Landscape Photography

“A good photograph is knowing where to stand”.
Ansel Adams

Very true! Think it over. How many times have you got out from your car after seeing a nice scene and photographed the scene from somewhere near the car? Landscape photography is something different from, other having its own unique techniques and skills. Herein lies the first rule for landscape photography – you don’t start taking pictures as soon as you see a nice-looking scene.

What you should do is always move around the subject, and search which is a better shooting position for your camera? Have these questions in your mind, would a high-angle shot be better or would a low-angle shot do more justice? Most people are satisfied shooting at eye level, including me in my first days but remember, your photos show something different from those of other people. In fact there’s a saying that if 10 photographers are standing in a line, you can make out the good photographers –their pants would be soiled at the knees! They are the ones who go down on their knees in order to get a very low angle shot!

The next in line is the selection of the lens. You should think over again. How many times have you picked up your camera to shoot a scene, paying no consideration to the selection of the lens? Most photographers attach a zoom lens and shoot, varying the focal length to suit the composition. Here what is important is to create the right perspective. Perspective, or the size relationship between the various elements in the scene, is determined by the selection of the lens and the position of the lens in relation to the subject. This is done by varying the distance between the lens and the foreground subject, and not by varying the focal length while being at the same spot.
Note: It is incorrect to say that perspective is controlled by the lens, though it plays an important part. Perspective is primarily controlled by the position of the lens (where it is placed) in relation to the subject, and when combined with a wide-angle lens, for example, can create an exaggerated perspective.

Here’s a simple solution to know which lens should be used: This is an old technique used for learning purpose. Make a cutout of 1 x 1.5-inches (that is the approximate frame size of 35mm format) at the center of a 5 x 7-inch black cardboard. Hold it next to your eye and through the cutout, look at the scene. Vary the distance between the eye and the card till you are satisfied with the scene coverage. Now check the distance. If it is 2-inches for example, you must use a 2-inch lens (that’s 50mm). If it is 1-inch, use a 24mm lens (1-inch is 25.4mm).

And here is my take on using ultra wide angle lenses for landscapes. When you look through such lenses, the vast expanse you cover will thrill you, but sometimes you may disappointed when you get the prints. Why does that happen? Consider this. Let us say that your wide-angle lens is covering approximately 650 x 1000 feet. When it comes to the print, you make a 5 x 7-inch print or somewhere in that size. You are compressing the 1000 feet to 7 inches! How do you expect to see the details that your eye saw when you photographed the scene? The solution is to make large prints when you shoot a scene using a wide-angle lens – the larger the better.

As a beginner how do you know which scene will create an impact? Ansel Adam said, “In my mind’s eye, I visualize how a particular... sight and feeling will appear on a print. If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph. It is an intuitive sense, an ability that comes from a lot of practice”. That’s right. Practice makes a man perfect they say. It’s only after you shoot regularly and make prints regularly, can you be in a position to ‘feel’ the print even before making it. So what are the key points to remember in your mind in creating a good landscape? Good composition, natural-looking colors, effective control over depth of field, crisp sharp images (there are exceptions to the rule), and a good presentation all make up towards a good landscape. There is one aspect of composition that I would like to super emphasize. And that is the Focal Point.
THE THIRD DIMENSION AND FOCAL POINT

Remember, a photograph has only two dimensions –width and height, but we see in three dimensions—width, height, and depth. Hence we need to visually create that third dimension of depth, which is lacking in a photograph. To create a striking landscape with an illusion of depth, we need to have a focal point (a foreground element where you want the viewer to concentrate his attention), further straightened by having a mid-ground, and a background. A landscape having only a background (without an interesting foreground and mid-ground), is not a landscape—it is only a backdrop! Focus critically on the foreground element (don’t focus at infinity as most people do), and then use a suitable aperture to create the needed depth of field. Let us now consider some other important guidelines.

CONTROLLING DEPTH OF FIELD

When we scan a scene, our eyes change focus instantly, and hence we see everything sharp. A camera lens, on the other hand, is a mechanical device that does not have this natural ability. A lens resolves sharp detail only at the point it is focused at. Everything else is relatively blurred. Even then, we perceive a certain range of receding blurriness as acceptably sharp. That zone of acceptable sharpness is what we call the depth of field. When we photograph a landscape, we generally try to keep all the elements in it as sharp as possible (the way our eyes see it). To do that we ‘stop down’ the lens, that is, use a narrower aperture (like f/11 or f/16). Please note that using a very small aperture could cause loss of sharpness due to diffraction of light. Depth of field can be used creatively too. Instead of keeping everything sharp in a landscape image, we can select an eye-catching element in the scene, focus on it as critically as possible, and then use a wider aperture (like f/4 or f/2.8). This will keep the focused object sharp and throw everything else out of focus. This technique, known as Selective Focus, isolates the main subject and makes it stand out.

