20, ISO 100
then there are some simple ways by which you
can help ensure that you get the best images
from a relatively bad situation.
Find great subjects

Great pictures are usually made with great light,
but if the light isn’t playing ball, then you need
to really search out some fascinating subjects
to compensate for this as far as possible. With
landscapes, you want to find something very
interesting to put in the foreground and include
some strong depth cue graphics, such as leading
lines like rivers or twisty country roads. It is also
quite astounding what a good cloud can do
to command attention in an image, so if you
happen to be shooting a landscape with lovely
fluffs of cumulus clouds drifting across a blue
sky or the billowing masses of a cumulonimbus
storm cloud brewing over a horizon, then you
might still get some “wows” when you show
your midday images.
SAVED BY THE CLOUDS (right)

Cumulus clouds can save a midday landscape image.
Their striking shapes distract from the poor light.


Sunset
This is the big money shot for many landscape The magic moment
photographers, whether complete amateur or As the sun progresses toward the horizon, it is
consummate professional. It is by far the most often difficult to determine the optimum time
popular landscape subject in the world. So, for shooting your photographs. It is advisable
what makes it so special? Well, the first thing to carry enough memory cards with you so that
is that it is achievable: there is no unsociable you are not limited in what you capture by the
predawn start to capture the sunset, and it can availability of storage space. If you do have to
be added on at the end of any day, as long as ration your shooting, then try to tune your eyes
you don’t mind delaying dinner a little at times. into the subtly changing light conditions: are the
It is also often the most spectacular time of clouds above your head getting pinker or more
day for photography, since the accumulated gray, does it look like there is thicker cloud right
dust in the atmosphere combines with the on the horizon that may curtail the sunset light?
raking, warm low light of the sun to produce By really observing closely, you can narrow the
some truly stunning skyscapes and reflected window in which you know the light is at or
light to include in your image. At some of the near its best.
world’s most famous landscape photography Often the best sunset light conditions will
spots, sunset can see an entire legion of occur 10–20 minutes prior to the sun getting
photographers standing shoulder to shoulder to the horizon, where it can start to lose its
with their tripods vying for space on the intensity, so don’t wait until the final moments
ground. Even if you find yourself in this sort of to start taking pictures. As with sunrise, you
situation, keep your creative thinking hat on need to be aware of the potential problems
and you may still come up with a fairly original caused by the sun flaring on your lens, though
idea for a photograph of the scene. when the sun is shining through a thick dust
layer (when it can appear like a giant, red, well-
Sunset light defined orb), this will significantly reduce the
The time around sunset provides the warmest chances of your image suffering from flare.
light of the entire day, wrapping the land, sea,
and sky in swathes of orange, red, and pink.
Because of the matter in the air, it is rare to
have great clarity of light at this end of the day,
so quite often more intimate scenes work better
than truly grand sweeping vistas.

Minolta Dynax 9, IN THE SPOTLIGHT
100–300mm lens, An exciting effect of the sun setting is that it starts to spotlight parts
exposure unrecorded of the landscape. This can be especially dramatic in the mountains.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, SUN SHIELD

70–200mm lens, 1/6 If there is a band of thin cloud on the horizon, it can make a lovely
sec. at f/22, ISO 100 diffuser for the red light of the sun.

Sunset
98
98 Landscape
Photography

The
The Expanded
Expanded Guide
Guide 99
99

Twilight
There are few more startling scenes in landscape some of the most extraordinarily subtle light
photography than watching the mass exodus that Mother Nature can conjure. It is the time
of tripod-toting photographers the moment when your neutral-density graduated filters
the sun sets at a popular location. I recall an can help to make a landscape photo explode
evening I spent at the Grand Canyon, when it into life, with a richness of tones that are often
seemed there was barely a spare vantage point missing at any other time of the day. The long
to be had as the sun headed toward the top of exposures needed during twilight also mean
the cliff edge and the clatter of shutters going that you can easily turn any moving elements in
off was enough to scare birds from a nearby the scene, such as leaves on trees, rivers, or the
tree. Then, within a matter of minutes of the sea, into a milky, artistic blur.
sun disappearing from view, I was pretty much
alone on the rim of one of the world’s greatest
VOLCANIC OPPORTUNITIES
landscapes.
I wasn’t complaining that they had left
If you spot abnormally red sunsets, thin
me with an almost “private viewing” of this
striated clouds, or a deepening of the
stunning place, but I was equally mystified as
purple light in a twilight sky, then there is
to why more didn’t stay for longer, especially
a good chance that this is due to volcanic
as many seemed to be using professional-level
activity somewhere in the world. So, if you
camera gear. As the pale orange sky turned into
hear on the news that there has been a
a deeper purple, I kept firing off shots until the
major eruption somewhere, such as that
camera was starting to record far more detail
at the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland
than I could discern with my naked eye. It was
in 2010, then seize the moment, and head
enthralling, and the resulting images are among
out with your camera and tripod to capture
some of the favorites that I have ever taken, not
the extraordinary light conditions that will
least because I know they were fairly unique
accompany it. The volcanic matter can spread
from that day at the canyon.
around the globe, so you don’t have to wait
for an eruption close to home.
Glorious nature
Ask the savviest landscape photographers to
name their favorite light for shooting images,
and most will say “twilight.” For those with the
patience to wait, the period of 30 minutes to an
hour after the sun sets offers a glorious palette
of saturated colors, more balanced light, and

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, TRIPODS RULE
70–200mm lens, 20 Shooting at twilight needs long exposure times, so shooting without
sec. at f/13, ISO 100 a tripod is virtually impossible.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, BEYOND HUMAN VISION

70–200mm lens, 1.6 Modern DSLR cameras are capable of recording colour and detail in
sec. at f/29, ISO 100 low light conditions where even our eyes can’t make things out.

Twilight
102
102 Landscape
Photography

The
The Expanded
Expanded Guide
Guide 103
103

Night
Once all of the sun’s light has disappeared Moonlight

from the landscape and the only light on offer On a clear night at or close to full moon, there
is the ethereal, silvery light of the moon or the will be ample light for modern DSLR cameras
stars, it takes a far more committed approach to work with. With any night exposures, it is
to get out there and start taking photographs. good if you can find strong foreground subjects
In the days of film, night photography was very that will silhouette against the sky to add
much the preserve of the few who knew how interest. If you want to try adding another layer
to deal with the extended exposures needed (if of creativity, then take a powerful flashlight
you haven’t come across “reciprocity failure,” and “paint” in the foreground objects in your
then look it up on the web to see what you composition with its light. If you want to take
were missing out on!) and the practicalities of photos of the moon itself, then be aware
keeping camera gear working in often testing that exposures that are longer than about six
temperatures. Now, with digital SLRs providing seconds will suffer from the moon starting to
astounding low-ight shooting capabilities at blur due to its movement across the night sky.
high ISO ratings, the night realm has become a
more inviting place to linger. Star trails
From capturing a landscape bathed in the As the Earth rotates, the stars appear to rotate
light of the moon to recording spiralling star around the night sky, and it is possible, using
trails, there are many exciting subjects for those a very long exposure, to record this perceived
willing to venture out in the dark. You will need movement as star trails, or streaks, in an image.
a remote release cord, so that you can trigger The most dramatic examples of this are often
the camera without touching it and lock the where the pole star is placed in the frame
shutter open in the Bulb setting, a very stable and the star trails then create circles in the
tripod, and a fully charged battery to ensure photograph. The exposures you need to record
that your camera doesn’t shut down halfway the trails vary, from around 10 minutes for
though the energy-sapping long exposures short trails to several hours for a full circle of
needed at night. Even the best pro digital star trails. You need a particularly dark night to
cameras will struggle to take an exposure succeed with star trail photos; the light of even
lasting much more than a couple of hours. You a half moon will wash out the scene in a very
also need to be careful about your camera gear long exposure.
suffering from the effects of condensation if
the temperature of the air changes substantially
during the night.

ADVANTAGE FILM?
Despite the huge technological leaps forward
made by manufacturers of digital cameras,
there is still a valid argument for using slide
film for night photography. Digital cameras
do work extremely well at high ISO settings,
but the long exposures needed for capturing
images at night can still lead to unacceptable
or undesirable levels of noise in the final
photograph. This is due to the heat generated
in the image sensor while it is active. Film, of
course, does not suffer from heating up when
it is being exposed, though it does suffer from
increased noise at higher ISO ratings. It is
worth experimenting with both to see which
works best for your own particular type of
night photography.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, LIGHT PAINTING

24–70mm lens, 30 Use a powerful flashlight to “paint in” foreground elements in night
sec. at f/3.5, ISO 400 photos. Move the flashlight slowly and evenly over the subjects.

CHAPTER 6 COLOR

Color
If light is the crucial factor in making a landscape photograph work,
then color is a factor that can help turn it from a good photo into a
powerful image that is capable of eliciting an emotional response.
Nature is a smorgasbord of colors, and diagram representing the main colors of the
although the obvious, punchy colors demand spectrum and how they relate to each other.
much attention, there is far more to capturing It gives a simple insight into why some photos
color skilfully and knowledgeably when it that are based on color work and some don’t.
comes to producing compelling landscape Sir Isaac Newton first created a graphic circle to
photographs. illustrate color relationships in 1666, and since
then it has become a heavily debated subject. In
Color theory it simplest form, the color circle just shows the
Although it is often best to go with your primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—as “pie
intuition when deciding what to include and segments” of the circle (below). These are not
exclude from a composition, it is well worth that helpful for photographers, but once you
spending some time looking at and getting to start to add the secondary and then the tertiary
grips with color theory: about how colors work, colors to the circle, then it starts to become far
how they work together, and how humans more interesting. The color combinations can
perceive colors and their associated messages either be harmonious (adjacent on the wheel)
about mood. or complementary (opposite), and applying this
One thing about nature is that chaos often RED knowledge to
reigns, so although the theory can provide ideal your landscape
scenarios for color combinations and quantities subjects can help
in your images, the reality on the ground is to heighten the
almost always going to be more complex. reaction and
The landscape photographer’s challenge is to engagement that
W
LLO
BLU
interpret, decipher, and gather all these colors viewers will have
YE
E
together into a composition that works at the with your photos.

graphic level.
NATURE’S BEST (Right)

The color wheel
Nature has an uncanny ability to
One of the fundamental building blocks of your produce landscapes with stunning
color knowledge is the color wheel, a simple colors that match color theory!

NEED GENERIC FLASH
IMAGE

Perceiving color What you see is not what you get
Our brains are wonderfully powerful and will
Human perception of color is based not only on do their utmost to normalize things for us to
the physics of how our visual system is “hard help our understanding of the world, and this
wired,” but also on the contexts we place on applies to our vision as well. It will trick us into
colors, the causes of which stretch all the way seeing things that do or don’t exist, purely to
from the present day back through our entire make things seem normal. If you have ever
existence as a species. For example, red is a taken a photograph inside your house and then
color very much associated with danger, which wondered why the image that comes out of
stems from our early encounters with dangerous your camera is all tinged with orange, then your
foods and creatures in our world. brain has been tricking you, too.
The tungsten light bulbs that burn in most
RED EQUALS DANGER homes emit a warm, orange light, but when
The red poppies of the Somme, in France, we are in the house our visual system modifies
reflect the danger the soldiers faced there
during the First World War. this view to make it seem as though we are
seeing the scene under standard, nontainted
light conditions. The same applies to landscape
photos taken when color casts are present in
the light, such as the blue shadow areas that
you find when taking images around midday,
or the warm light of sunrise and sunset. We
see some of this warmth in reality, but it seems
accentuated in our images of the same scenes.
This phenomenon is known as the issue of
constancy: our visual system’s endless campaign
to adjust what we see to make it easier and
faster for the brain to process what is going on
around us, to reduce our confusion.
So, be warned: the colors that we see in
our final photographs will almost always differ
from what we thought we were seeing live
on location. As with most things, however,
the more you practice, the more chance you
will have of predicting what the differences
will be and then can adjust your photograph
accordingly to take account of them.

Correction filters and white balance there is also the option of changing the white
There are a couple of tools in the landscape balance of the image, either in-camera if you are
photographer’s kit that can help to balance out shooting in JPEG format or in post-processing
the difference between what we see with our software if you are shooting RAW format. It is
own eyes and what the camera records on the good to remember, though, that just because
image. We can attach color correction filters it is possible to counter color casts caused by
to the front of the lens to counter whatever natural light, it may not always be desirable to
color cast the light conditions are throwing up: do so from an artistic point of view. We have
so a warming filter, such as one from the 81 become very skilled at interpreting photographs
series, to eradicate blue casts in shadow areas as a subjective representation of reality, so
when shooting around midday, or blue filters to keeping those saturated warm color casts of
balance the warm light encountered at the start sunrise and sunset, for instance, may actually
and end of the day. help people to interpret the image in a way that
For photographers using digital cameras, evokes what it was like to actually be there.
WARM IN THE RAW

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 24–70mm A major benefit of shooting in RAW format is that you can easily
lens, 1/50 sec. at f/11, ISO 100 change the colour balance later. This shot had a cool cast that
needed to be warmed up in post-processing.

Using single color Warm colors
Although there are usually an abundance of Red
colors in any one landscape scene, it is often This is one of the boldest colors to seek out in
possible to isolate or almost isolate a subject a landscape; it may, for example, come in the
based on a single color. This is a sure way to form of berries on a tree or poppies swaying
create bold and simple images that command in a field. It isn’t the most prevalent of colors
attention, even if they lack some subsequent in nature, but it does exert a great pull on a
visual depth to keep a viewer engaged with viewer’s eye, so if you can isolate a red subject
the image for a long period of time. Because for an abstract image, then it will definitely
of this, when single color images are printed, jump out at you when you look through your
they are often good background images, useful images later. Red is associated with danger,
for adding a rapidly assimilated mood to an blood, daring, energy, and boldness, and can
environment, such as a room in your house, also be used to illustrate power and vitality. It
an office, or a café. You have to search hard commands great visual attention, so you need
for some colours in nature, but others will be to be careful how you use it, because if it isn’t
around you almost everywhere you go. The the subject of the photograph, it can easily
important thing is to be alert for them. distract from the true subject.
POPPY FIELDS
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, There are few things as alluring to landscape photographers as a
70–200mm lens, 1/500 sec. at field full of poppies. The red petals complement the green grasses.
f/5.6, ISO 100 Get down low to fill the frame with as much red as possible.

