Landscape places. Landscape photography: how to find the best locations. About panoramic shooting

Among the wide range of optics that may now be in the arsenal of photography enthusiasts, a special place belongs to fisheye lenses. They are quite different from other lenses, and the need for their application in practice raises questions for many. What are the main features of such optics? Where and how best to use it? Let's talk about this in more detail.

"Fishye"

A fisheye or fish-eye is an ultra-wide angle lens that approaches 180 degrees or more. Fishye gives the photographer the opportunity to capture as much space in the frame as possible. This is optics with a fixed focal length, its main distinguishing feature is the presence of strong distortion, which would be perceived as a disadvantage with any other lens. However, in the case of the fisheye, things are a little different. Its main disadvantage, when used correctly during shooting, turns into the main feature of the lens.

There are the following types of lenses:

Circular - the picture in the final frame does not occupy the entire area, but fits tightly into the circle. Such optics have an angle of view close to 180 degrees in any direction, which makes it possible to obtain, in particular, photographs of the entire visible part of the sky.
Diagonal - here, on the contrary, the frame fits into the circular image.

It is worth noting that this division is to some extent conditional, since "cropped" DSLRs are very popular today, in which the size of the sensor is smaller than the size of the film frame. Accordingly, the circular fisheye on the crop will already be similar to the diagonal one - the area of \u200b\u200bthe frame will be almost completely occupied by the picture.

Features:

The ability to capture as much space in the frame as possible, of course, opens up a wide scope for taking interesting, unusual pictures. The photographer doesn't need to step back to get a good shot, and you can crop without any problems. Unfortunately, this obvious advantage of the fish-eye has a downside.

FR 8mm F3.5, ISO 1600, 1 / 13c (Nikon D7100)

A characteristic feature of such lenses is a strong negative distortion, which leads to image distortion. Straight lines are bent towards the edge of the frame, while the further the straight line is from the center of the frame and the longer it is, the more curved the line will be in the frame. In particular, a straight horizon line in a photograph may generally look like a semicircle. However, for experienced photographers who approach the shooting process with creative imagination and ingenuity, distortion of straight lines is not a big problem. On the contrary, this phenomenon is used to their advantage in such a way that strong distortions become part of a certain design. But beginners will certainly have to adapt to the peculiarities of the optics.

Negative distortion in fisheye lenses is intentional. The fact is that a lens with a wide viewing angle of 100 - 120 degrees leaves lines straight, but very strong distortions appear along the edges of the frame. For example, slender people at the edges of the frame appear obese and massive. In addition, perspective distortion occurs - the background looks much farther in the photo than it actually is. To compensate for the aforementioned disadvantages, negative distortion is introduced into the fisheye lenses, increasing the magnification in the center of the frame. Straight lines are distorted, the center "protrudes", but the proportions of the photographed objects remain closer to reality.

Application

The use of "fisheye" during shooting has its own specifics. In particular, the depth of field even at an open aperture will be in the range from half a meter to infinity. In addition, when looking through the viewfinder, the photographed objects will be seen slightly in the distance than they actually are. Due to the wide angle of view, the photographer's hand, feet or a tripod can easily get into the frame made with the use of “fisheye”. So you should be especially careful.

It is clear that fisheye is not suitable for subject, reportage or portrait photography for objective reasons, even if you show all your imagination. But such a lens is often used for photographing extreme outdoor sports such as skateboarding or BMX bike stunts. You can safely remove from close range and the street athlete himself, and the architecture, and the people gathered at the event.

Another area of \u200b\u200bfisheye application is architectural and interior photography. In particular, fisheye can be useful when photographing small, narrow spaces such as a bathroom or hallway. It is enough to make two or three frames, and then glue them together using software. Then, distortion will no longer be noticeable in the final photo, and the entire space of the room will be captured in the frame. Fisheye is also very relevant for architectural photography. Here you can give free rein to your imagination and shoot familiar city buildings in the most unusual way, using the distortions inherent in this lens.

By the way, various software tools today significantly expand the capabilities of such lenses. No wonder the “fisheye” is in great demand when creating spherical and virtual 3D panoramas. The photographer's task here is only to take a detailed picture of everything around him, and then combine the individual frames in the program. With a fisheye, this task is really much easier to solve, because if you take an 8 mm fisheye, then for full coverage you will need to make only 4 - 5 frames. It is so easy to get a great 360-degree panorama.

If you've added a fisheye lens to your arsenal, don't be afraid to experiment. Try to analyze the results obtained in order to master the use of the lens in practice and learn how to benefit from the disadvantages of the "fishy".

