How to Create an Amazing Landscape Photo

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m out with my camera and I’m presented with a gorgeous landscape, I get a little stuck.

It’s almost like there’s too much beauty for my brain to handle, and that means that I struggle to decide how to compose the photo.

Of course, not all landscapes are overwhelmingly beautiful, so having a lot that attracts my eye is a good problem to have!

But if you want to create amazing landscape photos, one of the best things you can do is to simplify your approach.

Here’s what I mean…

Look For a Strong Subject for Amazing Landscape Photos

One of the first things you need to do to take beautiful landscape photos is to find a subject that immediately draws the attention of the viewer.

That subject can be anything, really – a landform, an imposing tree, a color, or even areas of light and shadow.

Once you identify the subject, then you need to go about composing the shot in a way that highlights the subject.

In the example above, the mountain is obviously the subject being highlighted, and it’s highlighted in a very distinct way – it’s positioned right in the middle of the frame, which, even though that breaks the rule of thirds, it makes the mountain more imposing, and thus more important to the eye.

Something else to note is the tight framing on this mountain peak – we hardly have a view of its surroundings, which simplifies the composition.

In other words, don’t be afraid to bend or break photography rules if it means making the subject stronger in the shot and gets you a simplified photo.

Work Your Angles

No one ever said that landscape photography is easy…

So, if you’re struggling to figure out the best way to compose awesome landscape photos, try working the angles a little bit.

As you can see above, the photographer has plopped himself down on the ground to get a unique view of the little hill in front of him.

By doing that, he accomplishes two things:

• The hill looks larger in the shot, which as noted earlier helps the viewer identify it as the primary subject.
• The view from ground-level gives the viewer a unique perspective on the landscape, which, again, catches the viewer’s eye.

Being willing to get down low or up high or up close will help you find ways to simplify the composition and compose a more compelling image.

Look for Opportunities to Highlight Light

Photography is all about hunting good light. If you can find good light and capture it effectively, the likelihood that you end up with a decent shot is much higher.

When it comes to landscapes, different kinds of light create different kinds of moods.

Editor’s Tip: Enhance the lighting in your landscape photos by using a high-quality polarizing filter. POLARIZER help reduce glare, minimize atmospheric haze, and boost contrast in the sky, making the atmosphere a deeper blue and the clouds a brighter white. The result? A more impactful, dramatic landscape photo! I use a NiSi polarizing filter, and highly recommend it due to its excellent construction, ease of use and care, and the rock-solid reputation NiSi has built as one of the finest filter manufacturers today.

Midday lighting is harsh and direct, and tends to wash out the landscape.

Golden hour lighting, on the other hand, is warm and soft, and tends to enhance the features of the landscape by casting long shadows.

When seeking to simplify your approach, concentrate on how the light is interacting with the landscape and make that your primary subject.

In the photo above, you can see how the setting sun is interacting with the tree – the placement of the sun behind the tree makes the tree a stronger subject.

As a consequence, the long shadows cast by the sunlight extend toward the photoshoot camera, and act as leading lines to strengthen the subject even further.

Use a Tripod

I’ve taken my fair share of landscape photos, and many of them have been handheld.

But trust me when I say that when I shoot with a tripod, I get far better results.

That’s due to several factors…

First, using a tripod helps slow me down and actually survey the landscape before me. Even just 15-20 seconds of looking around while I set up my tripod helps clue me into the features or elements in the landscape that might make for a stronger photo.

Second, a tripod offers my camera far more stability than I can offer.

That means getting photos that are tack-sharp because the tripod keeps the camera perfectly still, even during long exposures.

And that’s the third point – I can be more creative with my landscape photography when I use a tripod.

Whether that’s slowing down the shutter to blur the movement of clouds or water, using the tripod to get a low-angle shot, or even taking on some videography and getting smooth, panning shots with my tripod, I come home with much more varied results than if I shoot handheld.

Of course, not all tripods are made alike.

If you want a solid tripod that makes the task of learning how to photograph landscapes, it’s hard to beat a Vanguard tripod.

I’ve used the Vanguard ALTA PRO 2+ 263AB100 shown below on a number of occasions, and it’s as rock-solid a tripod as you’ll find.

Not only is it incredibly easy (and quick) to set up, but it also has a multi-angle center column that gives me unlimited possibilities for varying the shooting angle.

I also appreciate that this tripod has legs with varying position angles from 20-degrees to 80-degrees, which, again, helps me vary the ways in which I frame up my photos.

 

This tripod has handy accessories that simplify the process of landscape photography as well.

That includes an integrated bubble level to get perfectly straight horizons, a canopy suspension loop for adding weight to increase stability on windy days, and angled rubber feet to get a firm grip, even on uneven terrain.

Like I said earlier, no one ever said taking amazing landscape photos was easy, but if you concentrate on the task of simplifying your approach and doing so with the right gear, you’ll be in a better position to take high-impact photos.

For even more great landscape photography tips, be sure to watch the video above by Joshua Cripps from Professional Photography Tips.

The video will give you more ideas for how to simplify your approach to capture amazing landscape photos.

This article about the topic “How to Create an Amazing Landscape Photo?” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/8493-how-to-create-an-amazing-landscape-photo

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-to-create-amazing-landscape-photo.html

How to Shoot Landscapes at Blue Hour

Let’s face it…

Golden hour gets all the glory, and rightfully so. It’s hard to beat those warm, golden tones that brighten up the landscape. Learn more about best camera for landscape photography on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

But there’s another time of day that produces gorgeous light, too – blue hour.

What is Blue Hour?

Image Credit: Frank Leinz

Blue hour occurs just before sunrise and just after sunset.

That means it precedes golden hour in the morning and follows golden hour in the evening.

Naturally, blue hour is characterized by the blue tones that dominate the light. These blue tones range from light to dark blue, and even to black, depending on how long before sunrise or how long after sunset you’re shooting.

Regardless of the tone of the blue light, blue hour offers ultra-soft light that falls beautifully across the landscape, as seen in the image above.

When is Blue Hour?

Image Credit:王宝国

As noted above, blue hour precedes sunrise and follows sunset.

More specifically, blue hour begins about 30 minutes before the sun rises, with the best blue hour light occurring approximately 10 minutes before the sun rises.

Once the sun appears above the horizon, blue hour light very rapidly disappears.

At sunset, blue hour begins about 10 minutes after the sun has dipped below the horizon and lasts about 30 minutes, though the duration at sunrise and sunset depends on the time of year and the geographic location.

The first key to shooting during blue hour is to plan ahead.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to your desired shoot location and setup your gear with time to spare before blue hour begins!

Blue Hour Photography Tips

Image Credit: Joseph Mak

Perhaps one of the best advantages of shooting during blue hour is the quality of the light and the ease with which you can get a good exposure.

Because blue hour light is so soft, diffuse, and dim, you don’t have to worry about bright highlights or deep shadows.

What’s more, the softness of the light is ideal for long exposures, like capturing light trails of passing cars or blurring the movement of clouds or water.

As you can see in the image above, the combination of a long exposure and blue hour lighting can result in a beautifully dreamy image.

Below are a few crucial tips for blue hour photography.

Use Shutter Priority Mode

Since you often need extended shutter speeds to gather enough light at blue hour, it makes sense to shoot in shutter priority mode.

In this mode, you select the desired shutter speed (and the ISO, if needed) and the photoshoot camera will select an appropriate aperture such that you get a good exposure.