Orange
DEMANDING YELLOW
You would be hard pressed to be a landscape
Yellow is so bright that you can have slightly
less of it in the frame and it still dominates. photographer and not encounter the color
orange in nature on a regular basis. From the
orange rocks of Utah and the blaze of a wild
bushfire to the warm orange glow of the
setting sun, orange is one of the easiest colors
to include in your images. It also happens to
be one of the most comforting, although also
it can be used to add the feel of energy or
serenity, depending on the brightness of the
orange you encounter.
UTAH ROCKS!
There are few better places on the planet than
Utah, USA, for indulging in shooting orange.
Yellow
Pow! Photographs based on yellow subjects
will simply leap out at you. It is the brightest
of all colors and is representative, among
other things, of health, sunshine, happiness,
and playfulness. It is vibrant and emotionally
stimulating, and thankfully it is relatively easy
to find occurring in nature. From vast swathes
of sunflowers or fields of rape to the gentle
nodding daffodils of spring, or even the sun
itself, there are plenty of inspiring examples of
yellow to focus on. Be aware, though, that the
visual power of yellow will overpower any other
color (except white) in an image, so it needs to
be handled with caution and placed carefully in
the frame.

Cool colors create images dominated by green, especially
if you head into a forest or woodland during
Blue spring and summer when the trees are swathed
This is one of the most prevalent colors in in leaves.
nature, thanks to the sky, sea, and ice, plus a
host of obliging flowers. It is a quiet, peaceful
color that can be used to infer serenity, GOT THE BLUES
Glaciers and their crevasses, like this one in
soulfulness, or loneliness, for example, but is Patagonia, are ideal locations for blue images.
also the color most associated with cold. So, it
is useful for communicating winter conditions,
such as when taking photographs of an
Minolta Dynax 9, 14mm lens,
icebound lake.
exposure unrecorded
While a strong blue cast is not always what
you want in your images, it can be useful if you
are attempting to show any of the concepts
mentioned above, so think carefully about
the subject matter of the image before trying
to remove a blue cast, either with the use of
warming filters or in post-processing. It is quite
bold when used on its own in an image, but
recedes markedly if combined with the more
dominant red or yellow.
Green
This is the granddaddy of nature’s colors, and it
is hard to avoid for a landscape photographer.
Green, of course, is directly associated with
the concept of nature (just look at how many
companies employ green in their logos to try to
make them seem more eco friendly!), but it can
also be used to suggest growth, renewal, youth,
health, and wellbeing. It is usually fairly easy to
ABUNDANT GREEN (right)

You would be hard pressed to spend a day outdoors
without seeing green. The elevated vantage point makes
filling the frame with the fields far easier.


Using complementary colors our brain wanting to bring order to our chaotic
world. If you stare at a red apple for a minute
With nature being so complex, it is relatively rare or two and then look straight at a white piece
to find scenes where just one color dominates. of paper, you momentarily see a green apple on
The challenge with most scenes is to find the paper. This illusion is caused by our visual
compositions that use the powerful tool that is system trying to balance the red by adding
color, but combine the various colors present in green to the scene in an attempt to obtain a
an intelligent way that adds to the impact of the mid-gray level of brightness. If you want to
final image, rather than detracting from it. test your vision further with some optical color
illusions, then just do a quick search online for
Opposites attract them; there are many to be found.
Complementary colors are those that sit
opposite each other on the color wheel, so
green lies opposite red, blue lies opposite
BLUE SKY DAY
orange, and yellow is opposite violet. These Complementary colours, such as blue and
colors readily appear in nature: the red and orange, are naturally attractive to the eye.
green of berries on a leafy tree or poppies in a
grassy field; blue and orange can be found in
the sky and rocks, or the sky and the sea; while
yellow and violet are to be seen together in
many flowers.
The reason that we find these color
combinations attractive is again partly due to
RED
W
LO
BLU
L
YE
E

Balancing brightness brightness of the colors when putting together
Although featuring these complementary colors a composition.
in roughly equal quantities in an image can be For example, orange is a lot brighter than
successful, the German poet J.W. von Goethe blue, so to maintain balance in an image
first expounded the idea that they are likely to containing both, it is a good idea to include
appear more attractive when the quantities of around a third orange and two-thirds blue.
each are balanced relative to the brightness Red and green are fairly even in brightness, so
of the colors themselves. For this theory to aim to divide the space in the frame equally
work in practice, however, it does demand between the two. On the other hand, yellow is
a high level of purity in the colors, which is far brighter than violet, so the ratio with these
not that common in the natural world, but, colors needs to be closer to 1:5 to ensure the
having said that, it is worth bearing in mind the yellow doesn’t overwhelm the violet.
FINDING VISUAL BALANCE

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, Once you have found complementary colors to shoot, you need
70–200mm lens, 1/5 sec. at f/25, to consider how much of each color you need to create balance.
ISO 100 Roughly one-third orange and two-thirds blue is just one example.

Surrounding colors starts to look more active and dynamic, and
Being aware of how to balance complementary the edges where the colors meet can appear
colors in an image is important, but the to vibrate due to the visual tension between
surrounding colors in the scene can also have a them. However, place something red among a
big impact on how the colors are perceived. This sea of orange subjects and the red loses much
is quite a complex part of color theory, but it is of its liveliness. Similar effects can be seen with
well worth exploring in a little more detail. any color combination, so it pays to be aware
If red is surrounded by black, then the of how the relative saturation and warmth or
red looks bright and punchy, but it appears coolness of the hues can play a big part in how
somewhat duller when surrounded by white. much visual attention a color commands in a
When placed among blue-green subjects, red landscape photo.
POSITIONING COLORS
Once you have wrapped your head around the If you are including a certain color in the
role that color plays in an image and how to photo to represent a concept, then you need
assess the impact of the combination of colors to work out how that concept relates to the
included in a composition, the next step is main subject and how they can be arranged to
consciously and carefully to place those colors in maximize the viewer’s understanding of that
the frame. relationship. For instance, if you are taking a
The bright colors, yellow and red, draw much photograph of a river and surrounding forest to
attention, so if any subjects are included that illustrate the concepts of calm and nature, then
feature these colors, then you need to decide is the main thrust of the photograph the calm
whether these bright objects are part of, or are or the nature? Once that question has been
the main subject of the image. If they are, then answered, it is easier to decide how much of the
you need to place those bright subjects in the frame will be taken up by the river (calm) and
most prominent parts of the composition, such as how much by the forest (nature).
on the horizontal and vertical junctions invoked
by the rule of thirds. If the bright objects are not
the main subject of the image, then you need
to try to minimize their impact by either placing
them in the less interesting parts of the frame,
such as the bottom left-hand corner, or simply
excluding them altogether if no satisfactory
compromise can be found.

Using analogous colors red-orange, and orange, and of course green,
green-yellow, and green-blue.
Far from the drama of the world of As with the complementary colors, it is
complementary colors lies the more serene important to bear in mind the relative brightness
realm of analogous colors—those colors that of each of the analogous colors you are
sit next to each other on a 12-segment color wanting to include, and to ensure that the
wheel. The subtly different analogous colors, balance of the brightness levels is controlled
such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow- as much as possible to assist the viewer in
orange, blend together easily to create images quickly identifying the main subject of the
that are pleasing to the eye, although you have photograph. For example, if the focus of your
to take care not to let that drift into boring! image is the intricate detail on a green leaf, but
Because these colors are more subtle, they may there are some green-yellow flower buds in the
take a fair bit of searching for in a landscape. background, the buds will naturally command
They are often within relatively small areas, or more attention because of the extra brightness
even on the same object, such as a tree trunk or of the yellow in their color. To get around this,
in the leaves of a plant. you might decide to recompose the image so
Some other appealing analogous color that the buds are hidden, or perhaps to use
combinations that you will be able to find quite a shallower depth of field to render the buds
readily in a landscape are those around red, more blurred.


CHAPTER 7 CREATIVITY

Be creative
Once you have a good command of landscape photography
fundamentals, you can start to spread your wings by playing with the
rules and the norms of how landscapes are represented. Although
photography seems like a very “true to life” form of art, in reality it is
no less subjective than painting or drawing.
By opening up your mind to explore the moods Slow shutter speeds
and nuances of the landscape, and tapping into Of all the photography genres, landscape
your own emotional connection and reaction to photography can sometimes appear to be
it, you can begin to take your images beyond one of the least dynamic. However, there are
the literal. There are many ways in which you many elements in a landscape that will be on
can do this, limited only by your imagination, the move, and using slow shutter speeds to
but this chapter will provide a few techniques to emphasize these can help introduce a feeling of
get you started. movement into an image.
PUSHING THE LIMITS

Minolta Dynax 9, 100–300mm This shot of a sea kayaker in Baja California
lens, exposure unrecorded used a slow shutter speed to blur the Sea of
Cortez. The kayaker stayed very still!

Two of the most common moving elements effective when there is a breeze blowing
in the landscape are rivers and the sea, both of it around. If you happen to be travelling
which provide great opportunities for creating somewhere that experiences volcanic activity,
very arty images. The long exposure time allows then the eruptions of geysers can look very
the details of the water to be lost in a soft, milky dramatic when photographed using a slow
blur, which adds a surreal and slightly spiritual shutter speed.
feeling to the image. The key to making the blur
really work is to finely judge the exposure time: DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
too long, and the blur becomes so ephemeral in Blur is affected by direction of the moving
elements. Things that travel across the
appearance that it loses impact; too short, and camera blur more readily.
the details of the water become a distraction.
There are no hard-and-fast rules about the Canon EOS 1DS MKII,
shutter speed to use because it depends very 70–200mm lens, 1/30 sec. at f/9,
much on how rapidly the water is moving and ISO 200
its direction of movement relative to the camera

sensor plane, so take the trouble to experiment
with different speeds to determine which of
them works best.
For best results, it is good to have a
contrasting element in the scene for the
movement of the water, so try to find a rock
or fallen tree branch, or use the riverbanks
themselves, to provide something still in the
foreground of the composition. If you are
photographing the movement of waves on a
beach, then try to time your exposure so that
it captures the outward flow, rather than the
inward flow, if you want to get interesting
water patterns in the sand. Also, be aware
if you are using your tripod, that the water
washing around the tripod legs can cause it to
become unstable.
Other good moving subjects to consider
including in an image are long grasses or crops
swaying in the wind. Maram grass growing on
sand dunes at the coast can look particularly

Panning High dynamic range
photography
Classic landscape photography theory
emphasizes how crucial it is to keep the camera This is a new kid on the landscape photography
absolutely still, normally by using a heavyweight block and very much a child of the digital age.
tripod. Creative thinkers, though, have started HDR, as it is known, is a technique where you
to play around with the concept of deliberately take several images of exactly the same scene,
moving the camera to create swishing each being exposed to optimize the highlights,
interpretations of the landscape and its elements. midtones, or shadows. A good sequence for
To try your hand at panning the camera during many scenes is to shoot exposures at 0EV, +2EV,
an exposure, you can either simply handhold and -2EV based on the camera’s matrix metering
the camera or, if you want a little more control exposure for the scene (the easiest way to do this
over the direction of the pan, you can mount it is to use aperture priority mode and dial in the
on a tripod and release the tripod adjustment
levers so that it is free to move in one plane. Both IMAGE 1 – SHADOWS
techniques are valid, so it is worth trying them This image was exposed to bring out the
both to see if you prefer one over the other. maximum detail in the shadow areas, in the
foreground grass, and the water.
You can try panning with just about any
landscape subject matter, though the trees
in a forest, and the sea and sky have become
popular aspects to work with. Again, there
are no hard-and-fast rules about what shutter
speed to use, as it depends on how you want
the image to look and also how quickly you pan
the camera, but try starting out with a shutter
speed of about half to one second. The resulting
images are usually more successful if you can
limit the movement in the panning motion to
just one plane (hence you may find it easier to
mount the camera on a tripod).

under- and overexposure). These images are then
HDR SOFTWARE
blended together in HDR software, and the best
exposure for each of the three areas is allowed There are several popular stand-alone HDR
to show through, thus expanding the dynamic software options available, while Adobe
range of light that can be seen in the final image, Photoshop can also create them. Stand-alone
over and above what a digital camera is capable software includes:
of capturing in a single exposure. Photomatix—www.hdrsoft.com
One of the keys to a successful HDR image easyHDR—www.easyhdr.com
is learning to use the software to obtain subtle Adobe Photoshop—www.adobe.com
results; far too often, the images look garish Artizen HDR—www.
and slightly comic book in style, especially when supportingcomputers.net
the range of light shown exceeds even what we
can see with our own eyes.
IMAGE 2 – HIGHLIGHTS IMAGE 3 –FINAL HDR IMAGE

The second image was produced to get The final combined HDR image has good
the best details out of the sky. The shadow detail in both the shadows and the
areas are too dark in this one. highlights, without looking too garish.

Creating panoramas
If you have ever taken a photo of a sweeping yourself. They all follow much the same pattern:
vista and rued the fact that you couldn’t fit it shoot a series of overlapping images, load them
all into the frame, then the wonderful world of into the software, press a button, and then
panorama photography is most definitely for wait for the software to do its magic. For those
you. In the days of film, shooting panoramic wanting to take it to extremes, you can shoot
images was really only open to those who could images not just horizontally, but also vertically
afford expensive panoramic cameras, but digital too, and then stitch all of them together
imaging and the powerful software that has to create a massive final image. With some
become increasingly affordable now make it software, you can even go “full circle,” so to
open to the masses. It’s not even technically speak, and create 360-degree virtual images.
challenging any more. With some popular digital
cameras now, you can even create panoramas PANORAMA SOFTWARE
in-camera by simply switching to panoramic
mode, taking three or more images of the scene These are just some of the software packages
so that they overlap slightly and, hey presto, available that allow you to stitch your images
the camera’s software will miraculously analyze together to make panoramic photographs:
the images and stitch them together to create a Adobe Photoshop—www.adobe.com
perfect panorama. It is quite breathtaking to see. PTGui—www.ptgui.com
For those photographers who want to do PanaVue Image Assembler—www.
things at a higher level or who do not own panavue.com
a camera with the panoramic facility built in, Panorama Maker—www.arcsoft.com
there are plenty of software options for doing it

LEFT-HAND SIDE
This is the first of a series
of five overlapping images
that went into creating the
stitched panorama.
RIGHT-HAND SIDE
This is the final image in the
sequence. Note the loss of
sky in the final panorama
due to the need to crop it.
FINAL PANORAMA
The final panorama (below)
was stitched together in
Photoshop. It gives a lovely
view of the valley and peaks.