Before this post, I only wrote about travel, but today I will break the tradition and share with the readers of LiveJournal a short article about landscape photography that I wrote for one of the photojournalists.
I didn't explain in detail all the nuances and load with photo terms, so I explained in simple language what aspects should be taken into account in the process of shooting and in preparation for it.

The landscape theme is closest to me, so in my article I want to talk about shooting in this genre.
I must say right away that I have never studied this craft anywhere, I do not have a diploma of a graduate of a photography school. Everything came by itself. I bought my first DSLR camera three and a half years ago, so I still use it. During this time, I managed to make several dozen good shots and write over 50 photo reports. Someone even thinks that I manage to shoot masterpieces, but from the outside, they probably know better.

Unfortunately, I still do not have many opportunities and free time for travel, but at the first opportunity I try to break out of the web of everyday life somewhere far from the city into nature, taking a camera with me. First of all, I am going to relax my soul, unload emotionally and be distracted. In my head I have no thoughts at all costs to shoot a masterpiece, rather, on the contrary, it seems to me that before that I had already given out the maximum of my capabilities and a better shot than I have never been before.
Very often we travel with the whole family or with friends ...

The childhood spent in the summer in the village, apparently, left an imprint on my mind, so I shoot many of my landscapes in the Russian outback. I really like the grandeur and diversity of Russian nature, extraordinary beauty monuments of wooden architecture, remote and half-abandoned villages and rickety huts and fences familiar to every Russian person ...
These pictures really impress me!

Professionals, on the other hand, believe that the landscape genre does not quite fit many of my photographs: some sites, as well as the organizers of most photo contests, list my photographs in the "architecture" or "cultural heritage" section. But I photograph what is close to me and pleases the eye, and it doesn't matter to me what genre it is called. I would call my works simply "Photos for the Soul".

To the traditional question: "How is this filmed?" you can argue for a long time and in detail, but in the format of this publication I would like to briefly go over the main points that allow me to take good photos.

Preparing to shoot

I did not take any more or less decent shot by accident. All my trips and short excursions are well planned and prepared ...
In my opinion, the most important aspect in landscape photography is the choice of the location (the so-called location). You can take as many pictures of the beautiful view of the park from the window as you like, trample the shore of a nearby lake in search of the perfect shot, or shoot the sunset by the nearby grove. You may be able to do a few good photos, but you will receive the most beautiful works only by moving in time and space.

IN school years I was seriously involved in orienteering, I took part in all-Russian and international competitions, along the way I was also involved in tourism, so I am relatively well versed in maps. This helps me a lot in choosing a location and preparing a route. I would even say that studying maps and terrain is a hobby accompanying photography.
The current possibilities of the Internet are truly endless, so all ideas are born after studying information from the worldwide network.

On Google maps, Google Earth, Wikimapia, Panoramio (ordered to live long) - I look at photos and unique places from satellites. On many roads, by the way, in Google maps, you can "ride" in a virtual machine and first monitor the surroundings. I look for interesting notes and articles on popular websites, travel forums, and networks. There is a lot of information about the monuments of wooden architecture on the site Sobors.ru. I would also like to mention reserves, national and natural parks. These territories, by definition, should be of interest to landscape painters. I put all the information received together and get the best route.

To get to some locations, you sometimes have to provide additional means of transportation, such as a boat, bike or skis.
If possible, it is better to visit the object before shooting, conduct reconnaissance and "try on" the angles - it will not be superfluous.
I visit both the sites of "pilgrimage" of photographers, and places where photographers have not yet reached. I like the second option much more, since the output is often an unexpectedly pleasant result and always a unique picture. In those areas where tens or hundreds of frames have already been taken before me, I try to approach the shooting outside the box and bring something of my own into the picture.

Timing for shooting

This is the second point I would like to talk about. Most of my shots I take during the so-called "regime" time: about an hour after dawn and an hour before sunset. Soft and warm light adds richness and color to the picture and details the texture of objects. The transitions between bright and dark areas are smoother.
In addition, in the morning and (less often) in the evening, fogs are likely to form, which emphasize the depth of the image, beautifully scatter light and blur the contours of objects, making photographs more mysterious and fabulous.

Naturally, it is important to understand where the light source will be at the moment of shooting. To do this, on the Internet I look exact time sunrise-sunset, and then, focusing on the sides of the horizon, I superimpose the direction of movement of the sun on the map.
Well, and of course the most important thing is the weather.
When the chosen shooting point is not far away, you just need to look outside the window and at the forecasters' promises in the phone. And if you have to travel for a long time, then I get acquainted with the forecast in at least three sources and look at the estimated map of the movement of atmospheric fronts. It helps to correct the route in the direction of travel.
Having analyzed the aforementioned moments, I already have in my head a clear movement schedule and approximate pictures, which will later appear on the matrix of my camera. I must say that it is almost always possible to carry out what was planned, but in some places you have to return again ...