It’s easier than shooting in full manual mode, in which you’re responsible for making all three adjustments, and gives you much more control than shooting in full auto mode.

Get Geared Up 

Naturally, since longer exposure times are on the table, you need to take the camera out of your hand and put it on a tripod.

With a good, solid tripod, your camera will have the stable base it needs to get the sharpest photos.

Likewise, use a camera remote to help keep things nice and sharp. Even the slightest movements created by touching the camera’s shutter button can create enough motion blur to ruin your shots.

Another piece of gear that you might not think to use at blue hour is a lens filter.

In instances in which you want to even out the dynamic range between the sky and the landscape, a graduated neutral density filter (like the one shown above) is a prime choice.

These filters are darker on top and lighter on bottom, thus allowing you to darken the sky for a more even exposure throughout.

If you opt for something like the NiSi V5 Filter Kit, you can get a 3-stop graduated ND filter, a reverse ND grad for shooting right at sunrise and sunset, as well as 6-stop and 10-stop solid neutral density filters for really slowing down your shutter speed, even when shooting during the daytime.

This kit even comes with adaptor rings and a filter holder to affix the filters to your lens, as well as cleaning supplies to keep your filters as clean as possible.

You can see this filter kit in action at blue hour in the video above by Hot Pixels Photography.

But when you’re out shooting at this time of morning or night, you might notice a lot of light pollution from streetlights, buildings, and even mercury vapor and sodium in the air.

All of those contaminants can reduce the quality of your images by not only impacting the color of the photo but your ability to see the sky clearly.

To control light pollution, a NiSi Natural Night Filter (like the one shown below) is the ideal choice.

These filters block out wavelengths of light from common light polluting objects and result in the clear, crisp images.

Not only that, but these filters are waterproof and have an oil-resistant nano coating that protects against fingerprints. The double-sided multi-layer coating means these filters are highly durable with ultra low reflections, too.

Image Credit: Jerry Wang

Image Credit: Jerry Wang

These Natural Night Filters are perfect for shooting popular blue hour scenes light cityscapes, bridges, marinas, and landscapes, as well as night photography subjects like the Milky Way. As you can see in the preceding before and after images, the difference between shooting with a Natural Light Filter and without one is astounding.

In other words, getting the best blue hour photos isn’t just about knowing what blue hour is and when it happens. You also need to have the gear that enables you to get the very best photos that you can.

In the video above, you can see multiple examples of how a Natural Night Filter makes all the difference in the world in nighttime shots.

Take inspiration from the images in this article, check out a few composition tips for landscape photography, and get outfitted with filters that will up your photography game.

With a little practice, you’ll find that you’re much more capable of taking breathtaking photos during blue hour.

This article about “How to Shoot Landscapes at Blue Hour?” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/8363-how-to-shoot-landscapes-at-blue-hour

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-to-shoot-landscapes-at-blue-hour.html

How to Get a Perfect Foreground in Landscape Photography

If I were to ask you what the most important element of a landscape photo is, what would you say?

I’m guessing that most responses would be the subject of the shot…

And while the subject is certainly an important element, I’d argue that it’s the foreground is the key to an improved landscape photo.

Why?

The primary reason is because the foreground is like the introduction to the image – it sets the stage for the story you tell.

Working a nice foreground into the shot gives it depth and dimension, and helps viewers feel more connected to the landscape because they feel as though they’re standing right there.

So, the question is, how do you successfully use the foreground in landscape photography?

Here’s a few tips…

Manipulate the Aperture

If you’re new to photography, the aperture of your camera’s lens determines (in part, anyway) the depth of field of the shot.

That is, the smaller the f-stop you use, the shallower the depth of field and the less of the scene that will be sharply in focus.

On the other hand, the larger the f-stop you use, the larger the depth of field and the more of the scene that’s in focus.

Naturally, the latter is the preferred option in landscape photography because it allows you to keep everything from foreground to background in focus, as seen in the image above.

Start out with something like f/8 or f/11, and work your way up from there.

Incorporate Interesting Elements

Maximizing the impact of the foreground of a landscape photo means that you need to incorporate something that’s eye-catching.

In other words, it’s not enough to frame up a shot with a foreground – you need to seek out features that enhance the overall value of the image.

Two top choices are leading lines and textures.

As for leading lines, they serve to help connect the foreground to the background, literally serving as a visual roadmap for viewers to follow as they inspect the image. And they don’t have to be straight lines to be effective, either, as you can see above.

Texture is an excellent component to include in a landscape as well, as it gives the image a greater depth.

In the image above, for example, the rocks in the foreground give this image the added detail it needs in the face of all the nondescript cloudiness in the sky.

What’s more, the shapes and colors of the rocks are a nice contrast to the smooth, blue waters of the lake.

Another quick tip is this: when you want to include more foreground, try shooting in vertical aspect or with a wide-angle lens. That will allow you to incorporate more foreground into the shot.

Use a Tripod for a Low-Angle Shot

If you don’t have a wide-angle lens handy (or even if you do), taking a landscape photo from a low perspective will help you maximize the amount of foreground that you can squeeze into a shot.

As you can see in the image above, the low perspective allowed the photographer to highlight all the incredible textures going on in the foreground.

In fact, it’s these textures in the mud that become the highlight of the photo!

To get this type of low-angle shot, it’s helpful to have a tripod.

At first, you might wonder why you’d need a tripod to get a low-angle shot. After all, it’s easy to simply kneel down or bend down to get your camera closer to the ground.

The trouble is that that’s a body position that’s not exactly the easiest to hold. That means your camera is more likely to be moving, which increases the chances that you’ll have blurry photos. Learn more about how to take landscape photos on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

However, if you have a tripod with an articulating center column like the one found on the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AP, you can frame up those low-angle shots knowing that your camera has the ultimate in support for sharply focused images.

As you can see in the diagram above, this tripod’s Multi-Angle Central Column gives you 180-degrees of movement so you can snap low-angle photos with ease.

The central column articulates on the vertical and horizontal axes as well, opening up even more unique photography opportunities.

The tripod holds up to 11 pounds of gear, and includes a pan head with quick release so when you want to shoot hand held, it’s a matter of a couple of seconds to detach your camera.

With four built-in bubble levels, this is a landscape photographer’s dream tripod, because there’s no excuse for getting shots with a wonky horizon!

Additionally, it’s got three leg sections, each of which has three leg angles (shown above) for adjusting the height of the tripod.

Add in grippy rubber feet with retractable metal spikes for stability, a maximum height of 70-inches, and a folded length of just 28.5-inches, you’ve got a recipe for a great tripod that helps you take all kinds of landscape photos.

That’s especially true if you work the aperture you’re using and frame up shots with interesting features in the foreground.

This blog post about the topic “How to Get a Perfect Foreground in Landscape Photography?” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/7986-how-to-get-a-perfect-foreground-in-landscape-photography

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-to-get-perfect-foreground-in.html

The Best Lens for Landscape Photography

If I took a poll and asked 100 photographers to answer the question – “What’s the best Canon lens for landscape photography?” – I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the vast majority of them answered “wide-angle.”

And while there’s nothing wrong with that answer, there’s a problem.

The best landscape lens for one situation isn’t necessarily the best one for another situation.

That means that while wide-angle lenses are awesome for many landscapes, sometimes the situation calls for something different.

Let’s explore a few options for the best lens for landscape photography and discuss why they are considered the best. You can read about Nikon wide angle lens on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

Editor’s Tip: Looking for the best landscape photography lens to add to your bag? FIND AWESOME LENSES FOR GREAT PRICES.