Abstract landscapes
Landscape photographs are generally composed one more mountain ridge add to or detract
to include as much of the big view as can be from the power of the photograph? Keep the
fitted in, but there is much to be gained from framing as tight as possible to avoid distracting
leaving out a lot of the context of the scene, elements creeping into the edges of the image.
too. Zoom in on the details of a landscape to
take some abstract photos, and you will find Why not try…?
that often “less is more” when it comes to
making landscape photos with visual impact. Flashlight magic
When faced with a big scene, train your mind One of the classic issues of
to start seeking out potential mini-scenes within photographing at night is that the
it. These could be the layered ridges of a distant landscape is generally cloaked in
mountain range, the way the light falls across darkness while the sky retains at least
a particular part of a field, or the silhouettes of some of the light reflected from the
trees upon otherwise open moorland. moon and the stars. An interesting and
To discover abstract scenes within big highly creative way to get around this
landscapes often requires you to find a higher problem is to “paint” the landscape
vantage point, so look around for anything into the photograph with a flashlight.
that may help you climb higher: a nearby hill, You will need a fairly powerful
a forest fire watchtower, or a cliff overlooking flashlight, especially if you are hoping
a coastal bay. Once you reach your vantage to paint in elements of the landscape
point, mount a telephoto zoom lens, if you have that are more than a short distance
one, onto your camera and spend some time away. Set the camera exposure time
scouring the scene with it to see what might to match what you need to correctly
work as an abstract image. You are not looking render the stars and sky. Once the
for great depth to these images, since they are shutter is open, carefully play your
often all about simple, graphic patterns, colors, flashlight over the elements of the
or details. Once you have spotted something landscape that you want to reveal in
that works, resist the temptation to quickly fire the photo, such as trees or rocks. Move
away a few shots and consider the job done. the flashlight slowly and methodically
Composing an abstract image takes just as over the subjects, trying not to pause
much care and attention as a broader landscape in any one spot for too long. It takes
image. Assess various ways of arranging the a little trial and error to perfect the
patterns or details in the frame, trying both technique, but the results can be both
horizontal and vertical formats; does including unique and compelling.

ADDING MEANING
Minolta Dynax, 100–300mm This shot was taken in Nepal in the early morning. The light was
lens, exposure unrecorded dramatic on the terraced sloped while the valley walls were
shadowed. By zooming in and omitting the sky, it was possible to
capture the feeling of this being an imposing, isolated location.

CHAPTER 8 LOCATIONS & SUBJECTS

Locations—Mountains & Hills
One of the greatest subjects for landscape photography, mountains
and hills offer a dramatic backdrop to any photograph. Capturing
images of high places involves not only being a good photographer,
but also knowing how to operate and, to some extent, survive in
some of the planet’s most inhospitable places.
Light is right Plan to be there
Unless you are a professional and need to A difficult thing to get right in the mountains
carry your entire arsenal of photo equipment is simply being in the right place at the right
on every assignment, then the best way to time. Your speed on foot is far slower than
ensure that you maximize your chances of normal due to the terrain, so you need to allow
having a fun time while photographing in the plenty of leeway in your schedule to make sure
mountains is to travel light. One camera body that you don’t miss out on the optimum light.
and, at most, a couple of lenses—one wide To catch sunrise, of course, you will need to
and one a medium telephoto—should suffice set out on your route in the dark, so make sure
for just about any situation. you take a headlamp. If you have a definite
Tripods are a necessary evil, unfortunately, vantage point that you want to reach, try not
and if you make regular excursions into the to be distracted by other photo opportunities
hills and mountains, then it will be well worth en route, unless you have ample time.
investing in a sturdy, lightweight example, such
as those made from carbon fiber. This will ease Bold compositions
your burden. There is a plethora of mountain images out
Although there are many good camera there, so if you want to shoot something a
backpacks on the market, I often use a chest little different, try to visualize some very bold
mounted camera bag to ensure that the camera compositions that use a medium-to-long
is always accessible on the move. When your telephoto lens to compress the perspective.
legs are tired and the weather is challenging, Wide-angle lenses tend to make mountains
it is amazing how mentally hard it becomes to look smaller, since the ridges are often placed
keep stopping and taking a backpack off to get between the midground and background. By
your camera out. zooming in on the craggy summits, especially
when dramatic light is falling on them, you can
add drama to the image.

BOLD COMPOSITIONS Mountain light
Zooming in on a mountain can add real drama The direction and quality of the light is critical
to the image and simplify it at the same time.
for successfully taking mountain photographs.
They are subjects on a grand scale, and
anything other than dramatic lighting will
usually leave the image looking rather flat and
dull. Try to find a vantage point that allows the
scene before you to be lit by sidelighting, since
this will give the greatest feeling of depth to
the images. When sidelit, the mountains and
valleys between will offer contrasting areas
of light and shadow. If there is some mist in
MOUNTAIN LIGHT the valleys, then you may be lucky to see that
Mountains are great placed to find subtle light.
mist being lit up by the sun, too, which can
produce awe-inspiring photographs. Mist-
filled valleys and ridges of mountains can also
provide dramatic compositions when they are
backlit. In this situation, they become almost
monochromatic; a telephoto lens can make the
ridgelines appear to be stacked one on top of
the other.
ALPENGLOW
This is a light phenomenon that can often be seen

in the high mountains. As the sun rises or sets, the
peaks opposite the sun, especially if they are covered
in snow, will be ablaze with warm orange light.
However, around 30 minutes before sunrise and
after sunset, the mountains can become bathed in
a striking purple light, known as alpenglow. As the
sky behind the mountains darkens, the purple light
appears to strengthen. It is caused by the mountains
reflecting the twilight arch.

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Locations—Coast
Where the land meets the sea has always been one of the favorite
locations for landscape photographers. From crashing waves to
sweeping, glorious beaches, the coast offers not only beauty, but also
drama aplenty.
Tide times & weather forecasts to the waves themselves, though, since rogue
Photographing at the coast can be one of the waves, which are bigger than the rest, regularly
wildest encounters with nature you can have, occur and can swamp spots that seem way
so you need to be both knowledgeable and above the danger line.
prepared to ensure that you make the most
of the opportunity and don’t get into any COASTAL LIGHT
unnecessary danger. Knowing the tide times is You will often get dramatic light right up to
sunset at the coast. This can add real shape
crucial, since it allows you to plan to be there and depth to an image.
when the sea is at its optimum state for getting
the shots you are after and at a time when it is Canon EOS 10D, 105mm lens,
safe to get down onto the beach or shoreline. 1/45 sec. at f/2.8, ISO 400
There are two high tides and two low tides per
24-hour period, so if you want to access an area
of the beach that is covered by the high tide,
then you need to be arriving at your location
when it is close to low tide to give yourself a
few hours to take photographs. Tide times are
available online for many locations.
If you want to make coastal images with
lots of dramatic impact, you should be heading
there when big storms are approaching. As low
pressure systems push toward a coastline, they
can send huge waves crashing against cliffs
and onto beaches. Taking photos of crashing
waves often works best from a slightly elevated
vantage point, so scout the location to see if
there is a rock or clifftop that might give you the
desired perspective. Be wary of getting too close

Coastal light using a shutter speed between one and two
There are few scenes more beguiling than seconds to see how lovely the blur of water
being at the coast at sunrise or sunset. The can look as it comes and goes through the
lack of physical obstacles out to sea means frame. If you can, find a solitary rock to focus
the sun’s rays can be seen right up until the on in the foreground to provide contrast to
moment they drop below the horizon, and the the movement of the water. Look out, too,
reflective qualities of the water add to those for ripples in the sand that can add attractive
of the sky to produce a very special light that patterns to your image.
is much heralded by photographers. If you are
fortunate enough to have some mid-level cloud Why not try…?
overhead, then you could be in for a real treat, Beachcombing
since the clouds pick up the first or last light of Beaches are superb places for shooting
the day and are often reflected in the wet sand abstract photos of the stones, shells, and
of the beach as the sea ebbs. even the detritus that is washed up by
the tide. If you are photographing stones,
Moving water try to find or gather together a collection
With the sea being so dynamic, it is worth with similar colors, then add one that has
trying to capture this movement in your a strongly contrasting color to make the
images by using slow shutter speeds. If you focal point of your image.
set up your camera close to the water line, try
MOVING WATER
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 24–70mm More subtle movement in the sea can be recorded by using a
lens, 1/50 sec. at f/18, ISO 100 shutter speed of around 1/50 sec.

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Locations—Desert
It’s hard not to conjure up images of Lawrence of Arabia when you
are photographing in a desert, and there is nothing wrong with
heading down the slightly romantic route with your images of these
riveting sandy landscapes.
The classic deserts with huge dunes, such after you leave. First and foremost, you need to
as those in Namibia or around the Sahara protect the camera in the same way as if you
region, are a dream destination for many were taking it out in a rainstorm. Ideally, put
photographers, but getting great photos from your camera into a completely sealed bag, such
them can be more challenging than it first as those made for underwater photography,
appears. but a good camera raincover will also do the
trick in all but the most ferocious of sandstorms.
Sand trap Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to change
One of the most important things to do when lenses with the camera out in the open: fine
you are in a desert environment is to protect grains of sand will almost certainly get into the
both yourself and your camera gear from the camera body.
harshness of the elements. In the heat of the
midday sun, even the shortest of hikes into Going to extremes
the dunes can turn into a struggle if you don’t One of the other great challenges of
cover exposed skin with lightweight clothing photographing in the desert is the extreme
and wear a good hat. You should always carry and rapidly changing temperatures that occur
water with you, even if you think you are only there. Within an hour of the sun coming up,
venturing off for a few minutes. It is easy to the temperatures can be unbearably hot, yet
underestimate the brutal nature of the dry, hot within half an hour of the sun going down,
air, and how quickly it can sap your energy and you could be forgiven for thinking that you
any moisture in your mouth. have been transported to the Arctic! You
There are few environments that endanger have to be very wary of condensation forming
your camera gear more than a desert. The with the changes in temperature, so carry a
slightest of winds can whip the sand into every resealable plastic bag with you to pop your
nook and cranny of your camera and lenses, camera into around sunrise and sunset to
and you will find yourself listening to the give it a chance to adjust more slowly to the
resulting grind for many months or even years ambient temperature.

Desert light in shadow, which can produce very dramatic
Given how hot things get, you will be glad to images of the ridge itself.
know that it is fairly futile to try to get great
photographs of the desert in the middle of Why not try…?
the day, because the light is way too harsh. Patterns in the sand
The prime times to be shooting images are By getting down low and using the
for about half an hour before and after endless ripples in the sand as leading
sunrise and sunset, when the low sun sends lines for your foreground, you can create
spectacular rays of light dancing across the very bold and dynamic images, especially
desertscape, illuminating all the ripples and if you can use the leading lines to direct
indentations in the sand. Again, sidelight the viewer’s eye to a major subject in
is the type you want to seek out, since this the composition, such as a large dune, a
gives maximum relief to the scene. Look out camel, or an oasis.
for dunes with sharp ridgelines, since the
low sun will often illuminate one side of the
RIPPLES IN THE SAND
dune completely while leaving the other side Restricting your composition to colors that are
low in saturation can have a harmonious effect.

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Locations—Jungle & Forest
Jungles and forests harbor some of the least known plants and
creatures on our planet, so offer a real wealth of photo opportunities
for those photographers dedicated enough to venture into them.
They are far from easy environments to work in, though, since the
darkness, the complexity of the scene, and, quite often, high levels of
humidity provide substantial creative and logistical challenges.
ORDER FROM CHAOS

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, Bringing simplicity to forest and jungle shots requires a lot of
70–200mm lens, 0.4 sec. at f/22, hard work in seeking out simple elements. Dramatic light and
ISO 100 some mist can help to separate the many layers in a scene.

Dark and dank
Through a heavy tree canopy, very little light likely to be scrabbling around on the ground,
manages to penetrate all the way to the trying to find good subjects, too.
forest floor. While this creates an ideal habitat If your chosen location is a rainforest or in
for a plethora of fascinating creatures and any of the world’s humid regions, then you
plants, it can make life extremely difficult for will also have to battle the insidious creep of
the landscape photographer. Shutter speeds moisture into all your kit. I have only ever lost
will drop alarmingly, and the use of a tripod two camera bodies to the elements, and both
becomes almost mandatory if you are going of those were on one trip into a Canadian
to produce images that have any degree of rainforest, where a week of high humidity and
technical quality. relentless rainfall left the cameras in a fatal state
The best photos in the forest also tend to of dampness. Even if it isn’t raining, you need
be detail ones, because the overall scene is a to look after your equipment as if that were
jumbled mess of tree trunks, branches, and the case. Keeping the cameras in sealed plastic
leaves. So, not only will you find yourself with bags with plenty of sachets of silica gel inside
hardly any light to work with, but you are highly is a must. If you have one, then a completely
DETAILED STUDIES
With a forest being so
visually busy, it is often
best to find close-up details
that can help represent the
overall feel of the scene.

lens, 1/160 sec. at f/3.5, ISO 100

waterproof camera bag is also worth utilizing. Why not try…?
When you have finished shooting for the day, Underexpose
take all your camera gear out of the bag, wipe The dominance of dark tree trunks and
it down with a cloth, and allow to air dry in a generally dark green leaves means that
warm, dry environment. Also, avoid changing you will need to slightly underexpose
lenses, if possible, when out in the field. your images (either in the field or in post-
processing) in a forest to capture the rich
Order from chaos tones within. A setting of about -2/3 to -1
The biggest challenge in any jungle or forest is stop usually works for most situations.
being able to “see the trees from the wood,”
so to speak. The scene is so complex that you BACKLIT DRAMA
need to train your eye to see beyond the chaos, Light diffusing through the forest canopy can
to find simple graphic patterns and shapes that provide dramatic backlit shots of the leaves.
hint at the expanse of the forest around, but

don’t literally show it. The mind is very powerful Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 24–70mm
lens, 1/200 sec. at f/5, ISO 100
at adding the missing information to an image,
so if you show a few trees and include subtle
hints that there are more (such as ensuring the
branches of your chosen trees extend beyond
the frame), then your brain will calculate that
there are probably more trees beyond those
included in the photograph.
There are no harder creative environments to
work in than jungles and forests, so take your
time over composing each image and assess
the importance, or not, of every element that
you include. General snapshots of forests are
doomed to fail. Abstract images, such as backlit
leaves or bark patterns on the trees, on the
other hand, are likely to prove to be winners, as
are close-up images of broadleaf plants with the
forest receding into softness in the background.
Forests are the perfect place to use large
apertures to achieve a shallow depth of field,
since this starts to simplify the image and the
main subject itself.