Technical component

I shoot with Sony A65 and three lenses: Sony CZ16-80, Minolta 70-300, Samyang 8mm. There is also a portrait fix Sony SAL-50F18.
The first lens is universal, I shoot about 80% of all shots with it. It has excellent sharpness and color rendering.
I do landscape shots mainly at aperture covered up to f / 8 - f / 13 (this provides maximum sharpness throughout the frame) with the lowest possible ISO value in auto focus mode (not always). All these parameters, including shutter speed, are set in manual mode. If there is a need to get beautiful rays from the sun in the frame, you can cover the aperture and more.
I write the frame to a memory card in jpg and raw format, and I only need the second one for safety net, if I suddenly have to draw out shadows or lights. Information is recovered from shadows much better than from overexposed areas, so most often I shoot a landscape with underexposure.

Many photographers will forgive me, but I rarely use a tripod. It is clear that at night, in low light conditions, etc. conditions without it anywhere. But during the working hours, the light changes rapidly and, as a rule, I have enough of it. Sometimes you even have to jog from one shooting point to another in order not to miss the moment. But I love to run and extra charge never hurts :) The tripod in this situation significantly reduces the efficiency. Sometimes I shoot with exposure bracketing, but even here I usually don't need a tripod. Even panoramic shots in 90% of cases I do hand-held.

About panoramic shooting

I do some of my work using the panoramic technique - stitching several frames taken from one point with overlay. In the final version, such pictures look like quite ordinary ones. And the point here is not at all a desire to shoot scenes for posters or to get outrageous pixels, just a panorama gives volume, depth and sharpness to the entire frame, allows the viewer to direct the viewer's gaze from the foreground to the middle and background, create the effect of being in the frame, and of course it gives wider coverage.

I really like photos with interesting foregrounds, so I try to start with this frame (be it a panorama or a single shot). You can use stones, flowers, leaves, etc. as a foreground. If there is nothing to catch your eye, you can improvise, bringing, for example, some snag.

Treatment

I do post-processing in Photoshop Ps5. I mainly manage shadows, highlights, contrast, saturation, apply filters and sometimes the technology of expanding the dynamic range of the image (HDR). I do not welcome photo collages. I also stitch panoramas in Photoshop, mostly in automatic mode... I refine the inconsistencies and geometry with my hands.
It should be noted that the use of a photo editor allows you to improve the frame, but the source must be made with high quality. If the snapshot did not work out frankly, then no editor will make any trip out of it.

I am critical of many of my staff. It so happens that at the moment of shooting you lose sight of some moments, but you simply neglect some nuances. After some time, you begin to understand that you could have removed better.
That, in short, is all. But maybe I missed something.

Summarizing all of the above, I want to say the following: if you are into photography, do it with heart, be creative and improve your skills. Choose a shooting location responsibly, plan your route, study the weather ...

I wish you all good luck, interesting travels and beautiful memorable shots!

35321 Improving knowledge 0

Landscape photography can be divided into several components, the main of which are landscape photography and cityscape. The first part of our tutorial will focus on landscape photography.

Shooting landscapes is one of the most difficult and problematic areas of photography. I will say that for me, an experienced photographer, landscape photography still causes difficulties. It's not that difficult from a technical point of view - just have a tripod, a wide-angle lens and pay more attention to exposure. So what makes this kind of photography so challenging?

First of all, you need to be creative when shooting a landscape in order to be able to capture the mood and convey it to the viewer. If the technical side of the issue can be described, then regarding the creative component of photography can only be advised - you need to develop your vision of truly unique pictures.

Equipment

Let's start with the simplest. Which lens should you choose? While great photos can be obtained with any lens, it is preferable to use wide-angle lenses. They allow you to capture the space of a landscape, emphasizing perspective, which adds depth to the image. If you are using DSLR camera from APS-C sensor, then pay attention to the wide-angle with FR 10-20mm; for full-frame cameras there is a choice of lenses with 12-24 mm, 16-35 mm, 17-40 mm AF. The zoom lens is comfortable to operate, however best quality will provide fixed focal length lenses. In the range of EGF 12-24, a wide viewing angle is provided, while 16-35 and 17-40 provide a much smaller viewing angle, but they provide less optical distortion, especially at the corners of the image. The use of ultra-wide-angle lenses and a fisheye lens will make pictures more expressive and original. But it won't be interesting to shoot all shots only with “fishy”, so it is good as an addition to the main lens.