Best Lens for Landscape Photography: Wide-Angle Lenses

Depending on your camera system, wide-angle lenses are usually 35mm or less (for full frame cameras) and 24mm or less (for crop sensor cameras).

Shooting landscapes with a wide-angle lens has its advantages and disadvantages.

On the positive side, a wide-angle lens allows you to capture more of the scene. This can be beneficial when you’re photographing a vast landscape like the one shown above.

What’s more, wide-angle lenses have a larger depth of field at any given aperture than other lenses. That means you can keep more of the scene in sharp focus.

These lenses are also helpful for incorporating foreground interest into the shot.

As you can see below, the inclusion of the elements in the foreground help draw the eye into the photo, thereby encouraging us to explore the image more fully.

But those benefits come at a cost.

Far-off features will appear quite small in a wide-angle shot. Sometimes, that makes landscapes look a little empty.

Additionally, if you shoot with a super-wide-angle lens, like a 12mm or a fisheye, there’s significant distortion of the scene.

Sometimes that distortion can be used creatively, but in some cases, it just doesn’t look right for the landscape shot. Nevertheless, a wide-angle lens is considered by many to be the best lens for landscape photography.

Get a few top tips for shooting landscapes with a wide-angle lens in the video above by Adorama TV.

Best Lens for Landscape Photography: Standard Lenses

 

With a field of view that’s similar to what we see with our own eyes, standard lenses (in the 50mm range on full frame cameras and 35mm on crop sensor cameras) capture landscapes in a way that looks and feels familiar.

Additionally, with slightly more focal length, standard lenses help you create landscape images that are more intimate and focused – focused in the sense that there is a narrower field of view in the shot due to the increased focal length.

 

Standard lenses are often prime lenses as well – with a fixed focal length.

And since prime lenses often have a very large aperture, they are ideal for photographing landscapes in low-light situations because of all the light that their larger apertures can collect.

Prime lenses are typically sharper than zooms, too, so you can get nicely detailed, sharp photo with a prime lens for landscape photography.

The only downside to a standard prime lens is that with a fixed focal length, you’re perhaps more limited in how you frame the shot than you would be with a zoom lens.

However, all you have to do to get around this “obstacle” is to zoom with your feet, and physically get nearer or further away from the subject.

This can take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of not reaching for your lens to adjust the focal length, you can create some magical results with a prime lens for landscapes.

Best Lens for Landscape Photography: Telephoto Lenses

With all that focal length (about 85mm and above on a full frame camera and 50mm and above on a crop sensor camera), a telephoto lens can get you up close and personal with elements in the landscape.

That’s on the opposite end of the spectrum from a wide-angle view, but that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes capturing the details of a landscape is what’s most important.

Filling the frame with a mountain peak, a tree, or another landscape element can have a highly dramatic effect.

What’s more, telephoto lenses compress distance, so far-off elements appear larger in the frame.

Of course, these benefits come at a cost…

Not only are telephoto lenses typically more expensive (especially the longer the focal length) but they are also much bigger and heavier.

Editor’s Tip: Get outfitted with a high-quality telephoto lens without busting your budget. Start your search here.

If you’re adventuring for a day and carrying a big telephoto lens, your shoulders and back will likely start to feel it.

Telephoto lenses can be a bit unwieldy, too, requiring a monopod or tripod in many situations to keep them stable.

The Verdict: The Best Lens for Landscape Photography

When it comes down to it, the answer to our question – what’s the best lens for landscape photography – is that it depends.

The lens you choose to photograph landscapes with should jive with what interests you most about the landscape and how you feel the landscape would be best photographed.

If you’re particularly drawn to the compressed look that’s achieved with a long focal length, go with a telephoto lens.

If you prefer the wide, vast vistas captured with a wide-angle lens, go that route.

Some lenses actually bridge the gap between wide-angle and telephoto.

One of the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography is the Sigma 24-105mm f/4 Art DG OS HSM. On a full frame camera, you can shoot wide at 24mm, standard at 50mm, and telephoto at 105mm.

One of the best Canon lenses for landscape photography is the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM. On a crop sensor camera, it gives you wonderful range from standard to telephoto, and on a full frame camera, it offers excellent wide-angle and standard views.

Hopefully, with the breakdown of the pros and cons of wide-angle, standard, and telephoto lenses, you can make an informed decision about what the best lens for landscapes is for you.

For more insights on landscape photography lenses, check out my video above!

This article about the topic “The Best Lens for Landscape Photography” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/8351-the-best-lens-for-landscape-photography

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-lens-for-landscape-photography.html

Learn How to Shoot Water Reflections in 5 Easy Steps

There’s just something about a water reflection photo that I really enjoy.

I can’t decide if it’s the calmness of it or the symmetry. Maybe it’s both!

But snagging landscape pictures like the one above is a little more involved than pointing and shooting at a calm body of water (though those are important steps).

If you want to up the quality of your water reflection shots, follow these five steps.

Step #1: Consider the Subject

Not everything that’s reflected in water makes for a great subject.

A mountain peak – yes. A nuclear power plant – not so much.

Remember, whatever the subject is, it will be doubled in the shot due to the reflection. That means you need to ensure the subject is strong, has good lines or shapes, or has eye-catching colors.

That’s why mountains, trees with fall foliage, and city skylines are popular subjects for water reflection shots – each has interesting shapes or colors that make them a strong subject.

Of course, there are plenty of other possible subjects, too…

Try a portrait or catching an airplane’s reflection as it flies above.

Sunrises and sunsets have plenty of colors to make a great reflection shot. too.

You might even highlight a pier or a boat (or both) on the still waters of a lake.

Step #2: Consider the Time of Day & the Weather

Water reflection shots have the most impact if the water has a still, glassy surface.

But that stillness doesn’t come at just any time of day.

The chances are better for still waters in the early morning, such as at sunrise.

The afternoon, however, is typically the time when the wind kicks up most frequently, so afternoon shots will be more difficult to come by.

What’s more, reflection shots benefit from the softer, more colorful light that’s present in the early morning and late evening. There’s less glare, too, since the sun is so low in the sky.

And if you want added drama, look for opportunities to highlight interesting cloud formations, as seen above.

Don’t think that overcast skies aren’t good for reflection shots, either.

With a blanket of gray above the water source, you can really highlight your subject!

Step #3: Use Aperture Priority Mode

Reflection shots are tricky because your subject is much further away from the lens than its reflection, yet you want both to be in focus.

One way to do that is to ensure the depth of field is large enough to capture both elements.

The aperture you use is one of the factors that influence depth of field. The larger the aperture value, the greater the depth of field.

So, put your camera in aperture priority mode (A or AV on your camera’s dial), and select an aperture like f/11 or f/16. Even if there’s objects in the shot just a few feet from you, that aperture should give you enough depth of field to get the entire scene in sharp focus. Learn more about the best camera to take pictures on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

If you have a few choices of lenses, opt for something in the wide-angle range.

A wide-angle lens allows you to get more of the scene in the shot and offers a pleasing perspective, particularly of landscapes as seen above.

Step #4: Minimize the ISO

If you’re shooting a reflection photo during the daytime, minimizing the ISO won’t be a problem.

But at sunrise and sunset, you might need to bump it up a bit to prevent the image from being too dark.

In those cases, still strive to keep the ISO as low as possible.

