Who does not like photographing a mountain while filling their lungs with pure air, their ears with silence, their faces with the sun, and their noses with the smells of nature, right? The mountains have something that captivates us all because of its immensity, its peace, its solitude, its strength, or its spending millions of years observing the world from above.
And what does a photographer do when he feels immensely amazed by something before his eyes? Well, photograph it like crazy to try to take with him the essence of the scene, the moment, the light, the texture, the whole. Now, a mountain is just as treacherous for the one who decides to climb it as it is for the one who decides to photograph it. It may seem easy, but it's not What leaves you ecstatic at that precise moment can translate into the worst photo in the world, which is the one that passes before our eyes almost without stopping.
However, as luckily everything is learned in this life, those photos pé , hmm or without more , have a solution. Sometimes we just need some inspiration from those who before us took photos pé , hmm or without more and learned from their mistakes Here are a few images of mountains that I hope will inspire you the next time you go out to let yourself be ecstatic for the magnificence of its forms.
And if what you want is to delve into nature photography, this is our most complete guide, with tips, tricks and lots of inspiration.
1. SUNRISES AND SUNSETS
They are a classic but for a reason. The soft lights of sunrises and sunsets , the warm colors that flood the sky, the side light that enhances the textures, the calm and stillness of the moment... The first and last hours of the day, we will never tire of repeating it, are the best for Go out to photograph landscapes .
2. NATURAL FRAMES
Nature offers us many ways to photograph the same scene, you just need to learn to look a little beyond the obvious. A good example of this are the natural frames, which allow us to focus attention on the center of interest and in turn bring more interest to the scene.
3. COLOR
Although it is not the only way to portray a mountain, it is true that most of our images are going to be taken with color in mind. That is why it is interesting that you look for contrasting scenes to add more visual interest to the image.
4. BLACK AND WHITE
Or, on the contrary, you can cheer up with black and white . You can get wonderful pictures of mountains in monochrome. And if you don't believe me, take a look at what Ansel Adams was capable of achieving over 70 years ago.
5. REFLEXES
Many large lakes are surrounded by mountains from which they are fed by snowmelt. A widely used resource that usually gives surprising results is to play with the reflection of these or the sky on its waters.
6. AT NIGHT
If you are one of those who enjoys camping in the wild or not so wild but surrounded by mountains, don't think that the night is just for sleeping and charging your camera batteries. You can take wonderful night photographs of mountains, stars , etc.
7. PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHY
The vastness of mountain landscapes encourages us to take a panoramic view in order to capture the largest portion of the scene possible, especially if we are not lucky enough to have a Wide Angle lens , so ideal for landscapes. Today, taking a panorama with our Smartphone or with our camera and processing it with the help of an editing program is very simple.
8. COMPOSITION AND CENTER OF INTEREST
Composition rules such as the rule of thirds or the horizon can be useful if you don't know how to order the elements that appear in the scene, but don't forget the importance of creativity, dare to change your point of view, to innovate or to Break the rules when you think it's necessary.
9. HUMAN ELEMENT
As a social being, the human being feels a natural interest towards another human being, and this aspect is also reflected in the way in which we analyze our own images. If a human element appears, it almost instantly becomes the center of interest of the photograph. In mountain photography, in addition to adding interest, a human figure helps us to add scale , that is, so that you can compare the size of the human being with the immensity of the landscape.
10. SILKY EFFECT OF WATER OR CLOUDS
The high mountains where snow accumulates in winter, allow us to find landscapes where rivers or waterfalls join the mountain with which to practice this colorful silky effect, where the water is transformed, through movement, into a kind of blanket of silky texture. You can see how to achieve the silky effect step by step here .
11. FOG
Early in the morning and in certain areas or times of the year, you may find the mountain submerged in mist. Far from turning around or waiting for the sun to make the mists of dawn disappear, take advantage of this unique moment to photograph it. The fog gives you magical images.
12. DEPTH OF FIELD
Although in landscapes we usually advise that you work with a wide depth of field (for example f/11) to have the largest area in focus in the image, the truth is that the possibilities that play with depth of field awaits you are many, It will allow you to play with the planes, the sensation of closeness or distance, the center of interest, the depth of the scene and much more.
13. FAUNA AND FLORA
Don't forget everyone who calls the mountains home. Mountains are not just rocks; It is not only about photographing mountains as giant protagonists of your scene, you can also give prominence to their animals, flowers and plants .
14. LINES AND VANISHING POINTS
Another way to add interest and impact to your mountain photographs is through the lines . You can find winding paths in the form of winding S's, or straight lines that intersect at the horizon ( vanishing points ).
15. IN WIDE ANGLE
If you are lucky enough to have a Wide Angle among your photographic trousseau , try to make the most of its possibilities. Not only because of the great depth of field that they allow you to play with or because of the large portion of landscape that you can include in a photograph, you can take advantage of the distortion of close-ups to achieve more creative images .
16. THE FILTERS WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU
Filters such as the neutral density gradient , the polarizer , or the neutral density, will be very useful if you are fond of landscapes.
17. GET CREATIVE
There are many photographs of mountains, if you do not want your images to end up being "one more", you should make an effort to be creative
18. ANY TIME OF THE YEAR
Don't be afraid of the cold or the heat, each time of the year is unique and has its particular magic, not everything is spring ?
Have you found some inspiration? Any new idea in mind to carry out? Hope so! If so, you know, feel free to share. Thank you and see you next time.