When shooting landscapes, small apertures are almost always used to obtain a large depth of field: usually f / 11 - f / 16. It is recommended to avoid very small apertures such as f / 32 as this will degrade image quality due to diffraction (an effect that reduces image sharpness and contrast).

When shooting landscapes, only manual focus should be used, especially when shooting subjects in the foreground close to the camera.

ISO sensitivity must be set to the lowest that the camera allows, usually ISO 100-200. It is not recommended to use the ISO 50 extension, which is available as an option in some cameras, due to the reduced dynamic range. Shooting at ISO 100, the image will be virtually noise-free, with a wide dynamic range and excellent image quality, which can be sharpened during processing without the fear of loud noise. Exposure: As you can imagine, the combination of a small aperture and low ISO values \u200b\u200bwill give a long exposure. Depending on the light conditions, the shutter speed can be from a fraction of a second (1/250 or 1/500) to several seconds or even minutes.

If you are seriously interested in landscape photography, then you must understand the need to use a tripod. A tripod is a key element for delivering sharp, detailed shots, especially at long exposures. Moreover, the tripod allows you to carefully choose and think over the composition. Using a tripod, it is possible to use a special technique that allows you to take stunning pictures: at sunrise or sunset, take a couple of shots of the same scene - the first exposure to the sky, the second to the foreground, then combine them - you get an original shot with the widest dynamic range. When shooting handheld, it will be impossible to shoot two absolutely identical shots.

It is recommended to use filters - polarizing, and for landscape photography. UV and safety filters are useless as they can reduce image quality, reduce sharpness, and increase the likelihood of glare. When choosing filters, it is important to take into account that their use on ultra-wide-angle lenses (18 mm or less) can lead to the undesirable effect of uneven illumination of the frame and vignetting.

Preparing to shoot

In many ways, the success of your photography depends on how well you prepare for it. You need to think carefully about what might interfere with filming or make you return. The more possible nuances you consider, the more likely you are to focus entirely on shooting. Solve organizational issues: how will you get to the shooting location, where you will stop. If you are not planning to stay overnight, you still need to consider the option of overnight stay - you may not calculate the time, circumstances may change.

Dress in a way that your clothes and shoes are comfortable. Take an umbrella or hooded jacket with you. Consider protecting your vehicle in case of heavy rainfall. A flashlight should be at hand. However, try to get out of the forest or mountains before dark, since spending the night there is not the best the best way... Get a map of the area, be guided by it and by objects that cannot be confused. It's a good idea to have a compass at your disposal.

Don't forget to bring food and water with you. It is better not to go to distant and deserted places alone. Make sure that the account mobile phone there was money and his battery was fully charged. If you go by car, check the "spare tire", fill the tank with gasoline, do not leave in a faulty car. Tell your friends, relatives exactly where you are going (going) and the orienteering time when you will return.

Check camera settings, battery charge, and memory card space before shooting. It is optimal to shoot in RAW by setting the white balance setting to auto, then you will select the desired balance in the converter. With different white balance settings, you can provide more attractive color reproduction.

Shine

Light is an essential element in landscape photography. The right light can transform even a nondescript subject, and the wrong light can ruin even the best scene. Interestingly, many aspiring photographers believe that a clear sunny day and clear sky are great conditions for shooting - but this is not the case - these are the worst conditions you can imagine for shooting landscapes. The best light is not the bright midday light, but the soft light of sunrise or sunset. Shadows are crisp, colors are warm, rich and pleasing to the eye. Experienced photographers call this time.

It is necessary to get up early and go to bed later to capture the landscape in this light, but the result is worth it. Sometimes, fantastic pictures can be taken even before the sun rises - it is quite possible to take beautiful landscape pictures even at night. Whenever possible, capture the moon to make it more interesting.

If you don't have the ability or desire to wait for sunset or sunrise, shoot at noon is another strategy for getting better lighting... If the sky is cloudless, try to exclude it from the frame as much as possible and, conversely, if the clouds form an intricate pattern, be sure to make the sky part of the composition. In this case, a polarizing filter will help to emphasize the contrast between clouds and sky and make colors more saturated.

Another opportunity to get great shot - black and white frame. Even in low light, a photo can be captured perfectly by converting it to black and white, but not all shots will benefit from “discoloration”. In black and white, shots that are saturated with textures, edges and other contrasting elements clearly benefit, while others can look "flat". In any case, do not disdain to experiment with contrast when post-processing in a graphics editor (not in-camera!).