This is advisable because as the ISO increases, the image becomes grainier due to noise.

Fortunately, when shooting in aperture priority mode, you can set the ISO as well.

Today’s cameras can easily shoot at ISO 800, 1600 or even 3200 before noise becomes a noticeable issue, so just be aware of that when changing the ISO setting.

As a bonus tip, if you’re shooting handheld and you find that the shutter speed the camera selects is just too slow and introduces camera shake, use a higher ISO.

Since the ISO increases the sensitivity of the sensor to light, a higher ISO means a faster shutter speed is possible.

If it comes down to choosing a photo that’s blurry because of a slow shutter speed or one that has a little digital noise due to a high ISO, choosing the latter is always the better option.

Step 5: Help Your Camera

Your camera can do a lot on its own, but it can always stand to get a little help from you in order to get the best water reflection photo.

For starters, use a tripod when shooting, that way your camera has a nice, stable base to get a tack-sharp photo.

Don’t opt for a cheap tripod, either. Quality matters here, so do your due diligence and get a solid tripod that will last you for years and years.

Something else you can do to help your camera is to use filters to improve the exposure.

A polarizer will help reduce glare off the water and will also increase the contrast of the blue sky and white clouds, making them pop more in the shot.

You might also try using a neutral density filter, which reduces the overall amount of light entering the lens.

This is advantageous if you want to shoot long exposures during the day because with a reduced amount of light entering the lens, you can use a longer shutter speed to get those nice blurry effects of a long exposure.

You might also try manually selecting the focal point…

Though today’s cameras have incredible autofocus systems, they aren’t always accurate.

If you find that your camera is struggling to acquire the desired focus point, simply access the autofocus menu (usually by pressing a button on the back of the camera labeled AF) and manually selecting which point you want the camera to use to acquire focus.

This will often help you get a sharper photo, and sharp photos is what we want!

Putting It All Together

As I mentioned in the introduction, getting a great photo of a water reflection is more involved than pointing and shooting at a body of water.

As is outlined above, you need to consider everything from the subject matter to the time of day, the camera settings to the accessories you use.

By bearing these things in mind, I think you’ll find that you’re better equipped to get stunning water reflection shots like those shown throughout this article.

Get a few more tips and inspiration for water reflection photos in the video above from Ian Plant and Ultimate PhotoGuide.

This blog post about the topic “Learn How to Shoot Water Reflections in 5 Easy Steps” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/7776-learn-how-to-shoot-water-reflections-in-5-easy-steps

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/learn-how-to-shoot-water-reflections-in.html

How to Plan, Shoot, and Edit Photos of the Milky Way

When you see a photo like the one above, it’s hard not to think “Wow, that must’ve been complicated!”

It’s such a gorgeous shot, so it must have required tons of time and effort, right?

Well, the answer to that question is actually yes. It did take a lot of time and effort.

However, it’s not difficult to do. There’s no special hard-to-understand formulas for getting great photos of the Milky Way.

All it comes down to is planning the shot, executing the shot, and editing the shot.

That’s what you’ll learn how to do in this tutorial.

Let’s get started!

Planning the Shot

Get the Gear

One of the misnomers about Milky Way photography is that you have to buy all sorts of expensive gear to get a good shot.

Sure, fancy astrophotography gear is nice to have, but it isn’t necessary.

In fact, you can get great photos of the Milky Way with an entry-level DSLR, a kit lens, and a sturdy tripod.

No…seriously!

So, as long as you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a lens, and a tripod, you can proceed. 

However, if you want improved results, get a better lens, like a wide-angle prime lens with a wide maximum aperture of f/2 or greater.

Why? 

The larger the aperture, the more light the lens can collect, and the more light it can collect, the lower the ISO setting you can use.

Since higher ISO values are associated with increased digital noise, minimizing the ISO will be helpful in getting clearer, sharper Milky Way Images.

You also want to have a solid headlamp that will help you find those out-of-the-way dark locations for the ultimate in night sky photos.

I personally use the Petzl NAO + Headlamp, and I couldn’t be happier with it!

Not only does it pump out 750 lumens, it’s got smartphone connectivity so you can closely monitor how much burn time the lamp has left on its current charge.

On top of that, the NAO + can analyze the ambient light around you and adjust its brightness for the situation instantaneously.

That feature is handy for both extending the life of the battery and giving you the precise amount of light that’s called for in every situation.

I use this thing to illuminate dark hikes in the dead of night, but it can also be used to light paint the foreground of your images for truly dramatic shots.

If you want to maximize your time shooting photos of the Milky Way, get a solid headlamp like this one to help you out!

Find a Location

Ideally, you’ll be able to get away from the bright lights of the big city to take your Milky Way photos.

By reducing the light pollution, you increase the impact of the stars in the sky. That’s a good thing.

To find the darkest skies, use something like Dark Site Finder shown above, which allows you to search for locations and examine the light pollution in that area.

Another thing to consider is if you want a foreground, midground, and background in the shot.

On the one hand, having foreground and midground elements helps give Milky Way shots some context. That is, with the Milky Way extending over a landscape feature like a mountain range, you can more easily show off the size and scale of the Milky Way.

However, this isn’t required. If you want your shot of the Milky Way to be just of the stars, all you’ll need is a dark spot to setup your gear.

Keep in mind that in the northern hemisphere, the Milky Way is at its finest in the summer months. Also keep in mind the position of the Milky Way, the stars, and the moon in the sky, as well as when the sun sets at your desired location.

You can get all that information by using the Photographer’s Ephemeris, shown above.

Another handy tool to use when planning your Milky Way shots is Stellarium.

Stellarium is handy because it tells you where the Milky Way will appear in the sky relative to your location.

Just enter your location and the time of day you’ll be there, and it will show you the view you’ll see. Pretty cool, huh?

Quick Tip: If you shoot the Milky Way about an hour before the moon sets, you can get a nice glow of the landscape elements to add additional visual punch to your photo.

Taking the Shot

Figure Out the 500 Rule

The 500 Rule is an astrophotography trick that allows you to avoid having star trails in your photos.

When photographing the Milky Way, you want it to be the highlight of the shot – not the stars as they appear to move across the sky. Thus, the 500 Rule is needed.

Essentially, the 500 Rule allows you to calculate the shutter speed you can use to avoid star trails.

This is done by dividing 500 by the focal length of your lens.So, for example, if you’re using an 18-55mm kit lens, and you’re shooting at 18mm, you simply divide 500 by 18 to get your longest shutter speed. In this case, that’s 28.8 seconds.

So, for example, if you’re using an 18-55mm kit lens, and you’re shooting at 18mm, you simply divide 500 by 18 to get your longest shutter speed. In this case, that’s 28.8 seconds.

That figure works if you’re using a full frame camera. But if you’re using a crop sensor camera, there’s another step.

Crop sensor cameras have smaller sensors, which increases the effective focal length of the lens. On Canon cameras, the crop factor is 1.6x. On Nikon cameras, the crop factor is 1.5x. So, if you’re shooting with a Canon crop sensor, you have to multiply the focal length – 18 – by 1.6, which results in 28.8. Then, divide 500 by that figure, which results in 17.4 seconds. That’s the maximum shutter speed you can use to avoid star trails in that situation.

