Intelligent focussing
Focus is one of the 3 big issues in photography. With the ability to crop and adjust exposure in post-processing, focusing is one aspect which cannot be changed after the fact. In other words, as digital photography become easier and easier, the art of focusing is one of the few critical techniques remaining in the quest to make photos from single frames. “Focusing for a landscape is easy though, right? You just select f/22, auto focus, and everything is in focus.” Have you tried this technique? Yes you get a deep depth of field, the shutter speed is slower so you can get more...
Read MoreFeel the landscape
Become one with the land. Just like an actor who becomes possessed by their character, a photographer should allow their subject matter to haunt themselves. So, if you are a landscape photographer and you want to really convey the ‘feeling’ of the land, you should allow the landscape to possess you. How do we do that exactly? A professional actor would live as their character for some time. They might eat, breathe, sleep in character to the point where they become the character. In a similar way, stepping straight out of the city into the Icelandic tundras is not going to yield...
Read MoreDepth
I am not talking about DOF (Depth of field) here, although DOF is not entirely irrelevant, this article is about ‘Pictorial Depth’ – How we see a third dimension in a 2 dimensional image. Being able to convey depth in an image will give a sense of space, it will also help to communicate size and distance. Depth perception in a picture is created with a number of ‘Pictorial cues’. Occlusion – overlap Height in the scene Size Converging lines Texture gradient Atmospheric degradation Brightness Colour Occlusion – overlap If one objects overlaps...
Read MoreTurn your obstacles into features
in Photography Techniques | 0 commentsThe best laid plans go to waste. On some rare occasions the elements which lead to a beautiful photograph are all there in fron tof you just waiting for you to press the shutter. I am talking about a straightforward, but effective composition, bags of interest throughout the scene. Perfect light, a balance between light and dark and an atmosphere. But what do we do for all the 99% of other times when the composition is not so straight forward, the light is terrible and things just wont balance? “When the strong winds blow, some build a wall and some build a...
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Composition consideration – the 4 dimensions
It can be useful to consider the 4 dimensions when considering a composition; 1) Right Vs Left Useful for considering the alignment of your foreground objects. If you consider the horizon-up as background, and the land leading to the horizon as the middleground, then it is this Left-right dimension which helps you position the foreground in an interesting and leading way. 2) Up Vs Down This is a useful dimension to consider although you may be limited by your tripod. A higher position opens the middle ground, where a lower position allows more intimacy with the foreground. 3) Backwards Vs...
Read MoreAdvantages of a prime lens for composition
How can fixed focal length possibly give a landscape photographer an advantage in terms of composition? Many people come on a photo tour with a full range of focal lengths. These are usually spread over 3 lenses; 14-24mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm. They then ask me “What lenses do you have?” My response is invariably ’24mm prime’. After a few seconds of waiting for the rest of the list which never arrives, the conversation switches back to their lenses and the worthy justifications for them. No doubt a range of focal lengths on a photo tour is a good idea. If you...
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