Shooting at midday, sunset or sunrise is not the only time a photographer can take a good shot. Even when the sky is overcast or in a pouring rain, you can get a great shot. Clouds and stormy skies will add the appropriate mood to the photo, allow you to give landscapes an unusual look.

Mood

The same places can look very different. Weather, time of day, and many other factors affect the environment - it is never the same.

The two pictures show the same waterfall. The first photo was taken in summer, on a sunny day - the waterfall is almost invisible, and the light is not very pleasant. In short, this is a typical photo taken by a typical tourist. The second photo was taken on a day when no one would have thought to visit this waterfall. A cold autumn day, fog and rainy weather, which intensified the waterfall, filled the picture with mood - it is mesmerizing.

Do not be afraid to shoot in the rain or snow - professional lenses and cameras are dust and moisture resistant (you can find out from the description of your photographic equipment), and even if not, you can get 100% moisture protection by purchasing a special plastic or polyethylene cover.

Use a gradient filter to reduce the brightness of the cloudy, colorless sky and the appearance of the cloud texture. This will add dimension to your shot. When you turn on the blue sky fragments in the break of the clouds, the effect of the gradient filter on them will be equivalent to the action of the polarizing filter.

Seasons

Each season gives the photographer its own gifts, so don't put off shooting the landscape just for your summer vacation.

SHOOTING IN AUTUMN, IN PASSMODY WEATHER
When photographing rain, it is necessary to strongly aperture the lens in order to shoot with long exposure. In this case, raindrops will appear in the form of stripes, which will create the impression of rainy weather in the picture. You just need to make sure that no rain drops on the lens. Drops will result in blurred images.

Spectacular landscapes can be shot in foggy weather. The foggy impression can be enhanced by placing a rare silk mesh in front of the lens. To convey the depth of space, some dark object must be placed in the foreground.

WINTER LANDSCAPE
On bright, sunny days, the contrast of the landscape is very high, which is caused by the combination of dazzling highlights in the snow and, say, dark trees, especially conifers.

It is better to photograph a winter landscape in the morning or in the evening, when the oblique rays of the sun create elongated shadows - this enlivens the composition and well emphasizes the texture of the snow.

The snow in the winter shot should be well defined. Therefore, when photographing a landscape in which snow takes up most of the frame, exposure is determined by measuring the brightness of the snow. If the snow and dark objects in the subject are of equal visual quality, the exposure is determined by their average brightness, but taking into account more detail in the snow compared to dark objects.

Composition

1. Rule of thirds

Good composition is an essential part of landscape photography, but it is also the most difficult task. There are a few "rules" to help you improve your composition, but you must constantly develop your "creative" eye to get decent shots.

The most common mistake aspiring photographers are placing the horizon line in the center of the frame - resulting in a static and unbalanced image. The first step in improving composition is shooting the landscape according to the rule of thirds. We have already considered it in our previous tutorials on composition, but it will not be superfluous to recall it. It's very simple - mentally divide the frame into three parts horizontally. And shoot in proportions 1/3 foreground, 2/3 sky or vice versa - 2/3 foreground, and 1/3 sky. In other words, create an asymmetrical composition.

Naturally, the rule of thirds will not be a panacea for all photographs, but you must remember about it.

2. Foreground and perspective

One of the most effective ways to create a strong composition is to use a wide angle of view and place an object (flower, stone, etc.) in the foreground.This object, combined with a wide-angle enhanced perspective, will give a sense of depth.

The depth of field must contain all objects. Therefore, it is recommended to set the aperture values \u200b\u200bf / 11 or f / 16.

3. Other elements of the composition

There are many elements in nature that help create an expressive composition - the diagonals are the most influential of these. Use diagonal lines to draw the viewer's attention to the subject. If you take a closer look, you will see that everything around is subordinated to some guides. Look for guidelines and try to fit them into the composition.

Patterns (repeating shapes) and textures are other elements in the composition. It is not easy to see natural patterns in nature, but various textures are common: small particles of sand, tree bark, stones and many more interesting objects will help make the picture more interesting.

The main thing in the frame

Determine what will be the main thing in the frame. It can be a lonely tree, rock, mountain, picturesque forest, slope, road. Using the composition grid on the LCD screen (in the viewfinder), divide the frame into thirds and position the main subject at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal grid lines.

Try to make sure that there are three shots in the picture: foreground, middle and far - this will make the landscape look more voluminous, and the space will be better conveyed. The foreground should be drawn clearly, in detail, the background may well be blurred, hidden by atmospheric haze.

