Achieving spectacular landscape photography is not as simple as it may seem, in fact, it is one of the most difficult photographic disciplines to master given the large number of "non-controllable" elements that you will have to work with in order to translate an incredible landscape. in an amazing photo.
The weather, the wind, the lighting conditions, the terrain, the clouds, the trees and lakes, the time to take the shots, the equipment, and an endless number of variables that, for the most part, you will not be able to control, come into play when time to take a picture of a landscape. These are the elements to which you must add certain ingredients so that you can prepare your perfect landscape photo.
Once you know what the ingredients are, you will not be able to stop using them in your recipe, it will only be enough to mix them to your liking so that you can achieve those photos that you want so much. As? Reading the following article! Prepare the apron and a good spoon that begins the cooking.
TO PREPARE THE BASE
- A good camera: understanding by a good camera all that allows you to take a picture, that is: your camera. All you need to take great pictures is a camera, nothing more. Excellence is up to you.
- Appropriate focal length: and I refer to the focal length and not the lens itself since it is always preferable that the quality of the lens is the best but this does not mean that you can not take impressive landscape shots with the lens you have at hand . What is really important is that you can count on short focal lengths so that a large portion of the landscape fits within your frame. The optimal focal lengths for landscape photography are from 8 to 25mm, which correspond to “wide” lenses.
- A tripod: The ambient light present in a landscape scene may not always be ideal for you to be able to shoot your camera hand-held, so if you want to prevent a photo from being ruined by unwanted vibrations from your camera, the tripod will be your great ally. If you already have one, mounting it correctly is very easy , and if you haven't gotten one yet, you can do it yourself by reading the following article: “ DIY: How to Assemble Homemade Photographic Accessories ”.
- Some extra accessories such as: a bag, spare batteries and batteries, a neutral density filter and/or a polarizer , a remote release and a flash are some of the accessories that, if you have them on hand, you can take them with you since they will help you in your search for the perfect landscape photography recipe.
THE INGREDIENTS THAT YOU CANNOT FORGET WHEN PREPARING YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHS
1. A Lot of Sharpness – In landscape photography sharpness is critical . If when taking a photo, parts of it have been out of focus and are not distinguishable, it will not be appreciated. The human eye focuses on what is in focus and tends to miss what is not. That is why, if you want your landscape photography to be a success, you must work with small apertures and short focal lengths. Do you want to expand these concepts a bit? Read the following article: “ 11 Simple Tips for Stunning Landscape Photography ”.
2. A slice of sensations: you must try to achieve that the viewers feel what is known as a “sense of place”, and that is, the sensation that they are inside the photograph and not just seeing it. It is about breaking the limits of the height and width of the frame to place it within it.
3. A spoonful of messages: in addition to conveying a sense of place, if you want your landscapes to say more than they show, you should try to capture not just a beautiful landscape, but a spectacular moment. What do I mean by moment? I am not referring to time but to the feelings that a certain scene can transmit to the observer: sadness, hope, joy, etc. Without the implicit messages, the photographs would not be what they are. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and an excellent photograph can be worth more than several books.
4. The juice of the compositional elements: for every photograph to cause the impact you want, you must make the most of your knowledge in composition to work on the arrangement of the elements in the frame, locate the horizon, direct the gaze with the lines , catch the eye's attention with the rhythm. How to do it? By reading the following articles: “ Master The Use Of Lines In Your Photographic Composition ” and “ 9 Tips and Tricks To Improve Your Photographic Composition ”.
5. Protagonists, at ease: in this type of photographic discipline, the protagonist may be the landscape itself or some subject or object that you can use within the frame to reinforce your messages. Landscape photography is a whole and the elements that you choose to form part of the frame should help you enhance the message that your photographs carry. According to the proportion that it occupies in the frame, it will gain more prominence than the landscape itself, so you should pay special attention to the place it will occupy in it. Who can be your protagonist? Basically any object or subject that has caught your attention to take a picture: a tree, some rocks, a lake, river or waterfall, etc. Other ways to give prominence in the following article “16 Ways to Give Your Subjects Center Stage ”.
6. A slice of a good background: if you have already defined a protagonist for your photograph, you can use the landscape as a background to accompany it and place it within the frame. Remember that, even if it is not the main reason for photography, it does not mean that you can stop working with it. Backgrounds can make or break your photos so you can't help but ignore them. Go through the entire scene, try different types of framing, different angles, and even move your protagonist if you think the background is not appropriate, but never overlook it. Here are “ 11 Tips for Capturing Photos with Stunning Backgrounds ” to put into practice.
7. An hour of lighting: as I told you in the article “ 15 ways to master your raw material, light ”: the best times to take pictures outdoors are in the so-called “blue hour” or “golden hour”. The twilight hour, which is approximately one hour before the sun sets until one hour after the sun has set below the horizon, and also the first hours of the day as the sun rises, are the ideal time to take advantage of the great variety of tones and colors that heaven has for you.
8. A portion of creativity: try to break the monotony of the typical "postcard" landscapes that are already so boring and get unique shots of common moments. The landscape itself is not everything, since using some special techniques you can give it a unique and special nuance. Some of the techniques that you can use to transform it into something much more spectacular are: long exposures , turning water into silk , the use of filters , high dynamic range photography , etc.
9. A pinch of editing:Although you become a photographer by shooting your camera, the contribution that computer processing has achieved in digital photography is unquestionable, so you cannot ignore the possibilities it offers you. Yes, it is true that there is no way to obtain the final photograph the moment after releasing the shutter, but not all photographers have the necessary filters and equipment to achieve everything they imagined of a landscape when freezing it in a photograph. . The later edition where you can adjust certain parameters from the computer is key. Remember that I am not talking about retouching, where you add elements that did not exist at the time of the shot, but about editing, where certain parameters such as white balance, contrast, lights and shadows, etc. are adjusted, but without adding anything to the original photograph. Photoshopped? Nothing of that: "20 online photo editing programs ”.
10. A great desire to venture: if you do not feel like leaving your comfortable chair in search of some spectacular landscapes, there will be no ingredient that can turn your living room into an incredible landscape. Therefore, start gathering your desire now and don't stop planning your next adventure in search of that landscape photograph to put your final recipe into practice.
HOW TO PREPARE THE MIXTURE?
Now that you are clear about the necessary ingredients that every landscape photo needs, it is time for you to start mixing them to obtain the final photograph.
How to do it? Although there is a certain sequence that you must follow to take any photograph: choose the site, choose the frame, configure the parameters for the shot, place the filters, etc. Unlike the kitchen, there is no general rule that tells you exactly in what proportion or measure you should use each of these to obtain your photograph, which is why this art is so wonderful. The way to mix each and every one of the ingredients (even those that have been left out of this recipe book) will depend on your personal tastes, your way of working, the experience you have, etc.
The "recipe" that I just told you is a guide or review for you to keep in mind the next time you go looking for that great landscape photography that will leave everyone speechless and, in order to achieve it, it is essential that you make mistakes . . The more mistakes you make, the more experience you will gain and the better photos you will take in the future.
