135 greatest photography tips
Landscape
From identifying great light to playing with aspect ratios, we offer some advice for land lovers
1 What makes great light?
There is no magic solution for knowing when and exactly where a magnificent sunrise or sunset will happen; however to up your odds there are certain conditions to look out for. Clouds are good but not so many that they are too dense – between 30-70% is ideal. Rain about two to six hours before sunset can be good as it can clear the atmosphere, but remember it's best not to have too much wind. It's still a bit of a game of chance so keep trying and getting out there with your camera. AP
2 Go high
There are many ways to get an aerial shot but the easiest these days is to take to the skies with a drone. The midday light is perfect for aerial shots as it illuminates everything evenly from above, making colours pop. Remember to follow the correct safety procedures and only fly in approved locations. AP
3 Patterns and shapes
The landscape is full of patterns and shapes (both natural and man-made) and in the landscape genre searching for these will help you to get great results. By converting your image to black & white you can highlight the pattern formation to a further degree. AP
4 Person in the landscape
There are times when the inclusion of a person can better your landscape shot. People can be used in the landscape genre to gain a better perspective of the scale of the land or simply to create an ambience. You could even include yourself in the distance as a landscape/self-portrait mixture to create an interesting frame. AP
5 Dull days
Whilst glorious sunsets and heavenly skies are an excellent opportunity, don't forget you can still get great results with heavy clouds and dull misty days. Go for a minimal approach and try converting your image to black & white to enhance the textures in the land, which adds another element to the scene. AP
6 Change the aspect ratio
Although it's tempting to shoot in a 2:3 ratio, mix it up a bit from time to time. The landscape genre works well in a square format or as a long panorama, so keep that in mind. AP
7 Textured skies
A landscape photographer's worst nightmare is clear blue skies. Look for textured clouds to bring another element into the scene. This image (left), taken on Dartmoor, shows where textured clouds add that touch of magic and hold the eye. AP
8 Go slow
During the middle of the day in bright light it's still possible to slow down time and achieve a long exposure time by attaching an ND filter. ND filters come in a variety of strengths that measure in stops. A 10-stop filter is considered strong; however if that doesn't reduce your shutter speed enough, you can stack filters together. Soften moving clouds and turn water into soft silk. AP
9 Revisit
Be patient and determined, and keep revisiting a location. Many pros will head back to a local spot on numerous occasions to photograph it in different weather conditions. AP
10 Lens choice
Often a wideangle lens for a landscape shoot will be the first port of call, and for good reason. However don’t forget to take your telephoto zoom lens for a different approach to the genre. Telephoto lenses work really well from high vantage points and to compress the scene where the main focal point may get lost with a wideangle lens. AP
11 The Photographer’s Ephemeris
This app is a great tool for any photographer planning a landscape photo shoot. With sun and moon set-and-rise times and direction of travel of light from pinpoint accuracy on a map, you can be sure to know exactly the best time of day to be on location. AP
12 Make a project
It can be good to give your landscape images a connection and a theme that link them together. It could be that you want to start a 365-day project or if that seems too big a challenge then pick an achievable theme you can capture over time. If your work has a concept it will make the image stronger and give more of a connection to the audience. AP
13 Add a grad post-production
The Graduated Filter in Adobe Camera Raw works wonders over skies by allowing you to darken the tones, enhance contrast and boost colour. Simply grab the tool from the toolbar, drag down from sky to land (hold Shift while dragging for a horizontal line), then adjust the tonal sliders to the right to alter the area covered by the grad. James Paterson, www.patersonphotos.com
14 Print it!
I love printing. It’s only when we print an image that it emerges from the ephemeral digital world and becomes a tangible artefact. Even if you’re not yet