QUIRKY FEATURES
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, Always keep your eyes open for unusual elements in a forest. This
70–200mm lens, 1/80 bowed tree trunk contrasted nicely with the straight lines around it .
sec. at f/4.5, ISO 100
THIS ONE’S NOT SUPPOSED TO

BE HERE... BUT IT DOES FIT IN
SO WE’LL LEAVE IT
UNUSUAL ANGLES
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, Look for creative angles to shoot from in forests and jungles. It can
16–35mm lens, 1/40 help to both simplify the image and add visual impact.
sec. at f/10, ISO 100

Locations—Rivers & Lakes
Ever since Ansel Adams and his contemporaries began shooting the
landscapes of the Yosemite Valley and the Merced River, lakes and
rivers have been a central focus for landscape photographers. They
offer dynamic subject matter, with fast flowing rivers bringing real
drama to an image, and some of the most striking visual attractions in
nature, almost pure reflections in mirror-still lakes.
Freeze or flow? exposure of between ½ and 1 second to start

One of the most critical artistic decisions you with and work from there.
need to make about shooting lakes and rivers If you want to use extended exposure times
is whether you want the water to be blurred or during the day, then the only way to achieve
sharp. Personally, I prefer to retain some detail them is to use a heavy neutral-density filter,
in the water, so usually opt for faster shutter such as the Big Stopper (a 10-stop ND filter)
speeds to freeze the motion, but the blurry, from Lee Filters. If you are photographing
soft water approach has become increasingly reflections in a very still lake, a long exposure
popular, too. The key to success with the latter time will likely blur the reflection, because
is to make sure that the exposure isn’t so long although it looks still, there will probably be
that the water loses all of its form. Try an some currents moving the water in the lake.
STEAMING LAKES
This volcanic lake in
Dominica is very active and
very hot, so a high vantage
point was essential!
Canon EOS 1DS MKII,

16–35mm lens, 1/40 sec. at
f/18, ISO 100

Dark reflections air currents that are generated once the sun
One of the most common errors when rises and begins heating the ground will create
using neutral-density graduated filters for enough breezes and winds to disturb the
photographing reflections in lakes is to make surface of a lake.
the reflection as bright as, or even brighter
than the scene being reflected. Our natural Depth of the river
vision is geared to expect reflections in water Rivers are one of the best possible depth cues
to be darker than the scene being reflected, so that a landscape photographer can include
if you apply too much of a filter effect, the end in an image. When shot looking up or down
result will look instantly unnatural. The quality the river, the banks converge to the vanishing
of the reflection in the water will also improve point in the distance, adding an irresistible
the farther away it is from your vantage point, “third dimension” to the photo.
because of your viewing angle of the surface of The visual pull of a river is so powerful that
the lake. So, if you are tempted to wade into you need to be careful that it doesn’t draw the
the lake to get closer to the good reflection, viewer’s eye away from the main subject of
then forget it; the reflection quality will recede the photograph. The river will lead the viewer
as you walk in. on a journey through the photograph, and it
is important that when they get to the end of
Early birds that journey that there is something of note
If you want to maximize your chances of for them to see. It doesn’t matter if the river
catching a lake when its surface is perfectly leads them to a castle, a mountain peak, or a
still, then you need to get out early in the dramatic cloud formation; it just needs to lead
morning. More often than not, the convection somewhere interesting.
FOLLOW THE RIVER

Rivers provide the perfect
leading lines into an
image, providing a strong
feel of a third dimension.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII,

f/16, ISO 100

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Subjects—Waterfalls
Few elements of a landscape can rival waterfalls for sheer
romanticism and drama. Whether they tumble just a few feet or tens
of feet, the dynamism they bring will take anyone’s breath away.
Although they are beautiful to behold, extremes in a composition. The far brighter
waterfalls do present a number of challenges waterfall tends to drag all the attention to it,
to photographers, ranging from framing them so it needs some clever thinking to avoid it
in a meaningful and balanced way to simply completely overwhelming everything else in the
protecting the camera gear from the inevitable frame. Depending on the shape and extent of
spray that drenches everything within reach. the waterfall, the first choice to make is whether
to shoot it in a landscape or portrait format.
A balanced fall High, thin waterfalls tend to look good
Because waterfalls tend to be made up of when shot in portrait format, since this helps
white or near-white foaming water and their to emphasize the sense of the water falling
surroundings are often dark green forest or from the sky, but this can restrict the amount
jungle, it can be difficult to balance these two of surrounding scene that can be included to
A BALANCED FALL
Shooting a waterfall in
landscape format allows
more of the surrounding
landscape to be included.

lens, 1/8 sec. at f/20, ISO 100

balance the image. Try offsetting this type of sense of scale—it is far easier for the mind to
waterfall to either side of the center of the work out a rough size when the sky is included
frame—just a little will suffice—because this in the composition.
adds interest to the composition in itself. Avoid
placing high waterfalls too near the edge of
BLUR THE WATER
the frame, since this makes it almost impossible
to counter the resulting heavily one-sided look Waterfalls are one of the subjects that work
with the dark green forest in the rest of the particularly well with slow shutter speeds,
frame. Placing the waterfall nearer to the middle which turn the fall into a milky smooth
of the frame also helps to give the sense that it tumble. Try using a shutter speed of around
is buried deep in the forest or jungle. 1/6 of a second or slower to get the best
Broad falls can be shot more easily in effects. If you are in really close to the fall
landscape format and you can stick more closely and shooting a wide-angle view of it, then
to classical composition techniques. Find a good try going to the opposite extreme of shutter
subject, such as a fallen tree branch or large speed. A very fast one, such as 1/4000 of
boulder in the water below the fall, to add a second, will freeze all the tiny droplets
foreground interest, and try to avoid showing exploding out of the fall, revealing detail and
too much sky, since it is likely to be overexposed drama that is not visible to the naked eye.
compared to the fall and forest. Include just a
sliver of sky to give the fall both context and a
SENSE OF SCALE
It is hard to know how
high a waterfall is. A
person in the frame helps
to give an easy reference.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII,

70–200mm lens, 1/100 sec.
at f/4.5, ISO 100

Subjects—Clouds
There are few things that get me as excited about taking landscape
photographs as some billowing or distinctive clouds! They can turn
even the most mundane terrain into a powerful image and are
mesmerizing to watch as they scoot across the sky. Indeed, if the
land isn’t providing anything of note to include in a photograph, then
clouds can form a great subject in themselves.
Stay ahead of the game dramatic clouds added to the equation, so if the
Clouds form and dissipate at an alarming rate, clouds do come along, then at least I am a little
so if you happen upon some that compel you to mentally prepared to react effectively.
take your camera out, then you need to act and One of the most interesting clouds to look
think fast to capture the moment. As you move for is a lone cumulus or stratocumulus that can
through the landscape, it pays to keep one eye be isolated above your chosen ground subject.
on the sky, to give yourself as much notice as These fluffy, low-level clouds are some of the
possible of potential cloud formations heading most well defined to be seen and make a strong
your way. I often find myself imagining scenes addition to a photograph, especially when
on the ground and how they might look with caught against a clear blue sky.
HEAD IN THE
CLOUDS
It is worth keeping an eye
on the sky for impressive
clouds as you travel
through a landscape.
Canon EOS 1DS MKII,

f/7.1, ISO 100

KNOW YOUR CLOUDS
Starting from the highest clouds, these are Altocumulus (up to 23,000 feet/7,000 meters)
the main types to attempt to include in your This mid-level type of cloud is a landscape
landscape photos: photographer’s best friend. They often look like a
vast layer of cotton wool balls filling the sky and,
Cirrus (up to 45,000 feet/13,716 meters) given the right conditions as the sun rises or sets,
Looking like a herd of unruly white horse manes can ignite with spectacular reds and oranges.
swishing across the upper sky, cirrus clouds are
made up of ice crystals. Cumulus (up to 6,500 feet/1,981 meters)
Looking like giant bundles of cotton wool barreling
Cumulonimbus (up to 45,000 feet/13,716 across the landscape, these are some of the most
meters) eyecatching and frequently occurring clouds. They
Hold onto your hats. This is the most dramatic form from around midmorning until late afternoon,
cloud in the sky, and often is known as the and can rescue a midday photograph from being
thunder cloud or anvil cloud, because of its sent to the trashcan if they are distinct enough.
shape. At times, it appears to be billowing
upward at great speed, as if it were a volcanic Stratocumulus (up to 6,500 feet/1,981 meters)
eruption. Its base is usually at low level, around These fill the sky to a greater extent than cumulus
2,000 feet (610 meters), but the top can be up clouds and are often dark enough to suggest that
to 45,000 feet high, and it can look particularly a storm is on its way. They can add real drama
stunning if photographed rising above a clean to a landscape, especially when witnessed in the
ridgeline dotted with a few trees or other mountains, and can have enough tiny breaks in
subjects that add a sense of scale. their cover to allow occasional shafts of sunlight to
break through.
CLOUD APPRECIATION SOCIETY
If you enjoy watching and photographing clouds

as much as I do, then you will be fascinated to
know that there is Cloud Appreciation Society for
likeminded cloud lovers, formed by English writer
Gavin Pretor-Pinney, the author of the international
bestseller The Cloudspotter’s Guide. You can
find out more and join, for a small fee, by going to
www.cloudappreciationsociety.org.

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Subjects—Flowers & Plants
As winter turns into spring, landscapes around the world explode
into life as colorful flowers and other plants emerge. Previously
bare patches of land suddenly become appealing foregrounds for
photographs, and the flowers and plants, in themselves, offer up a
plethora of striking image making opportunities, with more abstract
and macro shots becoming possible.
The best thing about this time of year is that by incorporating the movement into the look
even if you don’t live in an ordinarily stunning of the image. Using a slow shutter speed
location, the flowers and plants can bring great of around one second or more will melt the
photography closer to your doorstep. flowers into a lovely blur, although it is hard to
predict what the final image will look like, so
Near or far? shoot plenty of frames to increase the chance
Faced with a swathe of blossoming flowers of success.
in an attractive landscape, the first choice to If the flowers will form a vibrant foreground
make is whether you want the flowers to be to a grander landscape image, then it is still
the main act or just to play a supporting role in important to decide how the combination of
the image. If the flowers are to be the main act, elements will be represented in the image.
then swap to a medium telephoto lens—around Will all the parts of the scene be given equal
the 100mm mark should suffice—or a macro weighting? If so, you want to use small
lens if you want to get really close, and set apertures of f/16 or smaller to ensure everything
about hunting out strong abstract or close-up in the image is sharply focused. If the flowers
compositions. If you are shooting macro or will still be the main focus of attention, try using
close-up images, then you need to be acutely a wide-angle lens and getting in close enough
aware of any wind, or even gentle breeze, have one or two flowers sharp and prominent
that is blowing, because the flowers will be in the near foreground, and fill the rest of the
constantly on the move. frame with the other flowers and the landscape
In anything other than a light wind, taking beyond. Using a large aperture to throw the
an image that shows the flowers “frozen” still middle ground and background out of focus
may well prove to be impossible. If so, then will help the viewer to easily decipher what you
consider channeling your creative thoughts into want them to look at, while the blurred scene
how you can make a more surreal photograph beyond the flowers will still add context.

SOFT FOCUS
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, Using shallow depth of field adds a touch of
70–200mm lens, 1/800 atmosphere to images of plants and flowers. Focusing
sec. at f/7.1, ISO 100 on flowers in the mid distance can enhance the effect.

Subjects—Trees
Given that you can find trees pretty much everywhere, even in the
most extreme regions on the planet, it is no surprise that they play a
part in a majority of landscape photographs. They are great subjects at
any time of the year, from their bleak, leafless looks in winter to being
verdant in spring and summer, but it is autumn when photographers
find trees truly hard to resist.
The onset of autumn in many parts of the world structure: clusters of leaves or even an individual
leads to a procession of red, yellow, and orange leaf, the shapes of its branches or its trunk,
marching across the treetops in one of Mother how the light falls on the tree and, perhaps,
Nature’s greatest spectacles. backlights the leaves.
When you have found something with
Tree techniques potential, retrieve the camera and start to
Whether you shoot images of them as part of explore in even more detail through the
a forest, isolate single trees to show their shape viewfinder. Analyze how changing your
and form, or get in really close to show off the viewpoint changes the clarity and simplicity
intricate patterns and details in their leaves or of the image, and how changing the aperture
bark, you need a range of photography skills settings to achieve a shallower depth of field
to make the images work. We have already influences how the main subject stands out
covered some of the techniques and creative from the background. Try to prevent competing
approaches of shooting trees as part of a forest elements overlapping too much in the image.
or jungle (see pages 144–7), so here we will For backlit leaves, take a spot meter reading
focus on taking more intimate portraits of trees. off the leaf itself and add a little exposure
One of the key factors in capturing compensation depending on the color of the
successful images of trees does not involve the leaf—you will need to add more for yellow
camera at all; it just involves your eyes. Trees, leaves and less, or none at all, for green leaves.
whether solitary or part of a forest, are very Even though you are shooting close-ups, don’t
complex, and finding the picture to take in the forget to apply the basic rules of composition:
first place is a real challenge. Put your camera place the subject on one of the thirds in the
down for a while and spend some minutes frame and try to lead the viewer’s eye into the
walking around the tree, not just observing it as image by having part of the subject come into
a whole, but also peering into the details of its the frame from one of the corners.

CAN’T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES?
Minolta Dynax 9, One of the classic problems with photographing trees
100–300mm lens, is trying to simplify the composition. One way around
exposure unrecorded this is to find a nearby hill to climb for an aerial view.

Subjects—People in the Landscape
I know some of you will be wondering why the word “people” is
appearing in a book about landscape photography—but every
now and again the addition of a person to a scene can make a
substantially better photograph.
One of the biggest issues that a viewer can have person has on our attention far outweighs
with interpreting an image is deciding how the space that person takes up in our vision;
big or small something is. So, one of the best the same applies in photos. If the person
ways to quickly solve this dilemma for them, you include in the frame is too big in the
and remove the obstacle to them enjoying the composition, or has other attention-grabbing
image, is to add something into the image that elements about them, such as they are wearing
gives it a sense of scale. Some things give that a red or yellow jacket, then not only will they
scale more readily than others, depending on be the first thing a viewer looks at, but also very
how well we know the average size of whatever hard to ignore as the viewer attempts to explore
you include. A tree, for example, could be a the rest of the image. Aim to make the person
fairly good subject to add a sense of scale, but in the landscape no bigger than they have to be
there are very large trees (giant redwoods spring to be clearly visible, and place them out of the
to mind) and very small trees (bonsai trees if center of the image, preferably on or around
you want an extreme example!). So, although one of the thirds.
they may give some idea of how large the
main landscape subject is, it is not crystal clear. The viewer in the picture
However, we humans don’t vary so greatly in Another useful role a person can play in a
size at all. Include one of us in the landscape, landscape image is to serve as the photo
and any viewer would be able to immediately viewer’s eyes, allowing the viewer to put
discern the scale of everything else in the themselves in that place looking at that view. To
photograph. do this, you may need an obliging friend with
you who can pose looking into the scene. Don’t
Visual balance forget about visual balance, though, so avoid
An important creative aspect to take into getting any of the person’s face in the image—
account revolves around how much we like show the back of their head instead—since the
to look at other people. It’s probably a quite face and eyes hold the strongest attraction of all
primordial reaction in us, but the power a our features.