Try not to make the landscape "empty". It is better to fill the empty space, if possible. In the sky, this filler can be clouds. In the foreground are shrubs, tall grass, stones, leaves, branches, animals.

Don't try to put everything you see in one frame at once, get rid of the random and monotonous space that inexpressively fills most of the frame - water, sky, foliage. Leave only the most important, beautiful and interesting. Look for open spaces in the forest.

Too dense foliage, branches create variegation, small highlights and very thick shadows that look like "black dips" in the photograph - such pictures look worse than a carefully thought-out composition.

If you can't find the fill, crop the image to highlight the more interesting part of the landscape. You can walk a little and take different shots - straight or at an angle, from the bottom point. Climb a hill, a slide, any structure - from there you can take a multi-dimensional spatial panoramic photo.
When choosing a subject, look for the main element of the landscape to be accentuated, as well as the way in which the environment will emphasize and complement it. When composing the shot, make sure that the subject fits harmoniously with the subject. For example, a tree should not grow from the bottom of the frame - leave some space at the bottom; don't cut off the top of the mountain, leave some "air".

When photographing a landscape, always pay attention to the fragments, because it is not at all necessary to shoot only general shots. A close look can highlight interesting parts of the landscape, beautiful and expressive details. But do not get carried away with strong zooming - here you need to preserve the integrity of the fragment, otherwise the picture will turn out to be torn from general plan an abstract piece devoid of meaning.

Panorama

Finally, practice taking panoramas. Several rules should be followed here. All future shots of your panorama should have the same scale of the subject, so do not focus closer or further than it. The aperture value should be kept constant. The frames need to be done with some overlap. Otherwise, due to the lack of information at the edges of the frames, the program for stitching panoramas will not be able to collect the final image.

You can use the bracketing function in your camera to avoid exposure errors.

Shooting water

If it is necessary to photograph water covered with ripples or a small wave, then it is removed with counter-lateral illumination at an angle of 35-45 ° to the optical axis of the lens.

Water against the light is photographed when rays from the sun, hidden by a cloud, strike the water, creating expressive shiny stripes. But care must be taken to keep the sun out of the field of view of the lens.

It is better to shoot the sea from a high point. Then the water space takes up a significant part of the frame, the photo is more expressive.

Surf is usually photographed from a low point with a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 s.

It is better to shoot flowing water with a short shutter speed. In this case, there is a slight blurring of the image, which creates the impression of water movement.

Mountain landscape

In the mountains, it is best to shoot early in the morning. During these hours, the air is transmitted most effectively. Cloudy weather also contributes to more expressive pictures.

On sunny days, the subject should be chosen with a dark foreground, the brightness of which determines the exposure. In this case, the distance will be somewhat overexposed and will appear on the print lighter than the foreground, which will emphasize the depth of space, fill the landscape with a feeling of air and spaciousness.

Side lighting is considered the best, as it emphasizes the shape of the mountains, and the haze illuminated by oblique rays creates the impression of depth. When the sun is behind the camera, the image becomes flat. When - from the front, the picture is very contrasty, details, especially in the foreground, disappear.

Photographing a mountain landscape during the day with a high sun position brings out details in the image without sufficient contrast.

When determining the exposure, it is necessary to take into account that the intensity of solar illumination increases with altitude in the mountains, and it acquires a different character than on the plain. With height, there is a decrease in the brightness of the shadows and an increase in the brightness of the light areas of the landscape. Therefore, when shooting distance without a foreground, the shutter speed is reduced compared to shooting on flat terrain: at an altitude of 500 m by 1/4, 1000 m - by 1/2, 2000 m - by 3/4, 3000 m - by half.

To get glare on the surface of the glacier, you should photograph in backlight.

The main question of the topic: how to learn to see beautiful landscapes?

A beautiful landscape is based on the fact that the plot unites everything in the frame and subordinates the environment to a common idea - the author's thought, creating a certain mood, emotions, conclusions in the viewer.

I wish you success and everything photographic!

by Sophie Ouch

For many newbies, learning photography starts with mastering landscape photography. Perhaps this is due to the silence and slowness, which is conducive to a better mastery of technique, understanding of exposure in photography and mastering photography lessons on how to photograph correctly - the same landscape.

Photography lessons are varied, tips can be found for all tastes and backgrounds. But it has long been known that there is never enough information, it is never superfluous for neophytes, and "repetition is the mother of learning", so we remember the important thing!