Dial in the Settings

Though each situation is a little different and you might need to tweak some of these settings, this is a good baseline from which to start:

• Shutter speed: 15 seconds
• Aperture: As large as possible
• ISO: 1600
• Exposure mode: Self-timer
• File format: RAW
• White Balance: Auto
• Image stabilization: Off

Quick Tip: Focusing at night will be nearly impossible because your camera needs light contrast to focus on the subject. As a result, it’s a good idea to pre-focus during the daytime before you head out. You can do this simply by selecting an object far away, focusing on it, and locking the focus by using gaffer tape to secure the focus ring in place. Also switch the lens to Manual Focus. That ensures you’re focused at infinity, which will get you the sharpest images of the Milky Way, and your lens won’t try to acquire focus on its own once you’re out shooting.

Take the Shot

Now that you’ve got everything planned out, you’re at your desired shoot location, and you have your gear set up with your settings ready to go, all that’s left is to take the shot.

Simply take the first exposure, and have a look at it on the camera’s LCD. Check for composition and framing, but sharpness as well.

If you find that the image is too dark or too bright, adjust the shutter speed as needed.

Remember, in our scenario, we’re using a kit lens at a shutter speed of about 17 seconds. Many cameras don’t have that specific shutter speed, so you might have to choose between 20 seconds and 15 seconds.

Naturally, if you choose 15 seconds and the image is too dark, try 20 seconds. If you start at 15 seconds and it’s too bright, try 10 seconds.

The point is that there will be some trial and error to get the best exposure. Just keep with it and be patient, and you’ll eventually get the desired results.

See the complete process outlined in this article in the video above by Roy Dufek with The Finer Photo. He offers these step-by-step guidelines with even more detailed instructions to help you get the best Milky Way photos possible.

Edit the Shot

You can edit your Milky Way photos in Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, or any other number of post-processing programs.

Naturally, the process of editing your photos will vary depending on the program you prefer.

What you will find regardless of the program you use is that the initial photo will likely be quite dark. But don’t worry, you can fix that.

Here’s a few things you might want to work on in post-processing:

• Increase the exposure to bring out the detail of the Milky Way
• Increase the highlights and white values in the image to further extract detail from the Milky Way
• Darken the sky surrounding the Milky Way by decreasing the black values and shadows
• Adjust the tone curve to bring out even more highlights and bring down even more shadows
• Reduce noise in the image by increasing the luminance
• Reduce chromatic aberration with lens correction

There are lots of other handy tools you can use in post-processing to bring out the little details in your Milky Way photos and complete your Milky Way adventures.

For an in-depth Lightroom CC tutorial, check out the video below by Rob & Jonas’ Filmmaking Tips:

This blog post about the topic “How to Plan, Shoot, and Edit Photos of the Milky Way?” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/7534-how-to-plan-shoot-and-edit-photos-of-the-milky-way

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-to-plan-shoot-and-edit-photos-of.html

How to Plan, Shoot, and Edit Photos of the Milky Way

When you see a photo like the one above, it’s hard not to think “Wow, that must’ve been complicated!”

It’s such a gorgeous shot, so it must have required tons of time and effort, right?

Well, the answer to that question is actually yes. It did take a lot of time and effort.

However, it’s not difficult to do. There’s no special hard-to-understand formulas for getting great photos of the Milky Way.

All it comes down to is planning the shot, executing the shot, and editing the shot.

That’s what you’ll learn how to do in this tutorial.

Let’s get started!

Planning the Shot

Get the Gear

One of the misnomers about Milky Way photography is that you have to buy all sorts of expensive gear to get a good shot.

Sure, fancy astrophotography gear is nice to have, but it isn’t necessary.

In fact, you can get great photos of the Milky Way with an entry-level DSLR, a kit lens, and a sturdy tripod.

No…seriously!

So, as long as you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a lens, and a tripod, you can proceed. 

However, if you want improved results, get a better lens, like a wide-angle prime lens with a wide maximum aperture of f/2 or greater.

Why? 

The larger the aperture, the more light the lens can collect, and the more light it can collect, the lower the ISO setting you can use.

Since higher ISO values are associated with increased digital noise, minimizing the ISO will be helpful in getting clearer, sharper Milky Way Images.

You also want to have a solid headlamp that will help you find those out-of-the-way dark locations for the ultimate in night sky photos.

I personally use the Petzl NAO + Headlamp, and I couldn’t be happier with it!

Not only does it pump out 750 lumens, it’s got smartphone connectivity so you can closely monitor how much burn time the lamp has left on its current charge.

On top of that, the NAO + can analyze the ambient light around you and adjust its brightness for the situation instantaneously.

That feature is handy for both extending the life of the battery and giving you the precise amount of light that’s called for in every situation.

I use this thing to illuminate dark hikes in the dead of night, but it can also be used to light paint the foreground of your images for truly dramatic shots.

If you want to maximize your time shooting photos of the Milky Way, get a solid headlamp like this one to help you out!

Find a Location

Ideally, you’ll be able to get away from the bright lights of the big city to take your Milky Way photos.

By reducing the light pollution, you increase the impact of the stars in the sky. That’s a good thing.

To find the darkest skies, use something like Dark Site Finder shown above, which allows you to search for locations and examine the light pollution in that area.

Another thing to consider is if you want a foreground, midground, and background in the shot.

On the one hand, having foreground and midground elements helps give Milky Way shots some context. That is, with the Milky Way extending over a landscape feature like a mountain range, you can more easily show off the size and scale of the Milky Way.

However, this isn’t required. If you want your shot of the Milky Way to be just of the stars, all you’ll need is a dark spot to setup your gear.

Keep in mind that in the northern hemisphere, the Milky Way is at its finest in the summer months. Also keep in mind the position of the Milky Way, the stars, and the moon in the sky, as well as when the sun sets at your desired location.

You can get all that information by using the Photographer’s Ephemeris, shown above.

Another handy tool to use when planning your Milky Way shots is Stellarium.

Stellarium is handy because it tells you where the Milky Way will appear in the sky relative to your location.

Just enter your location and the time of day you’ll be there, and it will show you the view you’ll see. Pretty cool, huh?

Quick Tip: If you shoot the Milky Way about an hour before the moon sets, you can get a nice glow of the landscape elements to add additional visual punch to your photo.

Taking the Shot

Figure Out the 500 Rule

The 500 Rule is an astrophotography trick that allows you to avoid having star trails in your photos.

When photographing the Milky Way, you want it to be the highlight of the shot – not the stars as they appear to move across the sky. Thus, the 500 Rule is needed.

Essentially, the 500 Rule allows you to calculate the shutter speed you can use to avoid star trails.

This is done by dividing 500 by the focal length of your lens.So, for example, if you’re using an 18-55mm kit lens, and you’re shooting at 18mm, you simply divide 500 by 18 to get your longest shutter speed. In this case, that’s 28.8 seconds.

So, for example, if you’re using an 18-55mm kit lens, and you’re shooting at 18mm, you simply divide 500 by 18 to get your longest shutter speed. In this case, that’s 28.8 seconds.

That figure works if you’re using a full frame camera. But if you’re using a crop sensor camera, there’s another step.

Crop sensor cameras have smaller sensors, which increases the effective focal length of the lens. On Canon cameras, the crop factor is 1.6x. On Nikon cameras, the crop factor is 1.5x. So, if you’re shooting with a Canon crop sensor, you have to multiply the focal length – 18 – by 1.6, which results in 28.8. Then, divide 500 by that figure, which results in 17.4 seconds. That’s the maximum shutter speed you can use to avoid star trails in that situation.