A SENSE OF SCALE
Minolta Dynax 9, This shot a rock arch in Arches National Park, in the
100–300mm lens, USA, would not work at all without the silhouetted
exposure unrecorded person in it. There would be no sense of scale.

CHAPTER 9 DIGITAL WORKFLOW

Workflow—in the field
To be able to deal effectively with the huge number of digital
images you create, it is essential to have a robust set of processes, or
workflow, for taking each image from capture to an end output.
Although it feels like the physical process of Back up, back up, back up
photography in the field hasn’t changed a When photographers talk about backing up
great deal between film and digital cameras— their work, it is easy to assume that this is
you point the camera and take a photo—the part of the workflow when you return home
process of handling all the data that comes with all your images. However, consider this
with digital images has changed a lot. These situation: you have been on the trip of a
new demands start on location; well they do lifetime to Antarctica and have shot over a
if you want to stay on top of your collection thousand images of the icebergs, glaciers, and
of images. snowtopped peaks. The precious memory cards
have been carefully placed in bombproof wallets
GET STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 24–70mm Even if you are camping, you can still carry a small laptop
lens, 73 sec. at f/14, ISO 200 computer with you to start working on your workflow.

and are safely ensconced in your carry-on bag
for the long flight home (putting them in your Tip
checked baggage is akin to handing them over Whichever system you opt for, it is
to a stranger). During the flight, you open your crucial that you have two copies of your
bag to retrieve that novel you were reading, but images at any point in time, but if you
forget to zip up the bag again. A memory card want to be really sure (or some may say
wallet slides out during all the shaking caused paranoid) about keeping your images
by turbulence…you get the drift. It is never safe, then three copies is more secure.
possible for your one set of images to be totally
safe, no matter how careful you are.
ON LOCATION BACK UP SYSTEMS
The need to back up starts the moment you benefit if you can otherwise only get to see them
begin shooting in the field. There are several on your camera’s LCD display. So, as soon as you
ways that you can achieve this, some more fill a card, or even if you just feel that there are
robust than others. important images on it, you can download them
Duplicate memory cards on the spot. Be sure to keep the portable hard
Some DSLR cameras come with dual memory drive separate from your camera (just in case
card slots, and you can usually configure these the water dunking event occurs!). You don’t get
in-camera to record every image you take immediate back up with this method, so you
onto two separate memory cards, one in each could still lose your images if the memory card
slot. Memory cards are relatively cheap these corrupts in-camera (very rare), but it is pretty
days and this system gives you an immediate close to being immediate.
backup without having to do anything else. One Laptop computer
potential downside, for example, is that if your If the location allows you to take your
camera were to be dropped in water, then both laptop with you, at least to the overnight
sets of images would go with it. accommodation, then you can easily use that to
Portable download drive back up your images when you return to base
There are several portable download hard drives each evening. Make sure you leave it in a secure
on the market that allow you to slot in a card place while you are out shooting during the
and transfer all the images directly to the drive. day. There are many advantages to having your
Some of these drives are quite basic, but others laptop with you in the field, however, and we
have large, high-quality LCD screens so that will go on to look at these in the next section
you can view your images on them, too—a real about workflow on location.

Feet up time? the back of some of the workflow tasks that
Okay, so now you have multiple copies of your otherwise await you on your return home.
images on location, does that mean you can Renaming the images, selecting the keepers
switch off the workflow until you get home? and discarding the definite rejects, and even the
Well, that depends. If you don’t have your dreaded keywording can all be done while you
laptop with you, then you can take it slightly are away. One of the big advantages of doing
easier. It is important, though, that you have these tasks on location is that you are still full of
access to precise information about where you enthusiasm for the place, whereas several weeks
took your pictures. So, in this situation, you later at home, you might not be quite as fired
need to use some of your spare time each day up about each image.
to make comprehensive notes about the places
you have been shooting: geographical names, Renaming images
any technical aspects you want to include in the Digital cameras are set up with only rudimentary
keywords later, and any additional information file naming capabilities, and it won’t take you
about the place that you have been able to long to reach the outer boundaries of them.
glean from books or tour guides. Most can only count up to 9999 and then
return to 0001 again. So when you shoot
Steal a march your 10,000th image, it will have the same
Smart photographers who happen to have their filename as the first image you took, making it a
laptops on location can really steal a march on nightmare to track those images in your library.
their rivals by spending spare time breaking There are many other naming conventions
KEYWORDING
You can easily add specific
keywords to images
with software like Adobe
Lightroom.

file names that stand the test of time. If the
WHO TOOK THIS IMAGE? camera assigns a file name of, say, img_1234
Don’t forget to add crucial identity, contact
and copyright data for the image, so that to an image, then simply replacing the “img”
people know who took it. with the date on which the image was taken
works well as a unique identifier; it could
become 20120423_1234 for an image taken
on April 23, 2012. Note: the date should always
be written yyyy/mm/dd rather than the other
way around, since this ensures your images are
always listed sequentially on the computer.
Most image management software,
including Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture,
Photo Mechanic, and ACDSee, offers an image
renaming facility upon import. You just set up
the naming strategy template once, and the
software handles the renaming for all your
images as they are downloaded by the software.
This is far and away the best way to do it.
Adding metadata
You may well know exactly who took all your
photographs, but when the images are sent
to other people, such as magazines, web sites,
etc, then there is nothing in the image itself
that you can adopt, but the fundamental factor to identify the owner. What you need to do is
about whatever strategy you choose is that it embed all your relevant contact details into the
should create absolutely unique file names, not image, so that they move around with it. This
only for the images you are taking now, but also is a very easy task with good RAW processing
for all the images you will take in the future. software, since you can simply set up a template
This is not something to take lightly if you want with all the details included, and that template
to manage your image library effectively. can be embedded into every image during the
Although many photographers will shoot import process when you are first downloading
more than 10,000 images in their lifetime, your images. Within the template, there are
not many will get anywhere near shooting fields for your name, address, phone numbers,
that many in a single day. The date, therefore, web site, etc.
becomes a powerful tool in creating unique

Kick out the rejects Top-level keywording
With it being so easy to shoot and keep If there is one bane of a digital photographer’s
shooting digital images, it is safe to assume life, then keywording images is probably it.
that these days most photographers will be Having to record all the details about an image
“swimming” in images. Some of those images, and where it was taken in order to quickly
for sure, will be looked at again and again, but relocate that image later in a database just isn’t
a significant number will never again see the what gets photographers out of bed in the
light of a computer screen once they have been morning. The solution to doing it, therefore, is
downloaded. to reduce the pain factor to the lowest point
At this stage in your workflow, in the field, possible. Partial keywording on location is one
it is wise to be cautious about deleting large of the best ways to achieve this.
numbers of images that might not have the Now, we have to keep this realistic, because
instant wow factor. Some of these may become nobody will have a lot of spare time on their
more useful or more appealing with the passage hands when they are out shooting somewhere,
of a little time. So, rather than getting rid of especially if that somewhere is supremely
lots of images based on their creative merits, photogenic. We landscape photographers are
you can simply clean out all the images that well known for being antisocial beasts who
absolutely didn’t work—go on, admit it, there like to roam the wilderness while others eat
are some that fall into that category aren’t breakfast or dinner. We would much prefer
there? Images that are unintentionally blurred, to be out hunting photographs. So, don’t put
those where the composition is all wrong, the yourself under a lot of extra pressure to go
ones that were taken when you accidentally through all the images you are shooting to
pressed the shutter button while cleaning the keyword them in as much detail as you would
filter on the lens… you know the ones. Cleaning apply if you were back home faced with far
them out at this stage reduces the clutter in fewer distractions.
your mind as well as the clutter on your hard Image processing software will often give
drive. In this way, you will know that when you you quick ways of adding batches of keywords
get home, you will be dealing only with the that apply to a number of images. Adobe
reasonably good or better images. Lightroom, among others, allows you to do this
If you have time on location, then you could during import, saving you even more time and
do some initial rating of the images, giving the tedium. So, the keywords that you can apply on
ones that stand out one more star than the rest import are of the highest level, the generic titles
of the pack. Avoid using your top star ratings that apply to all of the images being imported
at this point, since those decisions usually need in that session. These may be the following:
more time and a better, larger screen than you continent; country; region of country; name
will have available in the field. of specific place (such as a national park or a

desert, etc.); name of exact location (the lake or of the words selected. If you want some
valley, etc.); plus any other generic words that guidance on the sorts of keywords associated
apply to all (sun, snow, etc.). with landscape photographs, then do a search
If you are short of time, then this may be on any of the online stock image libraries. Don’t
as far as you get with it, but if you have some copy them, though, since they are copyrighted!
spare moments, you can easily start adding There is little point in going overboard, either.
more image-specific keywords. The real skill Pick words that are completely relevant to what
with keywording is to find the balance between is actually in the photograph, not what is going
the time you spend doing it and the usefulness on outside of the frame.
MULTI-LEVEL KEYWORDS
Canon EOS 1DS MKII, 24–70mm Top level and more specific keywords for this image of
lens, 1/10 sec. at f/18, ISO 100 Kilidonya Lighthouse, in Turkey, were added in the field.

Workflow—in the field
You’ve finished your session in the field and now find yourself back
at home staring at the computer screen. This is where much of the
unsung work of photographers goes on. Being out in the field is like
scoring a touch down; being sat in front of the computer is where the
hard yards are gained.
Transfer your images on all the images from the shoot, rather than
First up, you need to transfer the images from keywording. This is because keywording has a
your location storage systems onto your fulltime nasty habit of overrunning the time you have
storage systems. Some software, such as available for it, so if you rate your images first,
Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture, makes you can begin by keywording the very best. If
this relatively easy, ensuring that all the work you run out of time or steam, then at least the
you put into your images is mirrored on your most critical images from the shoot are done.
home system. The next important thing to do I find it easier to go through the images in
is to ensure that you make backups within several stages, as opposed to trying to nail a
your permanent storage solution. Of course, final rating on every image I view. So, instead
if catastrophe strikes right now, you still have of trying to decide whether every image is one
the location backups to call on. (You did make of my best ever or just pretty good, I simply rate
those, didn’t you?) Make sure you create at least it as pretty good or better and add a star to its
one and preferably two permanent backups rating. On the next pass through the higher
at home before you wipe clean your location rating set, I simply decide if the image is very
storage. good or better. On the final pass through (by
which time, I know the images well), I am simply
Shoot for the stars
Digital workflows are intensely personal, so you
STARS WILL SHINE
can play with the order of things here, as long In order to keep control of a collection of
as you don’t skip the crucial bits. My preference images, it is crucial to rate the images.
at this stage is to do a full-blown rating session Only have a handful of five star ones.

looking to highlight the outstanding images images to look flat and lifeless that is. If you
from that shoot. This may only be a handful, are shooting JPEGS, the camera will do some
which makes it fairly easy to see if any of those processing to the image as you capture it. There
deserve the highest rating, as one of my best is usually an array of “effects” modes that you
ever shots, those that I would show in my can also employ with JPEGS to obtain unusual
portfolio (this happens relatively rarely!). or improved looks straight out of the camera.
Assuming that you are shooting RAW,
Processing though, there are some basic things that you
If you are bored with keywording still—it does need to do (these examples are based on Adobe
take a while to recover your sanity—you may Lightroom, but there are similar features in most
find it easier to get on with processing the RAW processing software)
outstanding images. Forget about the rest for 1. Set the black and white points
now; if you have a use for something from the To get the best possible range of tones out
“very good” or “good” pile, you can process it of an image, you need to set the black and
then. Spend your valuable time on perfecting white points of the image as close to the start
the outstanding images. and finish of the histogram curve as you can,
There are no hard-and-fast rules about how while maintaining a realistic look to the image.
to process an image; it is every bit as subjective 2. Add contrast
as photography is in the first place. If you are Tweak the histogram to form a very slight
shooting in RAW format, then every image will S-shape, which will help to increase contrast in
need some work done to it, unless you like your the image.
GO WITH THE FLOW

In Adobe Lightroom, there
is a fairly intuitive flow to
the image processing tools.

3. Saturate colors Back to keywording
Add a little saturation to the colors in the You might have been hoping to escape this
image. In Lightroom, this is best done via the bit, but it is important to keyword at least the
Vibrance tool, which intelligently saturates outstanding and the very good images in more
colors that need it, while leaving already detail than you did in the field. Go through
saturated colors alone. every image carefully and add as many specific
4. Remove dust spots keywords that you can, as long as they are very
Zoom into the image at 100% and relevant to the image. If you plan to send your
systematically go through the entire image images to a stock image library, then they may
looking for any dust spots. Depending on the well have specific ways that they want their
aperture you have used, they may be quite well images keyworded, so check with them first.
defined (f/16 or higher) or they may look like Although the obvious nouns are important
very soft, barely distinguishable blobs (f/5.6 to include, you should also try to think of
and below). Either way, use the Heal tool to conceptual keywords if you want other people
remove the spots, paying careful attention to to find the images. Not many image researchers
the resulting fix; at times, the Heal tool can will look for “XYZ glacier, Antarctica,” but more
select inappropriate areas of the photograph will look for “Freezing weather.”
to use for the source material for the fix. In
Lightroom, you can simply “grab” the source KEYWORDING SOFTWARE
circle and move it to a more appropriate spot on
If you want to speed up the process of
the image.
keywording your images (and who wouldn’t
5. Sharpen the image
want to do that?), then it may be worth
By default, Lightroom adds a little
investing in some keywording software. There
sharpening to an image. You may well need
are a few options on the market, and they
more sharpening at this stage, although the
vary greatly in how they operate. They all offer
main sharpening should be tailored to the
free trials, though, so use that facility to test
output for your image. You will need different
them out to see which one suits you best.
amounts of sharpening for an image destined
Some of the most popular are:
for the web than you would for one being
Image Keyworder—
output from your home printer. There are
www.imagekeyworder.com
default options available in Lightroom for many
FotoKeyword Harvester—
of the popular outputs.
www cradocfotosoftware.com
A2Z Keywording—
www.a2zkeywording.com

NOT TOO SHARP
Minolta Dynax 9, 24–85mm lens, It is easy to overdo image sharpening. It may look
exposure unrecorded good on the screen but it can have jagged edges if
you printed. Lees is usually more with adjustments.