Landscaping Tips, or How to Capture Nature Properly

1. Maximum use of depth of field

Marc adamus

Although photographers sometimes want to try more creative approaches and experiment with shallow depth of field, it is nevertheless considered a classic in landscape photography when most of the image is in focus. The easiest way to get a large DOF is to use the lowest aperture number available for your compact or lens. The smaller the aperture, the deeper the depth of field of the image.

Keep in mind, however, that a smaller aperture opening takes longer or a higher ISO. And sometimes both at the same time.

2. Use a tripod

Leif erik smith

An obligatory attribute in the arsenal of a landscape photographer is. You may need slow shutter speeds to compensate for the small aperture you choose, and thus additional camera stabilization. Not with every shutter speed, when shooting handheld, you can get technically perfect shots. Moreover, a tripod will be useful in the case when the photographer uses remote control to release the shutter.

3. Look for the semantic center of the composition

Mitchell Krog

Any photograph needs a visual center of composition. Landscape shots are no exception, because when shooting nature, the absence of a semantic point results in a boring and rather empty shot, in which, as they say, "the eye has nothing to catch on."

pkarwski

The focus can be anything - a building or structure, an interesting tree, a boulder or a mountain peak. Do not forget to only monitor not only the focus, but also where you have a significant object. The reference rule of thirds, although violated periodically, has not yet been canceled!

4. Think foreground

Daniel Řeřicha

One of the elements that helps your landscape to take place is the formed foreground. Place your meaning points on the front of the image and you can convey the depth of the image.

5. Don't forget to include the sky

Trevor cole

Another almost inseparable element of the answer to the question of how to shoot a landscape is the sky and its reflection in the water. The secret to landscape photography in most cases is that the sky or foreground dominates the image. Look at your images, if they are not, then most likely they are considered boring and of little interest.

Ryan Dyar

If during your photo session the sky turned out to be uninteresting, do not let it prevail - move the horizon line to the upper third of the picture, just make sure that the photo does not lose even more from this.

Andrei Baciu

But when the skyline is full of dramatic clouds or tinged with unusual hues, airspace can be your ally. Give him plenty of room in your picture and see how beneficial such a deviation from the rules can be.

Remember filters. Using polarizers can add color and contrast to a photograph.

6. Operate the lines!

myredcar

The most important question that landscape photographers usually ask themselves is: "Will the viewer see the picture in full, as I see it?"

There are many ways to capture the natural beauty of nature through static image capture. To do this, there is a technique with which active lines are included in the composition of the picture. At their expense, the photographer can redirect the viewer's gaze from one point of the frame to another, rather than create a kind of confinement of space, "looping".

The use of lines gives a certain algorithm and adds scale and dimension to the photographic image. The lines themselves can be a landmark and create your own "patterns" in the photo.

Danskie dijamco

7. Record the movement!

Most people when thinking about landscape photography tend to imagine a calm and passive picture. However, the landscape differs from the landscape, and you can convey movement (of the same water, for example), which will fill the picture with dynamics and create a mood that is interesting to many viewers who will enjoy admiring not only relaxing landscapes, but also considering the riot of elements and the fury of nature.

Andrea Pozzi

For example, try to "catch" the wind blowing in the trees, the movement of waves on the beach, the movement of the water flowing under the waterfall, to fix the dynamics of flying birds and floating clouds overhead.

Carol dorion

“Fix” means that the photographer must use slower shutter speeds (sometimes on the order of a few seconds). Of course, high shutter speeds will cause more light to enter the camera's photosensitive element, but for the correct use of this fact you have options: choose the aperture value or take photos at the beginning of the day or in the evening, when, in principle, there is less light outside.

8. Work in tandem with weather and time

The golden rule of landscape photography is: "A scene can change dramatically at any given time, depending on the weather."

Andrei Baciu

Many aspiring photographers tend to take a photo walk on a sunny day, because they think this is the best time to create photo masterpieces. In fact, a cloudy day or even a rainy and thunderous day, in addition to the possibility of getting your camera wet and your feet wet, gives you the broadest opportunity to get beautiful photos filled with mood and ominous overtones.

Bill church

How to shoot a landscape in this weather? Look for storms, winds, fog, dramatic clouds, sun through clouds on dark-dark skies, rainbows, sunsets and sunrises and work with these changes in weather and conditions, rather than wait for the next sunny day with a dull blue sky.

Greg Gibbs

And one more wonderful piece of advice from a professional landscape photographer: "Never shoot during the day. There can be no more boring photographs. Your golden time is at dawn or dusk. There is no better light when landscapes come to life."

9. Dithyrambs to the horizon

Christian bothner

Most old advice, but it is good because it does not lose its relevance today. Check the horizon line before finally pressing the camera shutter release.