ONE PRINCIPAL POINT OF INTEREST There should be one principal point of interest, and everything else should be subservient to it. Observe this picture . Which is the main element in the picture? The walking couple or the fallen tree? Both these elements compete for attention. Also, green trees in the left of the picture are disturbing.

LEADING-IN LINES
We need to draw the viewer’s attention into the picture. This can be done using ‘S’ curves, ‘C’ curves, diagonal lines, a path, a row of stones, a fence leading into the picture, or anything else that pulls viewer attention into the picture.

RULE OF THE THIRDS

1) Center of Interest: Generally speaking, the center of interest should not be in the center of the picture (exception being extreme closeups). If you were to divide a frame into three equal parts (horizontally and vertically), then the four points of intersection are considered as the strong points. In the picture below, the most prominent part of the subject is placed at one of the intersecting points and not at the center.

b) Horizons: As a rule, horizon should not divide a picture in two equal parts. If there is drama in the sky, keep two-thirds for the sky and one-third for the foreground. If there is drama in the foreground, keep two-thirds for the foreground and one-third for the sky. A low horizon suggests spaciousness; a high horizon suggests closeness to the foreground. In the picture above, the horizon line divides the picture into two more or less equal halves. Thus neither half commands full attention. By cropping the sky as shown above, the foreground commands more attention than the sky and clouds.

DON'T BLOCK THE VISUAL ENTRY Look at the two sketches. Decide which one is visually inviting you in? The open gate says “come in”. The closed gate says “no entry”. The closed gate is a visual block. Besides the key compositional points noted above, here are some general guidelines:

Get the optimum image quality out of your equipment.

This means using high-end lenses, high-to-medium-end camera bodies, a sturdy, well-engineered tripod with a high-end ball-head (or pan-and-tilt head if you prefer).

Lenses: Spend the maximum you can afford on top-notch lenses (and not on camera bodies, but we’ll come to that in a moment). Today’s high-resolution bodies demand high-end lenses. The limiting factor today is the glass, not the imaging sensor! Don’t expect stunning results if you place a beer bottle in front of your camera body!

Camera Bodies: I didn’t say camera bodies are not important. But more important are the lenses! Most folks buy high-end camera bodies and couple them with a low-end lenses. It should be the other way around.

Tripod: There is no legitimate excuse for not using a tripod for landscape photography. Photography is a serious business but if you are not serious about what you are doing, opt for some other hobby. (Yes, I can already hear the moaning and whining). I agree,

without a shadow of doubt, carrying a tripod is a pain in the pajamas. Setting it up time and again only adds to the woes. No pain, no gain! Remember also, the higher the pixel count of your camera, the steadier the camera support needs to be. The amount of camera movement that a 6-megapixel D-SLR can tolerate for example, is not the same that a 12-megapixel model can tolerate; the amount of camera movement that a 12-megapixel D-SLR can tolerate is not the same that a 20+ megapixel camera can tolerate. If you want the ultimate in image quality from your high-end camera, you need to use a high-end lens and the combination should a rock-solid during exposure.

SHOOT DURING GOLDEN HOUR
For the best quality of available light, shoot during the golden hour (early morning and late evening). if you are the type who does not want to get up early in the morning and stay up late after sunset, landscape photography is not for you.

DON'T AVOID INCLEMENT WEATHER
Sometimes, the best landscapes are photographed during bad weather. The general tendency is to stay at home when the weather turns bad, but remember, fortune favors the brave! I am not saying that if a hurricane is expected to rip through, that you go out and photograph (some people do even that). What I mean is that you could consider taking calculated risks.

SHOULD PEOPLE BE INCLUDED?
There is no fixed rule that says you can or cannot include people in landscapes,though some big names in landscape photography (Ansel Adams for example) did not include human elements. Personally speaking, I like to include the human element in my landscapes when possible—it sort of gives ‘life’ to the landscape. It also provides a sense of scale.
Note: The human element should be subservient and not the principle subject. The principle subject should be the landscape.

Observe this picture properly. Now imagine the same picture, but without the man standing on the cliff edge. You will immediately feel that something is amiss. The man, so to say, provides ‘life’ to the picture, and also provides a sense of scale. Tom@photographyforall.ie