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH 10 166–185.inx 176 28/7/11 10:41:46
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH 10 176-185.indd 176 2/8/11 10:16:33
CHAPTER 10 USING YOUR IMAGES

CHAPTER 10 USING YOUR IMAGES

Printing at home
The development of inkjet printers that can deliver exceptional quality
at affordable prices means there has never been a more exciting time
to be producing prints of your own work
Buying an inkjet printer
It seems there is a new inkjet printer being you don’t get anything for nothing in this
launched every week, so you would be excused world. Some of the manufacturers that sell their
for feeling a little overwhelmed with the choice. printers at discount prices charge a premium
There are some fairly easy questions to answer, price for their replacement ink cartridges. If
though, to get you started on the decision you print a lot of images the extra cost for the
making process: cartridges will soon wipe out any savings you
made in the printer purchase price.
What size prints? Research the ink cartridge prices and consult
The most fundamental decision is about the the printer manufacturer’s guidelines on how
maximum size of the prints that you want to much ink the printer will typically use. If you
produce. Most photo printers are designed to can, avoid buying a printer where all of the
go up to A4, but there are increasing number, colors are contained within one cartridge. The
which are still relatively affordable, that can inks will get used at very different rates, so if
print up to A3. If you want to make larger prints they are all in one cartridge you will end up
than that then you are beginning to get into throwing a lot of ink away every time any one
the serious investment end of the market. If you of the colors runs out. Ideally, you want every
only want to make prints that are smaller than color ink to be in its own separate cartridge so
A4, then there are some printers available to do that you can replace each one as it runs out, not
this; although, of course, you can print smaller before.
than A4 on an A4 printer, too, so it is probably
worth getting a bigger format one just in case What types of inks?
the urge to “go large” strikes you. There are basically two types of inks that are
used in inkjet printers; dye-based inks and
Cheap printer or cheap inks? pigment-based inks. Dye-based inks are fairly
Any day of the week you can open a national inexpensive but tend to have a shorter archival
newspaper and find an advert for an incredibly lifespan than dye-based inks. These cost
cheap photo printer. But, as the saying goes, more but often offer museum grade archival

Printing at home
The development of inkjet printers that can deliver exceptional quality
at affordable prices means there has never been a more exciting time
to be producing prints of your own work
Buying an inkjet printer
It seems there is a new inkjet printer being anything for nothing in this world. Some of
launched every week, so you would be excused the manufacturers that sell their printers at
for feeling a little overwhelmed with the choice. discount prices charge a premium price for
There are some fairly easy questions to answer, their replacement ink cartridges. If you print a
though, to get you started on the decision lot of images, the extra cost for the cartridges
making process: will soon wipe out any savings you made in the
printer purchase price.
What size prints? Research the ink cartridge prices and consult
The most fundamental decision is about the the printer manufacturer’s guidelines on how
maximum size of the prints that you want to much ink the printer will typically use. If you
produce. Most photo printers are designed to can, avoid buying a printer where all of the
go up to A4, but there are increasing numbers, colors are contained within one cartridge. The
which are still relatively affordable, that can inks will get used at very different rates, so if
print up to A3. If you want to make larger prints they are all in one cartridge you will end up
than that, then you are beginning to get into throwing a lot of ink away every time any one
the serious investment end of the market. If you of the colors runs out. Ideally, you want every
only want to make prints that are smaller than color ink to be in its own separate cartridge so
A4, then there are some printers available to do that you can replace each of them as it runs
this; although, of course, you can print smaller out, not before.
than A4 on an A4 printer, too, so it is probably
worth getting a bigger-format one just in case What types of ink?
the urge to “go large” strikes you. There are basically two types of ink that are
used in inkjet printers; dye-based ink and
Cheap printer or cheap inks? pigment-based ink. Dye-based inks are fairly
Any day of the week you can open a newspaper inexpensive, but tend to have a shorter archival
and find an advert for an incredibly cheap photo lifespan than dye-based inks. These cost
printer. But, as the saying goes, you don’t get more, but often offer museum-grade archival

properties. It used to be that dye-based inks What print speed?
gave a more vibrant final print, but the gap If you only print off the occasional photograph
between the two has narrowed significantly then the speed of the printer probably won’t
over the past few years. Unless, you are looking have much bearing on your buying decision.
to sell your prints to the public as fine-art then However, if you do more than that then a
the dye-based ink printers are probably the best fast average print time can save you tearing
way to go. your hair out as you watch the print emerge
Inkjet printers use four basic colors to millimeter by millimeter onto the printing tray.
produce the printed photograph; cyan, Beware though that speed isn’t everything.
magenta, yellow, and black. However, in The faster a printer works the more likely it is
order to achieve ever finer degrees of subtlety that the final print quality will suffer a little. It’s
the manufacturers have started to add in a good idea to ask for a demonstration of the
additional variations on these colors, such as printer instore before you buy.
light magenta, light cyan, and light yellow.
Some also offer different variations of black What resolution?
to further enhance the ability to produce the The maximum resolution of the printer
subtle nuances in a photograph. Although these (expressed in dots per inch, or dpi) dictates the
additional inks do lend themselves to better ultimate quality that the printer is capable of
quality prints, they also add a significant amount producing. Higher dpi means that you will get
to the overall running costs of the printer. prints with more subtle tone gradations through
the colors. The downside of higher dpi is that it
PROCESSING PICTURES puts down more ink on the paper, eating into
In order for your pictures to reach their full your ink supplies more rapidly, and print times
potential you need
can increase significantly.
Which printer?
Once you have assessed the features
above, then it is well worth getting to
see your shortlisted printers in action.
Although big electronic goods stores are
less likely to offer the opportunity to do
this, a smaller chain or an independent
photographic store will probably be set
up to do just that. In the end, it is how the
final print appears to your eye that will clarify
the last parts of the decision making process.

properties. It used to be that dye-based inks What print speed?
gave a more vibrant final print, but the gap If you only print off the occasional photograph,
between the two has narrowed significantly then the speed of the printer probably won’t
over the past few years. Unless, you are looking have much bearing on your buying decision.
to sell your prints to the public as fine art, then However, if you do more than that, then a
the dye-based ink printers are probably the best fast average print time can save you tearing
way to go. your hair out as you watch the print emerge
Inkjet printers use four basic colors to millimeter by millimeter onto the printing tray.
produce the printed photograph: cyan, Beware though that speed isn’t everything.
magenta, yellow, and black. However, in order The faster a printer works, the more likely it is
to achieve ever finer degrees of subtlety, the that the final print quality will suffer a little. It’s
manufacturers have started to add additional a good idea to ask for a demonstration of the
variations of these colors, such as light magenta, printer instore before you buy.
light cyan, and light yellow. Some also offer
different variations of black to further enhance What resolution?
the ability to produce the subtle nuances in a The maximum resolution of the printer
photograph. Although these additional inks do (expressed in dots per inch, or dpi) dictates the
lend themselves to better-quality prints, they ultimate quality that the printer is capable of
also add a significant amount to the overall producing. Higher dpi means that you will get
running costs of the printer. prints with more subtle tone gradations through
the colors. The downside of higher dpi is that it
PUNCHY PICTURES puts down more ink on the paper, eating into
Modern inkjet printers can bring vivid life your ink supplies more rapidly, and print times
to the colors in an image.
can increase significantly.
Which printer?
Once you have assessed the features
above, then it is well worth getting to
see your shortlisted printers in action.
Although big electronics stores are less
likely to offer the opportunity to do
this, a smaller chain or an independent
photographic store will probably be set
up to do just that. In the end, it is how the
final print appears to your eye that will clarify
the last parts of the decision making process.

Print on demand products
One of the most exciting developments in photography has been
the explosion in opportunities to turn your photographs into cool,
professional standard products, such as books and calendars
Print on demand books software interfaces and then print off just one
This is possibly the best thing to happen to copy or as many copies as you like. The price
photography since the digital revolution began. per copy comes down significantly the more
Prior to print on demand books becoming copies you order. A few days later, or a week
available the only way to get your work or so at most, a professionally produced book
published in a book was to either pitch an idea arrives in the post. Voila, you are a published
to a publisher, where the rejection rate was photographer! They are a brilliant way for you
frighteningly high, or to invest a great deal of to make your favorite images more accessible
money and time in publishing a book yourself to other people, friends and family for instance.
via the traditional channels, where large print There are few things as gratifying for a
runs were needed. Both of these routes offered photographer as seeing your images in a book,
little cheer to any photographers other than so you can use it to as a motivator to get out
already successful professionals or the incredibly there shooting more landscape images.
wealthy. To ensure you get the best possible quality
Print on demand pretty much does what it of book back, it is vital that you spend the
says on the tin. You can upload your photos to time processing your images. If you send poor
a web site, lay out the book using easy to use quality images to the publisher, don’t expect
stunning photos to miraculously appear in the
book. Ask the print on demand publisher if they
have specific printer profiles available that you
can use to view your images as close to how
they will print as possible (assuming you have
a properly calibrated monitor). Don’t add too
much contrast to the images and boost color
saturation. Make sure you sharpen your images
too. It is pretty much impossible to exactly
match the printed images with what you see on
your computer screen, so be prepared to accept
some variance in their appearance.

Print-on-demand products
One of the most exciting developments in photography has been
the explosion in opportunities to turn your photographs into cool,
professional-standard products, such as books and calendars
Print-on-demand books photographer! They are a brilliant way for you
This is possibly the best thing to happen to to make your favorite images more accessible
photography since the digital revolution began. to other people, friends and family for instance.
Prior to print-on-demand books becoming There are few things as gratifying for a
available, the only way to get your work photographer as seeing your images in a book,
published in a book was to either pitch an idea so you can use it as a motivator to get out there
to a publisher, where the rejection rate was shooting more landscape images.
frighteningly high, or to invest a great deal of To ensure you get the best possible quality
money and time in publishing a book yourself of book back, it is vital that you spend the time
via the traditional channels, where large print processing your images. If you send poor-quality
runs were needed. Both of these routes offered images to the publisher, don’t expect stunning
little cheer to any photographers other than photos to miraculously appear in the book.
already successful professionals or the incredibly Ask the print-on-demand publisher if they
wealthy. have specific printer profiles available that you
Print-on-demand pretty much does what it can use to view your images as close to how
says on the can. You can upload your photos to they will print as possible (assuming you have
a web site, lay out the book using easy-to-use a properly calibrated monitor). Don’t add too
software interfaces, and then print off just one much contrast to the images and boost color
copy or as many copies as you like. The price saturation. Make sure you sharpen your images,
per copy comes down significantly the more too. It is pretty much impossible to exactly
copies you order. A few days later, or a week match the printed images with what you see on
or so at most, a professionally produced book your computer screen, so be prepared to accept
arrives in the mail. Voila, you are a published some variance in their appearance.

Calendars moods of it. Designing the calendar works
There is a huge number of printers offering in the same way as the book design systems,
calendar publishing. It is a great and very where you can upload your images online
personal way to present your photography as a and then choose the format and layout of the
gift for friends, family, or clients. Some of the calendar pages.
book publishers listed above also offer calendar
products. Producing a calendar each year can Other products
be an effective way to focus your photography There are many other personalized products
efforts; how about trying to shoot something available that can carry your landscape images.
each month to go into the calendar, which From mugs and mouse mats to jigsaw puzzles
would make it reflect the seasons. Another idea and T-shirts the ways to show off your work and
may be to shoot the same landscape location rescue them from your hard drives are limited
throughout the year to capture the different only by your imagination.
PRINT ON DEMAND PUBLISHERS
Blurb www.blurb.com order around 100 or more copies. The quality is

A highly popular print on demand publisher, Blurb excellent and they print for trade publishers, too.
offers a range of photography book printing
options, and they have a successful online store Photobox www.photobox.com
where you can put your book up for sale. They have a range of photographic book options
and very affordable prices. There are often special
Lulu www.lulu.com offers on photo books, such as “3 for 2.” Very
One of the top photography book publishers. There quick turnaround time.
are many options for the type of book you want to
produce, including hardback and paperback. Lulu Bob Books www.bobbooks.com
also offers the ability to sell your book via their Offer both hardback and paperback photographic
website store. books, with up to 154 pages in the hardback and
130 pages in the paperback versions. They also
Print on Demand-Worldwide www. offer books printed on photographic paper for
printondemand-worldwide.com ultimate quality.
Offers a range of photographic book publishing
options at very affordable prices, especially if you

Calendars moods of it. Designing the calendar works
There is a huge number of printers offering in the same way as the book design systems,
calendar publishing. It is a great and very where you can upload your images online,
personal way to present your photography as and then choose the format and layout of the
a gift for friends, family, or clients. Some of the calendar pages.
book publishers listed here also offer calendar
products. Producing a calendar each year can Other products
be an effective way to focus your photography There are many other personalized products
efforts: how about trying to shoot something available that can carry your landscape images.
each month to go into the calendar, which From mugs and mouse mats to jigsaw puzzles
would make it reflect the seasons. Another idea and T-shirts, the ways to show off your images
may be to shoot the same landscape location and rescue them from your hard drives are
throughout the year to capture the different limited only by your imagination.
PRINT-ON-DEMAND PUBLISHERS
Blurb www.blurb.com order around 100 or more copies. The quality is

A highly popular print-on-demand publisher, excellent and they print for trade publishers, too.
Blurb offers a range of photography book printing
options, and they have a successful online store Photobox www.photobox.com
where you can put your book up for sale. They have a range of photographic book options
at very affordable prices. There are often special
Lulu www.lulu.com offers on photo books, such as “3 for 2.” Very
One of the top photography book publishers. There quick turnaround time.
are many options for the type of book you want to
produce, including hardback and paperback. Lulu Bob Books www.bobbooks.com
also offer the ability to sell your book via their web Offer both hardback and paperback photographic
site store. books, with up to 154 pages in the hardback and
130 pages in the paperback versions. They also
Print on Demand-Worldwide www. offer books printed on photographic paper for
printondemand-worldwide.com ultimate quality.
Offer a range of photographic book publishing
options at very affordable prices, especially if you

