SHOOTLANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
01 Timing is everything
With landscape photography the conditions can change dramatically from one moment to the next. One minute the sky might be full of cloud; suddenly a small break allows dramatic light to pour into the scene… Then it’s gone as quickly as it came. Being in position and set up ready to shoot when these situations arise is part and parcel of landscape photography.
One way to maximize your chances of good light is to shoot around sunrise and sunset. Known as the golden hour, the short period before sunrise and after sunset is when you’re most likely to see richly coloured light. But even at these times conditions can change quickly and you have to be ready. In a shot like our main image, the frames before and after can look different. This moment can be over in a flash, so you have to be ready with your kit set up and settings figured out.
02 Maximize image quality
Image quality is important regardless of the subject, but for landscapes, where you have the time to slow down, the best image quality possible is essential. To do this, shoot at ISO100 or 200, or the lowest setting for your camera. Shoot in Aperture Priority at f/11 or f/16 to take advantage of the sharpest aperture on the lens being used, and to help create a large depth of field. The camera will select the appropriate shutter speed for a correct exposure automatically.
Exposure times will often be too long to hand-hold the camera, which makes a tripod a must-have accessory. Set the metering mode on your Canon to Evaluative or Centre-Weighted to achieve an exposure as close to perfect as possible. If the image looks too light or dark, use exposure compensation to override the camera exposure to correct it. Take a look at tip four to learn about focusing.
03 Blend day and night
Digital photography