Dial in the Settings

Though each situation is a little different and you might need to tweak some of these settings, this is a good baseline from which to start:

• Shutter speed: 15 seconds
• Aperture: As large as possible
• ISO: 1600
• Exposure mode: Self-timer
• File format: RAW
• White Balance: Auto
• Image stabilization: Off

Quick Tip: Focusing at night will be nearly impossible because your camera needs light contrast to focus on the subject. As a result, it’s a good idea to pre-focus during the daytime before you head out. You can do this simply by selecting an object far away, focusing on it, and locking the focus by using gaffer tape to secure the focus ring in place. Also switch the lens to Manual Focus. That ensures you’re focused at infinity, which will get you the sharpest images of the Milky Way, and your lens won’t try to acquire focus on its own once you’re out shooting.

Take the Shot

Now that you’ve got everything planned out, you’re at your desired shoot location, and you have your gear set up with your settings ready to go, all that’s left is to take the shot.

Simply take the first exposure, and have a look at it on the camera’s LCD. Check for composition and framing, but sharpness as well.

If you find that the image is too dark or too bright, adjust the shutter speed as needed.

Remember, in our scenario, we’re using a kit lens at a shutter speed of about 17 seconds. Many cameras don’t have that specific shutter speed, so you might have to choose between 20 seconds and 15 seconds.

Naturally, if you choose 15 seconds and the image is too dark, try 20 seconds. If you start at 15 seconds and it’s too bright, try 10 seconds.

The point is that there will be some trial and error to get the best exposure. Just keep with it and be patient, and you’ll eventually get the desired results.

See the complete process outlined in this article in the video above by Roy Dufek with The Finer Photo. He offers these step-by-step guidelines with even more detailed instructions to help you get the best Milky Way photos possible.

Edit the Shot

You can edit your Milky Way photos in Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, or any other number of post-processing programs.

Naturally, the process of editing your photos will vary depending on the program you prefer.

What you will find regardless of the program you use is that the initial photo will likely be quite dark. But don’t worry, you can fix that.

Here’s a few things you might want to work on in post-processing:

• Increase the exposure to bring out the detail of the Milky Way
• Increase the highlights and white values in the image to further extract detail from the Milky Way
• Darken the sky surrounding the Milky Way by decreasing the black values and shadows
• Adjust the tone curve to bring out even more highlights and bring down even more shadows
• Reduce noise in the image by increasing the luminance
• Reduce chromatic aberration with lens correction

There are lots of other handy tools you can use in post-processing to bring out the little details in your Milky Way photos and complete your Milky Way adventures.

For an in-depth Lightroom CC tutorial, check out the video below by Rob & Jonas’ Filmmaking Tips:

This blog post about the topic “How to Plan, Shoot, and Edit Photos of the Milky Way?” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/7534-how-to-plan-shoot-and-edit-photos-of-the-milky-way

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-to-plan-shoot-and-edit-photos-of.html

Top Lenses for Landscapes with the Sony A7

The Sony A7 series of cameras is, in a word, incredible.

These full frame beasts pack a huge punch but are packaged in a tiny body, making them ideal for landscape photographers.

They’re easy to carry around, user-friendly, and there are a ton of lenses available for them for landscape photography.

Let’s have a look at a few of my top lenses for landscapes with the Sony A7 series cameras.

ZEISS Batis 18mm f/2.8: A Must-Have Prime Lens

As I noted in this article last week, the ZEISS Batis 18mm f/2.8 is a killer lens that has a boatload of features:

• Focal length – 18mm
• Max aperture – f/2.8
• Lens elements/groups – 11/10
• Floating elements design that minimizes aberrations
• OLED display on the barrel that shows focus distance and DOF
• Dust and weather sealed
• Weight – 11.6 oz
• Dimensions – 3.94 x 3.15″
• Price – $1,499.00 at Adorama

Obviously, many of the features listed above make this a fantastic lens for landscapes.

The 18mm focal length paired with a full frame sensor offers a beautifully wide view of the landscape.

The OLED display on the barrel is a handy feature with its focus distance and depth of field displays to help you get the focus just right.

I’m also super impressed with the weather sealing on this lens – I’m not at all worried about sand at the beach getting into this guy. It’s built like a tank!

On top of that, it’s small, lightweight design pairs perfectly with the small, lightweight A7 series cameras.

Add in exceptional sharpness and lightning-fast autofocus, and you have a recipe for one of the best Sony lenses for landscapes.

Get a complete review of this lens in the video above by Jay SonyAlphaLab.

Learn more about the ZEISS Batis 18mm f/2.8

Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 Z OSS: A Versatile Zoom

If it’s a versatile zoom lens you’re after, Sony’s own FE 16-35mm f/4 isn’t a bad choice at all.

Check out these specs:

• Focal length – 16-35mm
• Max aperture – f/4
• Lens elements/groups – 12/10
• OSS image stabilization
• Dust and moisture resistant
• Weight – 18.27 oz
• Dimensions – 3.07 x 3.88″
• Price – $1,348.00 at Adorama

Obviously, sometimes you need a good zoom lens because not all landscapes are conducive to zooming with your feet.

With a nice zoom range of 16-35mm, this lens will get you super wide shots all the way up to the familiar-looking 35mm range for instances in which you want to cut out clutter or focus the viewer’s attention on a smaller aspect of the landscape.

As you’d expect with something made by ZEISS, this lens is supremely sharp with virtually no distortion thanks to five aspherical elements, one advanced aspherical element, and three ED elements. That’s just all the more reason why this is one of the top lenses for landscapes with the Sony A7.

Like the ZEISS Batis lens outlined earlier, this lens is small, lightweight, and well built.

It has OSS image stabilization, ZEISS’ T* coating that suppresses reflections (perfect for those landscapes with lakes, ponds, and other water features), and is fantastically sharp.

With all those features, why wouldn’t you want this lens in your photoshoot camera bag? Plus, it’s about $850 cheaper than Sony’s 16-35mm f/2.8 version.

For a detailed look at this lens, check out the video above by Christopher Frost Photography.

Learn more about the Sony FE 16-35mm f/4

Sony FE 12-24 f/4 G: An Ultra-Wide Beast

If it’s ultra-wide landscape shots you’re after, the 12-24mm f/4 G is one of the best landscape lenses for Sony that money can buy.

With specs like those listed below, this lens is ready to rock any landscape:

• Focal length – 12-24mm
• Max aperture – f/4
• Lens elements/groups – 17/13
• Dust and moisture resistant
• Weight – 1.24 lbs
• Dimensions – 3.43 x 4.62″
• Price – $1,698.00 at Adorama

Since this is the shortest focal length lens you can get for a Sony E-mount camera, there’s no lens better-suited to capture ultra-wide-angle views of breathtaking landscapes.

True to form, this lens is impeccably crafted and offers top-of-the-line resolution from corner to corner at any aperture.

In fact, you’ll find that the refined optics in this lens allows you to photograph scenes with jaw-dropping clarity and sharpness.

This lens is also compact, lightweight, features a handy customizable focus hold button, dust and moisture resistance, and Sony’s Nano AR Coating, which suppresses reflections, flare, and ghosting.

This blog post about “Top Lenses for Landscapes with the Sony A7” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/top-lenses-for-landscapes-with-the-sony-a7

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/top-lenses-for-landscapes-with-sony-a7.html

A Step-by-Step Guideline for Long Exposure Landscape Photography

When you see a long exposure image like the one above, what first comes to mind is probably how beautiful it is. Unlike a traditional image, a long exposure is much more dynamic; rather than capturing a split second in time, it gives us a view of what a landscape looks like over seconds, minutes, or even hours.