Web sites and social media
The potential for photographers to share their work with others took a
quantum leap with the advent of the internet. It is now possible to take
an image and moments later upload it for the whole world to see
Create your own web site clients. The basic costs of sites like these are still
This is so easy and affordable to do these affordable, though, so even if you don’t intend
days that there really is no reason why every to sell images it is still worth checking out what
photographer shouldn’t have a web site. If they have to offer.
you happen to be conversant with html coding There are also several independent software
then you can set about building your site from packages available that sit between the two
scratch. However, it is far more likely that examples above. Software such as that offered
your skills are in photography and the idea of by Pixaria is very customizable and gives
designing and coding your own web site fills you the tools within the software to be able
you with dread. Don’t worry; there are plenty to sell your images and other image-based
of easier ways to get your web site up and products, including prints. They do require
running. more knowledge about coding though (or a
Some companies, such as Clikpic, offer willingness to pay for someone to do it for you).
simple template-based photography sites for a Still, Pixaria is a very professional product that
monthly fee. With these you can basically tweak is worth looking at if you don’t mind engaging
the template to some degree to personalize the more with the technical aspects of creating a
look of the site and then you can upload your web site.
images to the gallery pages on it, write the text
needed for the various pages and include your
PHOTO WEB SITE COMPANIES
contact details. The site can often be upscaled
for a higher fee, if you find that you need more Clikpic—www.clikpic.com
pages as your photography develops. Photoshelter—www.photoshelter.
Other companies are aimed more closely com
at the serious amateur and professional Pixaria—www.pixaria.com
photographers. Sites such as Photoshelter Moonfruit—www.moonfruit.com
offer comprehensive packages for a monthly Photobiz—www.photobiz.com
or annual fee that allow you to not only
fully customize your site but also provide a
mechanism for you to sell your images direct to

Web sites and social media
The potential for photographers to share their work with others took a
quantum leap with the advent of the internet. It is now possible to take
an image and moments later upload it for the whole world to see
Create your own web site clients. The basic costs of sites like these are still
This is so easy and affordable to do these affordable, though, so even if you don’t intend
days that there really is no reason why every to sell images, it is still worth checking out what
photographer shouldn’t have a web site. If you they have to offer.
happen to be conversant with html coding, There are also several independent software
then you can set about building your site from packages available that sit between the two
scratch. However, it is far more likely that your previous examples. Software such as that
skills will be in photography, and the idea of offered by Pixaria is very customizable, and
designing and coding your own web site may gives you the tools within the software to be
fill you with dread. Don’t worry; there are plenty able to sell your images and other image-based
of easier ways to get your web site up and products, including prints. They do require
running. more knowledge about coding, though (or a
Some companies, such as Clikpic, offer willingness to pay for someone to do it for you).
simple template-based photography sites for Still, Pixaria is a very professional product that
a monthly fee. With these, you can tweak the is worth looking at if you don’t mind engaging
template to some degree to personalize the look more with the technical aspects of creating a
of the site and then you can upload your images web site.
to the gallery pages on it, write the text needed
for the various pages, and include your contact
PHOTO WEB SITE COMPANIES
details. The site can often be upscaled for a
higher fee, if you find that you need more pages Clikpic—www.clikpic.com
as your photography develops. Photoshelter—www.photoshelter.
Other companies are aimed more closely com
at the serious amateur and professional Pixaria—www.pixaria.com
photographers. Sites such as Photoshelter Moonfruit—www.moonfruit.com
offer comprehensive packages for a monthly Photobiz—www.photobiz.com
or annual fee that allow you to not only
fully customize your site, but also provide a
mechanism for you to sell your images direct to

Photo sharing web sites and their reach—even if the royalty percentage paid
social media to the photographer is not that great.
The easiest way to get a web presence SmugMug

without creating your own web site is to This company offers a host of integrated
upload your images to one of the popular features more suitable for the professional
photo sharing web sites, such as Flickr (www. or semiprofessional photographer, including
flickr.com) and SmugMug (www.smugmug. being able to sell your images online as prints
com). Both allow you to create your own and other products. You can upload unlimited
online photo galleries and then share them numbers of images and on the higher level
with whoever you want to share them with. categories of membership you get access to
They can be viewable by the entire online slick professional sales tools. You can geotag
community or you can limit the access to close your images so that they can be displayed on
friends and family, for example. They interface Google Maps, add photos directly from many
seamlessly with other social media web sites, of the most popular image processing software
such as Facebook and Twitter, so you can packages, and upload video. Prices start from
easily publish your images to those sites too. just US$5 per month for the basic package.
to make global adjustments:
Facebook and Twitter
Flickr If you haven’t heard of these two social media
The big difference with Flickr is that it is free web sites then you must have been living on
to use, which has helped to make it popular another planet! Both are free to use and allow
with photographers (over 5,000 images were you to show your photos to friends, family,
uploaded to the site per minute at the time of and the entire online community if you wish.
writing!). There are numerous ways for you to Facebook is more useful for photographers, as
upload your photos to the site, including from you can upload images and then create galleries
your mobile phone and directly out of image of images for people to view. Click on an image
processing software, such as Adobe Lightroom to see it bigger and it is easy to scroll through
and Apple Aperture. You can organize your large galleries. There aren’t any great image
images and even geotag them so that they can management features on Facebook, but that is
be plotted on a map. Flickr has signed a deal not the intention of the site. You can tag people
with the giant Getty Images stock library so that with their names and they will automatically
images from Flickr can be made available for be alerted about the image being available, so
purchase via the Getty Images web portal; an it’s a great way to share images if, for example,
exciting opportunity for many photographers you were out with your local camera club for a
who might have thought that Getty was beyond dawn shoot or on a photography workshop.

Photo sharing web sites and social media
The easiest way to get a web presence SmugMug

without creating your own web site is to This company offers a host of integrated
upload your images to one of the popular features more suitable for the professional
photo sharing web sites, such as Flickr (www. or semiprofessional photographer, including
flickr.com) and SmugMug (www.smugmug. being able to sell your images online as prints
com). Both allow you to create your own and other products. You can upload unlimited
online photo galleries and then share them numbers of images, and on the higher level
with whomever you want to share them with. categories of membership, you get access to
They can be viewable by the entire online slick professional sales tools. You can geotag
community or you can limit the access to close your images so that they can be displayed on
friends and family, for example. They interface Google Maps, add photos directly from many
seamlessly with other social media web sites, of the most popular image processing software
such as Facebook and Twitter, so you can packages, and upload video. Prices are very
easily publish your images to those sites, too. affordable for the basic package.
Flickr Facebook and Twitter

The big difference with Flickr is that it is If you haven’t heard of these two social media
free, which has helped make it popular with web sites, then you must have been living on
photographers (over 5,000 images were another planet! Both are free to use and allow
uploaded to the site per minute at the time of you to show your photos to friends, family,
writing!). There are numerous ways for you and the entire online community if you wish.
to upload your photos to the site, including Facebook is more useful for photographers,
from your cell phone and directly from image since you can upload images and then create
processing software. You can organize your galleries of images for people to view. Click on
images and even geotag them so that they can an image to see it bigger, and it is easy to scroll
be plotted on a map. Flickr has signed a deal through large galleries. There aren’t any great
with the giant Getty Images stock library so that image management features on Facebook,
images from Flickr can be made available for but that is not the intention of the site. You
purchase via the Getty Images web portal; an can tag people with their names and they
exciting opportunity for many photographers will automatically be alerted about the image
who might have thought that Getty was beyond being available, so it’s a great way to share
their reach—even if the royalty percentage paid images if, for example, you were out with your
to the photographer is not that great. local camera club for a dawn shoot or on a
photography workshop.

Making slideshows
When we were all shooting slide film there was 3,000 lumens to make it show up well. It is
nothing more pleasing than to organize a slide always preferable to darken the room first and
night and get all your fellow photographers foremost though.
around for an evening of “oohing” and
“ahhing” over stunning landscape images Resolution
projected beautifully on a screen. Well, those The resolution of the projector is also an
days have not gone away at all; in fact, things important consideration. There are three
have got even better in many ways. common resolutions on the market; SVGA
800x600 pixels); XGA (1024x768 pixels); and
Digital projectors SXGA+ (1400x1050 pixels). Ideally, you want to
If you want to project your slideshow onto a match the resolution to that of your computer
screen, rather than view it on the computer screen, because if you buy a higher resolution
monitor or television, then you will need a projector than your computer is capable of
digital projector. There is a plethora available, supporting then the projector will simply
and a huge range in prices, too. compress the images to fit so there is no benefit
to spending extra for the higher resolution
LCD or DLP projector. SVGA is starting to become outdated,
There is one basic decision to make; whether though, so even if you have a computer with
you want one that projects using an LCD (Liquid this resolution, then it might be worth buying
Crystal Display) system or one that has a DLP an XGA projector to cover you for when you
(Digital Light Processing) system. LCD projectors upgrade your computer. SXGA+ projectors
are relatively inexpensive, but they lack the are expensive, so you will need to be sure that
subtlety of some DLP projectors. So, you need you require the extra image quality they deliver
to decide whether you are willing to forego a before investing in one.
little image quality to save money.
Preparing your images
Brightness Once you have processed your images after
If you are projecting the slideshow in a dark a shoot, it is quite straightforward to prepare
room then you don’t need a bright projector them for inclusion in a slideshow. Depending
(the brightness is measured in ANSI lumens), on what software you are using to create the
around 1800 lumens will suffice. If you are show, you may need to resize the images to
planning to project in a room that isn’t dark make them smaller, so that they don’t take
and has natural or artificial light falling on the too long to load during the slideshow. The
screen then you will need something north of general practice is to make the images no

Making slideshows
When we were all shooting slide film, there was of 3,000 lumens to make it show up well. It is
nothing more pleasing than to organize a slide always preferable to darken the room first and
night and get all your fellow photographers foremost though.
around for an evening of “oohing” and
“ahhing” over stunning landscape images Resolution
projected beautifully on a screen. Well, those The resolution of the projector is also an
days have not gone away at all; in fact, things important consideration. There are three
have got even better in many ways. common resolutions on the market: SVGA
800 x 600 pixels); XGA (1024 x 768 pixels);
Digital projectors and SXGA+ (1400 x 1050 pixels). Ideally,
If you want to project your slideshow onto a you want to match the resolution to that of
screen, rather than view it on the computer your computer screen, because if you buy a
monitor or television, then you will need a higher-resolution projector than your computer
digital projector. There is a plethora available, is capable of supporting, then the projector
and a huge range in prices, too. will simply compress the images to fit, so
there is no benefit to spending extra for the
LCD or DLP higher-resolution projector. SVGA is starting to
There is one basic decision to make: whether become outdated, though, so even if you have
you want one that projects using an LCD (Liquid a computer with this resolution, then it might
Crystal Display) system or one that has a DLP be worth buying an XGA projector to cover you
(Digital Light Processing) system. LCD projectors for when you upgrade your computer. SXGA+
are relatively inexpensive, but they lack the projectors are expensive, so you will need to be
subtlety of some DLP projectors. So, you need to sure that you require the extra image quality
decide whether you are willing to forego a little they deliver before investing in one.
image quality to save money.
Preparing your images
Brightness Once you have processed your images after
If you are projecting the slideshow in a dark a shoot, it is quite straightforward to prepare
room, then you don’t need a bright projector them for inclusion in a slideshow. Depending on
(the brightness is measured in ANSI lumens): what software you are using to create the show,
around 1800 lumens will suffice. If you are you may need to resize the images to make
planning to project in a room that isn’t dark them smaller, so that they don’t take too long to
and has natural or artificial light falling on the load during the slideshow. The general practice
screen, then you will need something north is to make the images no bigger than the

bigger than the maximum resolution of your
projector/computer. So, if you are using an SLIDESHOW SOFTWARE
XGA projector and computer then you want to
ProShow Gold www.photodex.com
size your images to fit 1024x768 pixels (that is
Apple Aperture www.apple.com
for landscape format; for portrait format the
Adobe Lightroom www.adobe.com
images need be no bigger than 768 pixels high).
Microsoft PowerPoint www.
The resolution of your images needs to be only
microsoft.com
around 100dpi for XGA projection (higher,
Magix PhotoStory on CD & DVD www.
around 150dpi if you are using SXGA+) and
magix.com
save them as maximum quality JPEGs.
Decide the running order shots of a particular desert landscape, for

If you want to keep your audience enthralled example, then you only need to show one or
throughout your slideshow then you need to two to communicate with the audience. If you
think carefully about the order you show the are struggling to decide which ones to leave out
images and the narrative that they tell. A good ask a friend or colleague to pick the one they
general rule is to think a little like a Hollywood like best. You can wrap the show up with a run
film director; start with a big scenesetting of a dozen of your most impressive landscapes
opener and then move in for more intimate to leave the audience wowed.
photos of the landscape. Try not to duplicate
the types of image shown. If you have six good Adding music/soundtrack
Almost all slideshow software now has the
PROCESSING PICTURES ability to add music and sound to the show. If
In order for your pictures to reach their full you are adding music, then choose carefully;
potential you need to organize and edit them.
your personal favorite choice tunes may
not be a big hit with the audience. Opt for
something middle of the road that has a sense
of movement or journey to it. Be aware also
that you may need to get copyright clearance
to use commercial music. If you happened to
record some ambient sounds on location, then
these adding these to the show can be a great
way to enhance the audience’s connection with
the place. An image of a cloud swirling over a
mountaintop really comes alive when the sound
of a galeforce wind is added to it.

maximum resolution of your projector/computer.
So, if you are using an XGA projector and SLIDESHOW SOFTWARE
computer, then you want to size your images
ProShow Gold—www.photodex.com
to fit 1024 x 768 pixels (that is for landscape
Apple Aperture—www.apple.com
format; for portrait format, the images need be
Adobe Lightroom—www.adobe.com
no bigger than 768 pixels high). The resolution
Microsoft PowerPoint—www.
of your images needs to be only around 100dpi
microsoft.com
for XGA projection (higher, around 150dpi,
Magix PhotoStory on CD & DVD—
if you are using SXGA+), and save them as
www.magix.com
maximum-quality JPEGs.
Decide the running order good shots of a particular desert landscape,

If you want to keep your audience enthralled for example, then you only need to show one
throughout your slideshow, then you need to or two to communicate with the audience.
think carefully about the order you show the If you are struggling to decide which ones to
images and the narrative that they tell. A good leave out, ask a friend or colleague to pick the
general rule is to think a little like a Hollywood one they like best. You can wrap the show up
film director: start with a big scene setting with a run of a dozen of your most impressive
opener and then move in for more intimate landscapes to leave the audience wowed.
photos of the landscape. Try not to duplicate
the types of image shown. If you have six Adding music/soundtrack
Almost all slideshow software now has the
PROCESSING PICTURES ability to add music and sound to the show. If
For your pictures to reach their full potential, you are adding music, then choose carefully;
you need to organize and edit them.
your personal favorite tunes may not be a
big hit with the audience. Opt for something
middle-of-the-road that has a sense of
movement or journey to it. Be aware also that
you may need to get copyright clearance to
use commercial music. If you happened to
record some ambient sounds on location, then
adding these to the show can be a great way
to enhance the audience’s connection with
the place. An image of a cloud swirling over a
mountaintop really comes alive when the sound
of a galeforce wind is added to it.

