Trip Notes - 10 Tips & Tricks for Lanscape Photography
Use the right tripod, not just any tripod It is impossible to overrate the importance of having the RIGHT tripod when you are out photographing lanscapes. Contrary to popular belief, the heaviest and thus the sturdiest beasts may not always be suitable foe anyone. For the meek, carrying a 5 Kilo tripod ON TOP of one 's camera equipment is sure to guarantee one big photographer's backache. As a rule of the thumb, 35mm equipment will not requires as heavy tripod as medium format gear. Sometimes, even the table top variant will do the job, because even the smallest tripod is better than no tripod.
Read the Weather Forecast You don't want to trek out early with all your equipment only to run into severe weather that will not only dampen your spirits and enthusiasm but also soak that new nifty digital SLR of yours to the core. Surely not the best way to put the weatherproofing claims of camera manufacturers to the test. Always bring along a small poncho in your camera bag for those unexpected monsoon downpours. Of course having a vehicle to dash into for instant shelter never fails to help.
Pack Essentials The definition of essential vary from location and from person to person. A small step ladder can double as a stool during night landscape photography and triples as something to stand on should there is a need to raise the camera on the tripod above eye level. Insect repellent is also important if you are out photographying in the wilderness. The last thing you want is pesky mosquitoes to irritate you into retreating. Never underestimate the companionship of a good book if you can afford the space in your bag and the load on your back.
Patience Patience is one of the most underrated and possibly most useful virtues that a landscape photographer can possess. Be it waiting for the right light, the right cloud pattern, the right time of the day or simply for the time to pass as you make yet another 1/2 an hour exposure. Patience keeps the photographer persistent and persistence almost always pays off in lanscape photography.
Think Abstract. Be Reductionist When composing a lanscape image, think OUT of the mould or minset of photographing a lanscape. Use colour and shapes rather than actual subject matter as composition instruments. Puzzle your viewer. Make him or her stop to ponder about what your image is actually depicting. The frequency of the question "Why didn't I see this (the scene photograph) in that way before?" is a good guage that you are approaching things differently and thus contributing in a real sense to the genre of good and diversified landscape photography.
Use Depth of Field Carefully Because of how the human eye works, controlling one depth of field in any image (not restricted to lanscapes only) serves as a tool to move attention to specific subjects within the frame while eliminating non- essential or distracting elements into blur. Generous depth of filed usually implies that the image has lots of detail that needs to be appreciated in full and shallow depth of field is used by photographer to decide for his or her viewer what to look at.
Wake Early. Linger Late I kid you not. The early bird catches the worm. I'm not asking you to anticipate for sunrises and sunsets here but rather watch out for the effect that these times have on the lighting conditions at the place you are photographing in order to make the best use of the rich but limited available light that occurs at those times.
Its all in the details Pay careful attention to small details in your images such as slightly skewed horizon which is a big no no on the inclusion and exclusion of subjects at the edge of one's frame. Arranged carefully in the photographer's choice of composition, details help draw a viewer into the scene and leads him or her on a more experirntial journey into the image.
About a sense of scale Too many landscape images lack a sense of scale. Sure, everyone knows a tree is a tree but bear in mind that trees range from under a metre tall to over a hundred metres in height. Thus, other more recognizable objects need to be used in order to convey a sense of scale in one's images. Cars and human figures, not to mention dogs are great subjects for a photographer to include in order to relay a sense of scale.
Look out for the obvious if only in order to avoid it The sure way to create an insipid photograph is to be conventional. To me, no experience is more painful than looking through an entire collection of "pretty" images. Sure, that sunset looks great, but the next time you get ready to release that shutter in front of a beautiful sunset, remind yourself that just about every photographer out there has a variant of that image you are about to make. Challenge yourself. Trying to make great memorable images during occasions of inclement weather is but one way you can do so. Trying to photograph a place familiar to you in a way you have never seen is another good exercise to try.