After pondering the image’s beauty, you might have thoughts about how complicated it must be to create images like that. After all, what you see in the landscape as you’re creating the image isn’t what you end up with in the final photograph. That must be hard to do, right? Learn more about the best landscape camera on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

Not so! To think that long exposure photos are overly difficult or time-consuming is a misnomer. All it really takes is good planning, practice, patience, and the right gear – things that any good photograph requires. See what I mean in my video above!

Let’s review the essential steps you need to take to create compelling long exposure images of landscapes.

Step 1: It’s All About Location

The first step in creating a gorgeous long exposure image is choosing a landscape that is conducive to this kind of landscape photography. Long exposures are ideal for conveying movement, so whatever landscape you choose, ensure that there is something in the scene that will indicate the passage of time – a river, a waterfall, waves crashing on the beach, or passing clouds come immediately to mind as ideal subjects.

Once you’ve identified a location, think about ways that you can incorporate static objects into the shot to give the moving element a greater feeling of motion. Boulders in a stream, for example, create a nice juxtaposition with the movement of the water as it rushes by. A building set in front of a sky full of blurred clouds works nicely as well.

Step 2: Consider Your Timing

Because you’ll be working with long shutter speeds, lighting is a crucial consideration for long exposures. Shooting at dawn or dusk, before the sun rises and after it sets, allows you to extend your shutter speeds to highlight the movement discussed above, but do so without overexposing the image.

Alternatively, you can use a neutral density filter to make daytime long exposures a possibility. A neutral density filter blocks out light such that you can utilize a longer shutter speed. Neutral density filters come in a variety of strengths, from those that extend the shutter speed to a few seconds to those that make hours-long shutter speeds a possibility. As a general rule of thumb, a 10-stop neutral density filter is a good starting point for daytime long exposures.

When thinking about timing, you also need to consider the best time of day or year to capture the photo you have in mind. For example, a beach shot of the waves coming in would be best at high tide, so you’d need to know the tide schedule to capitalize on that. Springtime is when most thunderstorms occur in many areas, so to get a long exposure of a passing storm, you’d need to plan to be most active during that time of year.

Step 3: Get Geared Up

Aside from a neutral density filter, you’ll need a few more pieces of gear that are essential to a successful long exposure image:

• A camera body with the capability of long shutter speeds, including bulb mode. A DSLR or mirrorless body is a good choice.

• A wide-angle lens, which allows you to capture more of the scene, and thus more movement as well. This isn’t to say that you can’t create long exposures with longer lenses, but wide-angles are simply preferred.

• A sturdy tripod that will remain absolutely still throughout the exposure. A tripod with a center column hook is a great idea because it allows you to hang a bag to add weight, thereby making the tripod more stable.

• A remote shutter release is essential because it allows you to trip the shutter without actually touching the camera. This reduces the chance of vibrations, which can ruin a long exposure photo.

Quick tip: Remove your camera strap from the camera body before mounting it to the tripod. The camera strap can catch any breeze that’s present and cause the camera to shake during the exposure.

Step 4: Dial in the Settings

This is the most complicated aspect of creating a long exposure because every situation will be different. That being said, because the shutter speed is prolonged, no matter what the situation, you’ll need to adjust the aperture and ISO camera settings to ensure you get a well-exposed image.

Minimize ISO

Generally speaking, this means using the lowest possible ISO setting (which is usually 100 or 200). Remember that ISO determines the sensitivity of the camera sensor to light, so using the lowest value means that the sensor is minimally sensitive. Additionally, by using the lowest ISO you can will minimize digital noise in the shot, which looks like grain in a photo taken with film. The less noise there is, the higher the image quality will be.

Use the Smallest Aperture Without Sacrificing Sharpness

You’ll need to step down the aperture as well. However, don’t use the lens’ smallest aperture. As you approach a lens’ smallest aperture opening, diffraction, which causes blurriness around the edges of the frame, starts to occur. Instead, opt to shoot as near the lens’ sweet spot (it’s sharpest aperture value) as you can. This is usually in the f/8 to f/11 range, which is plenty to give you a nice depth of field while maintaining sharpness throughout the photo.

Manage Movement With Shutter Speed

The movement indicated in the long exposures you create depends on the shutter speed. For greater indicated movement, use a longer shutter speed. For less movement, like in the image above, dial in a shorter shutter speed.

Of course, the shutter speed you use will depend on the subject as well. Very fast-moving subjects, like passing cars on a highway, might be blurred with just a one-second exposure. Conversely, a slow-moving stream might require several seconds just to get a little bit of movement.

The point here is that the shutter speed you use will require a good bit of experimentation. Each subject will be different, and your creative vision will change as well. Just be prepared to try a wide range of shutter speeds before you begin to get an idea of what will work best for the shot.

Shoot in RAW

Where a JPEG is a lossy format – that is, some of the data recorded from the sensor is thrown out to create a smaller file size – a RAW file maintains all the information collected by the camera’s sensor. By shooting in RAW, you’re doing yourself all kinds of favors when it comes to post-processing because you’ll have much more data to work with. What’s more, you can make non-destructive edits to RAW files, so no matter what you do in terms of processing, the original RAW file will be unchanged.

Better still, RAW files open up many more possibilities for processing. You can adjust white balance, levels, curves, saturation, brightness, and correct for lens distortion, among other things, right from the RAW editor.

Step 5: Mind the Composition

Once you arrive at your selected location, take a few moments before setting up your gear to think about the composition of the shot. This involves a number of considerations:

• Where is the movement occurring? If you’re photographing water, take a lower shooting position such that you can incorporate as much water into the shot as possible. If you’re photographing the clouds, adjust your shooting angle such that you can capitalize on the sky.

• What elements of interest can you include? As mentioned above, adding static elements to the shot will help enhance the feeling of movement. Look for natural or manmade objects that you can incorporate into the scene to add interest, like the dock and the boat in the image above.

• Consider the foreground. Foreground interest will help draw the viewer’s eye into the shot. Leading lines, like the dock in the image above, are especially powerful foreground elements.

Quick tip: When composing the shot, think about how you’d compose it if it were a traditional, static image. Meaning, watch your framing to ensure there aren’t any elements like tree limbs or street signs protruding into the shot. Look at the background to ensure it isn’t distracting. Examine how any shadows fall across the scene and if they enhance or detract from the shot as well.

But, also consider how movement will occur as the shutter is open. In that regard, you have to anticipate where the object will be when the exposure ends. For example, if clouds are your chosen subject, don’t just frame the shot based upon where the clouds are at the outset – think about how far the clouds might move over the course of the exposure and frame up the shot accordingly.

Step 6: Process the Image

Though you should strive to get everything right in-camera, a little post-processing can go a long way to enhance the look and feel of your long exposure landscape images. Consider enhancing colors by boosting saturation or vibrancy. Adjust the levels and curves to create an image with a more robust dynamic range. If you find areas of the shot are too bright or too dark, try your hand at dodging and burning to create a more well-exposed image throughout. A little sharpening might be in order as well.

Ultimately, however, what you do in post-processing will be a personal preference that is as much your own creative spin on photography as it is to compose the shot in the field. Make the adjustments that you feel are necessary and create the image that you want to create. By following the steps outlined here, you’ll be well on your way to making long exposure landscape pictures that match your creative vision, whatever it might be.