It should not divide the frame clearly in half, it should not be tilted, it should not be completely absent from a landscape shot. Of course, there are rules to be broken, but in the case of the horizon, the rule of thirds works more clearly than ever.

Tramont_ana

10. Change your point of view!

Even when the vastness of unprecedented beauty is spreading before your eyes and it seems that it is enough just to raise the camera and a beautiful image will appear in it ... stop. And think about it. Look at the terrain through the lens, turn to one side and the other, change the angle, shift the horizon line, or try to include additional elements in the composition.

Auttapon Nunti

Do not rush to press the shutter button, you will always have time to do this when photographing the landscape!

Have you ever looked at pictures of good landscape photographers and wondered how they find such beautiful locations to shoot? Or maybe you want to go on a trip to take pictures and you are not sure if you will find the best locations?

You are not alone. It is necessary to work to find the best places for filming, and every landscape photographer goes through the process. The tips in this article will help you.

1. See landscape works others photographers

The first step to finding beautiful locations for landscape photography is to look at other photographers' work. You can find loads of 500px photographers on Instagram and Flickr, so it will be relatively easy to find those who have worked in the regions you think of.

Viewing other photographers' work helps you in two ways:

It will help you find the most iconic, popular and exciting filming locations.
This gives you an idea of \u200b\u200bthe potential of the place that is on your mind (for example, you are looking for a place to shoot long exposures or prefer to work in black and white).

Seeing local photographers is a good idea. Locals have a big advantage over tourists. They know the area better and are familiar with photogenic but relatively unfamiliar places. They may have lived there for many years and have created a significant base. Their portfolio contains photographs taken at different times of the year. All of these things help create an impression of the area and its potential for landscape photography.

I went through this process when I traveled in northern Spain last year. Looking at photos from local photographers helped me find locations like this one.

2. Go out and explore

Once you arrive, curiosity is your key to finding interesting subjects and places to photograph. If you've done your research, you already know the most iconic and popular places - they probably attracted you in the first place.

But what about other locations? Not so famous? You can only find out through research. It depends only on your desire to see what is around the next corner, or where that path will lead.

I took this photo while walking the path behind my parents' house. This is not a very well-known area, and you will have to try to find other photos taken here. Yes, she has great potential, and I was able to take such photos

3. Create list great places

When you look at the work of other photographers and read about landscape photography, you will learn about interesting places and locations.

I suggest that you make a list of those places that you would like to visit one day. The world is huge. And on the internet you can find out about a lot of places. If you don't take notes when you find something interesting, then you can simply forget about it and never find it again.

Over time, you can go back to the list and look again for the places that seem to you the most interesting. For example, you have the city of Venice on your list. Whenever you find interesting photo and a good article on photography in Venice, add them to your file. Then, when the time is right, you will have an almost ready-made study and an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat you want to get.

Make your list

Another approach is to create a list of places you would like to visit. Don't censor this list - these are ideas, not statements. You can then research them and take notes when you find useful information. This gives you time to think about how long it will take on the ground and how to fit it into your schedule. You can think about time and money, and gradually make plans.

Places on my list include the Torre del Paines mountains in Patagonia, the Italian Dolomites and the deserts of the southwestern United States. What are yours?

The Picos de Europa in northern Spain, where this photo was taken, was also on my list.

4. Find your personal sight

One of the dangers of looking at other photographers' work is the urge to take photographs in the same places. There is nothing wrong with capturing iconic locations, and sometimes it’s just something to do to move on and look for less recognizable locations. But the danger is that you forget to look elsewhere for new and interesting places.

Photographer Cole Thompson had an interesting idea that he called "photographic abstinence." He never looks at the work of other photographers, as he wants to find his own locations and personal vision of the landscape. There is a lot of truth in this idea, and perhaps you should try it for yourself. This is the opposite approach to the tips at the beginning of the article, and it might be right for you.

Personalize

Last year I visited my family in Norfolk, England. Check out the work of local photographers and you will find many shots of sand dunes, wide beaches and beach huts, typical of the area.

I refrained from visiting these places and took a walk with my camera on the outskirts of the village. This beginning was not intentional, but after that I saw that basically the work is based on photographing elements of the landscape that were personal to me. I ignored the iconic places, the ones that are for sale in local galleries, and photographed the landscapes in a more personal way for interpretation.

I ended up taking pictures like you see above and like this one.

Wherever you go for landscape photography, and no matter how famous and recognizable these places are, I encourage you to seek and find your own vision.

Conclusion

These ideas are just some of the ways to find interesting landscape photography spots.

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