Compose, Compose, Compose
A well-composed image really draws the viewer into the scene.
When you compose your image you are deciding what you want the viewer to see.
You can lead them to the focus of the image whether it’s an awesome sunrise or an amazing feature of the landscape. If you get this wrong the viewer can be left wondering what the real focus is.
Understand the Weather
It is one thing to watch the weather; it is a totally separate thing to actually understand it. But if you do, you may know when to get out of bed and when to stay asleep.
Something you can check is the cloud formations, which can have an amazing impact on your images.
If you understand that some particular cloud structures moving through overnight will greatly increase the chance of the cloud lighting up, then it could be well worth getting up!
The opposite can also be true. Weather also impacts on ocean conditions, wind, rain etc., and if you understan… Read the rest
Prepare the Night Before
If you’re planning on shooting a sunrise, then you need to prepare the night before.
Check everything, from your batteries to your memory cards to your ISO setting.
There’s nothing worse than getting home after a shoot and realizing all your shots were taken on 400 ISO instead of 100.
For coastal visits, check the tides too. Certain beaches will be better for sand reflections at low tide – and high tide can be good for rock foregrounds.
Break the Rules
Don’t miss fleeting moments worrying about technical matters – click the shutter and grab the shot.
The bottom line is: there are no rules. If an image works, it works; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.
At one of my exhibitions, a person with a doctorate in photography was looking at one of my shots and I could see she was puzzled. “I can’t believe this!” she said to me (not knowing I was the photographer). “This guy has the horizon in the middle. It should be one-third sky, two-thirds foreground. But this really works!”
So I replied, “Isn’t it lucky he di… Read the rest
Look for Drama in Weather
I love keeping a careful eye daily on the weather, seeking the right conditions that will display the emotion I desire to convey.
It’s good to make use of up-to-date online weather websites, and to keep an eye on expected conditions.
Don’t miss the opportunity when a large sea swell comes up or a big storm is on its way.
This is the best time to get out and shoot, not to huddle up inside. But if you are going out during dramatic conditions, always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back – or take a mate with you.
Simplify Your Gear
I keep things very simple; I don’t own lots of gear and I don’t cart lots of it around with me everywhere I go.
Too much gear weighs you down and can sometimes make you miss the shot, wondering if “this” lens is better or “that” lens is better.
So keep it simple!
Begin with Thirds
For me, composition is the main attribute of any photo, and quite often the hardest to learn.
The rule of thirds is a great place to start. Divide the scene you are about to shoot in thirds, vertical and horizontal, and try to place subjects on the intersecting lines to create a well balanced composition.
Most digital cameras superimpose these lines on the rear view panel of the camera and in “live” view you can see the intersecting lines clearly.
Just Start Shooting!
The best way to begin photography is to simply get out there and start.
I began with my little 450D and within six months I had taken over 60,000 shots. Most went into the trash, but I went through a huge learning curve.
There’s no substitute for pressing that shutter over and over again and learning from every photo shoot.
The Golden Hour
The greatest friend you have in landscape photography is light. Understanding light is the single biggest contributing factor in taking great landscape photographs.
The magic really happens in the “Golden Hour”, which is the half hour either side of sunset and sunrise.
That’s when you get a beautiful golden light – and when the angle of the light is so low that it can create some amazing textures and patterns within a scene.
Make the Effort
Photography is all about effort, so that means making time when there is none. If the weather is not looking good, still go out.
You can get some rewarding surprises, such a break in the cloud and awesome rays of light bursting through – or a beautiful rainbow hovering over the horizon.
For me, all of nature is a beautiful creation made by the living God. So I find it a great privilege to capture this beauty at its best for his glory.