This article about the topic “A Step-by-Step Guideline for Long Exposure Landscape Photography” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/7170-a-step-by-step-guideline-for-long-exposure-landscape-photography

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-step-by-step-guideline-for-long.html

6 Tips for Landscape Photography With a Telephoto Lens

For some photographers, the notion of shooting a landscape with a telephoto lens is sacrilege. After all, the majority of landscape photos are taken with a wide-angle lens, and it’s probably safe to assume that most landscape photography tutorials approach their teaching as though a wide-angle lens is the best choice.

But, as is the beauty of art, the decision regarding the lens you use is wholly up to you. If you want to shoot with a wide-angle lens, that is your prerogative. It is important to note that while wide-angle lenses do indeed offer wonderful opportunities for making landscape photos, telephoto lenses offer wonderful opportunities as well.

Benefits of Using a Telephoto Lens

One can argue that landscape photography with a telephoto lens leads to more creative and unique images, simply because fewer landscape photos are taken with a telephoto lens.

You can isolate certain elements of the landscape in the frame much more easily, as was done in the image of the waterfall above. By the same token, you’re more apt to eliminate distracting elements from the scene by using a telephoto lens because of its narrower angle of view.

Another benefit of using a telephoto lens for landscapes is that it compresses the distance from foreground to background. That is, in a photo of a mountain scene, mountain peaks that appear distant in a wide-angle photo become much more prominent in a photo taken with a telephoto lens.

As a result of this, landscapes take on a much different scale: rather than feeling wide and deep, they feel narrow and shallow.

Telephoto Tips

Naturally, the approach to using a telephoto lens will be different than a wide-angle lens from both a practical and compositional standpoint. Here are a few top landscape photography tips for maximizing the use of your telephoto lens for landscape photography.

Have Some Support

Blurry photos due to photoshoot camera shake can be a problem with any lens, but because they are so long and heavy, it’s more of an issue with telephoto lenses.

Use a tripod (or, for more maneuverability, a monopod) to give yourself the stable base you need to get sharp photos.

Better still, you can opt to invest in a tripod that converts into a monopod, that way you have the best of both worlds!

I personally use the SIRUI W-2204 tripod, and it has been a rock-star no matter what I throw at it.

In addition to the handy built-in monopod, this rig is waterproof and dustproof. That’s a big bonus for me because I shoot a lot of photos at the beach.

I just wipe the tripod down when I’m done and it’s ready to rock for the next outing.

This tripod is easy to setup as well – the twist leg locks make quick work of getting it ready for the shot while the big rubber feet give it a sturdy, stable base. There’s even metal spikes you can use to keep this tripod steady on uneven or slippery surfaces.

I appreciate the fact that it’s made of lightweight carbon fiber – the tripod weighs just under four pounds – but because carbon fiber is so strong it can hold nearly 40 pounds of gear.

That means that this tripod is the best of all worlds – it’s easy to use, packed with features, and durable as well.

But if the situation just isn’t conducive to using a tripod or monopod, find a stable surface (i.e. a bean bag on a fencepost) to give you some support.

Alternatively, if you need to shoot handheld, bear in mind that you need a sufficiently fast shutter speed to avoid potential camera shake. A good rule of thumb is that the shutter speed must be faster than the inverse of the focal length. So, if you’re using a 300mm lens, the slowest shutter speed you should use is 1/300 seconds.

Take Measures to Reduce Camera Shake

In addition to using some sort of support for your lens, it’s also recommended to use a remote shutter release rather than depressing the shutter button on your camera. If you’re shooting at a sufficiently slow enough shutter speed, just the act of pressing the shutter button can create enough camera shake to induce blur.

Furthermore, it’s also recommended to use the mirror lock-up function if you have a DSLR camera. Again, the action of the mirror flipping up can vibrate the camera and lens enough to degrade the sharpness of the image. By locking the mirror in place, you negate the possibility of that happening because the shutter is delayed a few seconds after the mirror is locked to allow any vibrations to subside.

Though it seems counterintuitive, the image stabilization feature on your camera or lens can actually cause camera shake when your camera is on a tripod. Any movement of the lens when mounted on a tripod will be exacerbated and result in an image that has notably less sharpness. So, if you’ve got image stabilization as an option, turn it off unless you’re holding the camera in your hands.

Choose Your Aperture Wisely

As is always recommended, keep an eye on the aperture you select when taking your photo.

Remember that as the aperture extends towards the minimum or maximum values allowed by your lens that sharpness is reduced due to diffraction. As a result, keep your aperture at the lens’ sweet spot, which is traditionally in the f/8 to f/11 range. Doing so will reap the benefits of the lens’ sharpness and will help get you images that are optimally focused from foreground to background.

Isolate Interesting Features

As noted earlier, the advantage of using a telephoto lens is that you can more easily isolate features in a landscape. For example, in the image of the forest above, a telephoto lens allowed the photographer to focus on this one small vignette in which the mist is interacting with the tree tops. The level of detail of the trees and the wispiness of the clouds makes this a much more intimate photo.

Better still, for all we know there might be a group of unattractive buildings, a highway, or some other unsightly object just outside the frame. But, because a telephoto lens allows you to discard distracting or unrelated elements, you can still create a gorgeous image, even if the larger scene isn’t all that spectacular.

When choosing elements to isolate, focus on things that add interest, depth, and drama to the shot. Leading lines, layers, textures, forms, and patterns are all excellent subject matter for a telephoto image of a landscape.

Look for Weather

Weather-related elements are a great addition to a landscape photo no matter what the focal length of your lens. However, the impact of weather on a landscape can take on new meaning when you can get in close and frame a shot that highlights the interaction between weather events and the landscape.

Fog, mist (as seen earlier), storm clouds, and lighting are just a few examples of dramatic weather that can make for a more dynamic landscape image. In the image above, the telephoto view of the countryside is enhanced with the fingers of fog extending between each stand of trees. Note as well how there are multiple elements that increase the interest in the shot – the colors of the trees, the leading line of the path extending from the foreground to the midground, and the soft lighting coming in from the left, to name a few. Each of these elements is on full display in part because of the narrower angle of view afforded by the telephoto lens.

Focus on Lighting

Lighting is an important feature of any quality landscape image. But because telephoto lenses compress the perceived distance between foreground and background, lighting is even more important because without direct light falling on some part of the scene, the image can be dull and fall flat.

Note that sidelighting is optimal for telephoto landscape images. As seen in the image above, the light falling on the mountain from the left side of the frame accentuates the ridgelines of its peak. This, in turn, gives the image more depth and dimension, making it a more interesting shot to view. Alternatively, imagine the same image with flat lighting from the front – it would be far less dynamic.

Final Thoughts

Telephoto lenses aren’t cheap, to be sure, but as we’ve discussed here, there are plenty of benefits of using a telephoto lens for landscape photography. It’s simply a matter of keeping practical and compositional issues in mind such that you maximize your ability to get the best shot possible.

If you don’t have a telephoto lens, rent one for a day and see about challenging yourself to see landscapes through a telephoto lens. You’ll likely find that it’s a fun activity, and one that benefits all of your landscape photos, regardless of the focal length used.

This blog post about “6 Tips for Landscape Photography With a Telephoto Lens” was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/landscape-photography/7218-6-tips-for-landscape-photography-with-a-telephoto-lens

Source: https://photographytalkcom.blogspot.com/2021/01/6-tips-for-landscape-photography-with.html