Glossary
Aberration An imperfection in the image Color temperature The color of a light source
caused by the optics of a lens. expressed in degrees Kelvin (K).
AE (autoexposure) lock A camera control that Compression The process by which digital files
locks in the exposure value, allowing an image to be are reduced in size.
recomposed. Depth of field (DOF) The amount of an image
Angle of view The area of a scene that a lens that appears acceptably sharp. The range of this
takes in, measured in degrees. sharpness depends on four factors: the aperture
Aperture The opening in a camera lens through of the lens, the chosen focal point, the subject-to-
which light passes to expose the sensor or film. The camera distance, and the focal length of the lens.
relative size of the aperture is denoted by f/stops. Differential focus The practice of teaming wide
Autofocus (AF) A reliable through-the-lens apertures (resulting in shallow depth of field) with a
focusing system allowing accurate focus without the small, precisely controlled area of focus.
user manually turning the lens. dpi (dots per inch) Measure of the resolution
Bracketing Taking a series of identical pictures, of a printer or scanner. The more dots per inch, the
changing only the exposure, usually in half or one f/ higher the resolution.
stop (+/-) differences. Dynamic range The ability of the camera’s
Buffer The in-camera memory of a digital sensor to capture a full range of shadows and
camera that temporarily holds image data before highlights.
writing to the memory card. Evaluative metering A metering system
Burst size The maximum number of frames whereby light reflected from several subject areas is
that a digital camera can shoot before its buffer calculated based on algorithms.
becomes full. Exposure The amount of light allowed to hit the
Cable release A device used to trigger the camera sensor, controlled by aperture, shutter speed,
shutter of a tripod-mounted camera to avoid and ISO. Also the act of taking a photograph, as in
camera shake. “making an exposure.”
Center-weighted metering A way of Exposure compensation A control that allows
determining the exposure of a photograph placing intentional overexposure or underexposure.
importance on the meter reading at the center of Extension tubes Hollow spacers that fit
the frame. between the camera body and lens, typically used for
Chromatic aberration The inability of a lens to close-up work. The tubes increase the focal length of
bring spectrum colors into focus at one point. the lens.
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY END MATTER 186-192.indd 186 3/8/11 09:13:52

Fill-in flash Flash combined with daylight in Interpolation A way of increasing the file size
an exposure. Used with naturally backlit or harshly of a digital image by adding pixels, thereby increasing
side-lit or top-lit subjects to prevent silhouettes its resolution.
forming, or to add extra light to the shadow areas of ISO The sensitivity of an image sensor to light,
a well-lit scene. measured in terms equivalent to the ISO rating of
Filter A piece of colored, or coated, glass or film. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the sensor
plastic placed in front of the lens. is to light.
F-stop Number assigned to a particular lens JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
aperture. Wide apertures are denoted by small A universal image format supported by virtually all
numbers such as f/2, and small apertures by large relevant software applications. JPEG compression can
numbers such as f/22. reduce file sizes to about 5% of their original size
Focal length The distance, usually in with little visible loss in image quality.
millimeters, from the optical center point of a lens LCD (liquid crystal display) The large screen
element to its focal point. on a digital camera that allows the user to preview
Focusing distance Term used to describe the images.
distance between the focal plane (the sensor/film) Megapixel One million pixels are equal to one
and the subject. megapixel.
fps (frames per second) The ability of a digital Memory card A removable storage device for
camera to process one image and be ready to shoot cameras.
the next. Mirror lockup A function that allows the reflex
Histogram A graph used to represent the mirror of an SLR to be raised and held in the “up”
distribution of tones in an image. position, before the exposure is made to reduce
Hotshoe An accessory shoe with electrical vibration.
contacts that allows synchronization between the Pixel Short for “picture element”—the smallest
camera and a flashgun. bits of information in a digital image.
Hotspot A light area with a loss of detail in Predictive autofocus An autofocus system that
the highlights. This is a common problem in flash can continually track a moving subject.
photography. Noise Colored image interference caused by
Incident-light reading Meter reading based on stray electrical signals.
the light falling on the subject. Partial metering A metering system that
places importance on a relatively small area at the

center of the frame to calculate the exposure of the SLR (single lens reflex) A type of camera that
photograph. allows the user to view the scene through the lens,
PictBridge The industry standard for sending using a reflex mirror.
information directly from a camera to a printer, Spot metering A metering system that places
without having to connect to a computer. importance on the intensity of light reflected by a very
RAW The format in which the raw data from small portion of the scene.
the sensor is stored without permanent alterations Teleconverter A lens that is inserted between
being made. the camera body and main lens, increasing the
Reproduction ratio A term used to describe effective focal length.
the relationship between the size of your subject in Telephoto lens A lens with a large focal length
real life, and the size it is recorded on the sensor/ and a narrow angle of view.
film. For example, a reproduction ratio of 1:2 means TTL (through-the-lens) metering A metering
that the subject will appear half its actual size on the system built into the camera that measures light
sensor or film. passing through the lens at the time of shooting.
Resolution The number of pixels used to capture TIFF (Tagged-Image File Format) A universal
or display an image. The higher the resolution, the image file format that can be compressed without
finer the detail. loss of information.
RGB (red, green, blue) Computers and other USB (universal serial bus) A data transfer
digital devices understand color information as a standard, used by the EOS 60D when connecting to
combination of red, green, and blue. a computer.
Rule of thirds A rule of thumb that places the Viewfinder The camera’s small window used to
key elements of a picture at points along imagined compose the picture, giving an approximate view of
lines that divide the frame into thirds. what will be captured.
Selective focusing (see differential focus). White balance A function that allows the
Shading The effect of light striking a photo correct color balance to be recorded for any given
sensor at anything other than right angles incurring a lighting situation.
loss of resolution. Working distance The space between the front
Shutter The mechanism that controls the amount surface of the lens, and the point on the subject
of light reaching the sensor by opening and closing. where the lens is focused.

Useful web sites
General
Ammonite Press Olympus
Photography books and Expanded Camera Guides Camera & lens manufacturer
www.ammonitepress.com www.olympus-global.com
Equipment Panasonic
Adobe Camera & lens manufacturer
Photographic editing software such as Photoshop www.panasonic.com
and Lightroom
www.adobe.com Sigma
Camera & third-party lens manufacturer
Apple www.sigmaphoto.com
Creators of photo editing software, including
Aperture, plus notebook and desktop computers Photography Publications
www.apple.com/uk Black & white Photography magazine
Outdoor Photography magazine
Canon Inspiration and information for monochrome
Camera & lens manufacturer enthusiasts
www. canon.com www.thegmcgroup.com
Nikon Digital Photography Review

Camera & lens manufacturer Independent digital camera reviews and news
www.nikon.com www.dpreview.com
Pentax ePHOTOzine
www.pentax.com Photographic news, reviews, techniques, and tips
www.ephotozine.co.uk
Sony
Camera & lens manufacturer Luminous Landscape
www.sony.com Features, insight and forums all about landscape
photography
www.luminous-landscape.com

Index
A colors F
abstract landscapes 62, 128 analogous 119 Facebook 183
accessories 19 complementary 116 film, advantage 105
Adobe cool 114 filters
Lightroom 52 positioning 118 correction 111
RGB 22 primary 108 neutral-density (ND) 18, 54
Advanced Photo System type C saturating 174 neutral-density graduated
(APS-C) sensor 15 secondary 108 18, 52
Alpenglow 133 tertiary 108 ND grad 52
aperture 28, 30 warm 112 software 52
settings 30 compact camera 15 polarizer 18, 52
Apple Aperture 52 complementary colors 116 five layers 70
composition 56–77 flare, avoiding 91
B basic rules 60 flashlight, using 128
backpacks 132 converging lines 70 Flickr 183
backup 166, 167 correction filters 111 flowers and plants 158
balance 117, 162 creativity 120–129 focus, soft 159
beachcombing 137 crop factor 15 footwear 20
boots, sturdy 20 cropping and formats 76 format
brightness 117 large 15
D medium 15
C dawn 86 frame, filling the 62
calendars 181 depth of field 32 f-stops 30
camera big 36, 37 full frame 14
bag, chest mounted 132 controlling 34
bag, waterproof 146 shallow 38, 39 G
choosing 13 desert 140 gloves, thermal 20
compact 15 light 141, 142 Google
DSLR 13 diagonal lines 66 Images 23
how it “sees” 58 digital Maps 23
setting up 21 camera sensor 50 golden hour 24
circles 64 projector 184 Gore-Tex 20
Clikpic 182 workflow 164–175 grain 49
Cloud Appreciation Society 155 dust spots, removing 174
clouds 154, 156 H
identifying 155 E headlamp 20
coast 136 equipment 10–25 high dynamic range (HDR) 124
coastal light 136, 137, 138 choosing 12 software 125
color 106–119 outdoor 20 horizons, straight 61
casts 110 expose to the right 50 horizontal lines 66
perceiving 110 exposure 26–55 hotshoe spirit level 19
single, using 112 understanding 28 humidity, exposure to 145
space 22 hyperfocal distance 32
theory 108
wheel 108

I ultra-wide-angle 16 O
image format 21 wide-angle 16 outdoor accessories 20
image management software light 78–105 overexpose 50
169 back 83
images dawn 85, 86, 88 P
keywording 170 desert 141, 142 painting with light 128
online 23 diffused 84 panning 124
printing 178–179 direction 82 panoramas, creating 126
processing 173, 174 front 82 panorama software 126
rating 172 low 85 patterns in nature 62
rejecting 170 manipulating 82 people in the landscape 162
removing dust spots 174 midday 94 photography forums 23
renaming 168 mountain 133 Photoshelter 182
sharpening 174 overhead 85 Pixaria 182
transferring 172 painting with 128 plants 158
using 176–185 quality of 80 portable download drive 167
iPhone/iPod Touch 32 side 82 primary colors 108
ISO rating 28, 48 sunrise 91 printer
sunset 96 inks 178
J lines inkjet 178
jacket, waterproof/windproof converging 70 resolution 179
20 diagonal 66 speed 179
JPEG 21 horizontal 66 print on demand 180–181
jungles and forests 144 vertical 66
locations & subjects 130– 165 R
K RAW 21, 50
keywording 170, 174 M reflections 149, 150
software 174 magic moment 96 repetition of subject 70
kit (equipment) 12 maps and books 23 researching locations 23
meaning, adding 75 rivers and lakes 148
L medium format 15 Rowell, Galen 80
landscape, people in 162 memory cards 167 Rule of Thirds 60
landscapes metadata, adding 169
abstract 62, 128 Micro Four Thirds 15 S
laptop computer 167, 168 midday 94 sand
large format 15 moonlight 104 exposure to 140
lens moon, photographing 45 patterns 141
choice 32 mountain light 133 scale, sense of 153, 163
flare, avoiding 91 mountains and hills 132, 134 secondary colors 108
Lensbaby 16 music/soundtrack, adding 185 shapes and patterns 64, 68
lenses sharpness, ultimate 34
extreme telephoto 16 N shutter speed 28, 40, 46, 47
standard 16 night 104 equation 42
telephoto 16 noise 49, 105 fast 42
tilt-shift 17 slow 44, 122

social media 182–183 W
slideshows, making 184 Watkins, Carleton 8
SmugMug 183 water
spirit level, hotshoe 19 blurring 153
squares and rectangles 64 moving 137
standard lens 16 photographing 148
Super Red Green Blue (sRGB) reflections 149
22 shapes 152, 153
star trails 104 waterfall 42, 152
sunny 16 rule 41 web site, creating 182
sunrise 90, 92 web sites 182–183
sunrise/sunset weather 24
calculator 91 forecasts 136
times 24 white balance 111
sunset 96, 98 wide-angle lens 16
workflow
T at home 172
telephoto lens 16 digital 164–175
extreme 16 in the field 166
temperatures, extreme 140
tertiary colors 108 Y
third dimension 70, 72, 149 Ying and Yang 41
tide times 24, 136
tilt-shift lens 17
trees 160
triangles 64
tripod 132
ball head 17
carbon fiber 17
heads 17
leg lock mechanism 17
maximum working height
17
weight and rigidity 17
tripods 17
twilight 100, 102
Twitter 183
U
ultra-wide-angle lens 16
underexposure 146
V
vertical lines 66
visual balance 117, 162

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Landscape

THE EXPANDED GUIDE > TECHNIQUES

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 3 28/7/11 10:13:43

Text © AE Publications Ltd, 2011

All rights reserved

The right of Steve Watkins to be identified as the author of this

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

The publishers and author can accept no legal responsibility for

Series Editor: Richard Wiles

Chapter 6 Color 106

Chapter 7 Creativity 120

Chapter 8 Locations & subjects 130

Chapter 9 Digital workflow 164

Chapter 10 Using your images 176

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 5 28/7/11 10:13:44

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LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 11 2/8/11 09:46:52

Kits for every budget

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 12 28/7/11 10:13:52

The Expanded Guide 13

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LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 14 28/7/11 10:13:53

The Expanded Guide 15

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CANON EF 300MM F/2.8L IS II USM LENS

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The Expanded Guide 17

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HARD OR SOFT ND GRADS?

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 18 28/7/11 10:13:54

There are a few extra accessories that are very

REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE CORD

The Expanded Guide 19

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH1+2 1-25.indd 19 2/8/11 17:20:54

Waterproof clothing Footwear

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The Expanded Guide 21

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SRGB VS ADOBE RGB

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The Expanded Guide 23

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Weather Sunrise/Sunset times

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The Expanded Guide 25

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LIGHT LAYERS (Right)

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f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16

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The Expanded Guide 31

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH3 26-55.indd 31 2/8/11 17:21:59

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH3 26-55.indd 32 28/7/11 10:16:28

The Expanded Guide 33

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HOW TO ACHIEVE ULTIMATE SHARPNESS

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY CH3 26-55.indd 34 2/8/11 17:22:01

The Expanded Guide 35

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Exposure mode: Manual

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Exposure mode: Manual