MASTERING LANDSCAPEPHOTOGRAPHY

DAVID TAYLOR

Above: One of the pleasures of shooting landscape images is that you can spend time doing something pleasurable in a beautiful location. You also have a concrete reminder of that moment as a keepsake, in the form of your photograph.

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MASTERING LANDSCAPEPHOTOGRAPHY

DAVID TAYLOR

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First published 2014 by

Ammonite Press

an imprint of AE Publications Ltd

166 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XU, UK

Text and images David Taylor, 2014 (unless otherwise specified)

Copyright in the Work AE Publications Ltd, 2014

All rights reserved.

The rights of David Taylor to be identified as the author of this work have

been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and Patents

Act 1988, Sections 77 and 78.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior

permission of the publishers and copyright owner.

While every effort has been made to obtain permission from the copyright

holders for all material used in this book, the publishers will be pleased to

hear from anyone who has not been appropriately acknowledged, and to

make the correction in future reprints.

The publishers and author can accept no legal responsibility for any

consequences arising from the application of information, advice, or

instructions given in this publication.

British Library Cataloging in Publication Data: A catalog record of this

book is available from the British Library.

Editor: Chris Gatcum

Series Editor: Richard Wiles

Designer: Robin Shields

Typeface: Helvetica Neue

Color reproduction by GMC Reprographics

Introduction

Chapter 1EquipmentCameras

Lenses

Tripods

Other Accessories

Camera Care

Chapter 2ExposureFirst Principles

Exposure Meters

Exposure Modes

Aperture

Shutter Speed

ISO

Exposure Values

Dynamic Range

Histograms

Exposing to the Right

Dealing with Contrast

Chapter 3LightWhat is Light?

The Qualities of Light

Color Temperature

Time of Day

Weather & Light

Chapter 4PreparationThe Sun

On Location

File Formats

Picture Controls

Chapter 5SubjectsCoastal

Woodland

Hills & Mountains

Lakes, Rivers & Waterfalls

People & Animals

Sunrise & Sunset

The Seasons

Buildings in the Landscape

Bad Weather Days

Night Photography

Details

Panoramic Images

Chapter 6CompositionCompositional Rules

Aspect Ratio

Orientation

Visual Weight

Balance

Color

Symmetry

Lines

Creating Depth

Minimalism

Chapter 7FiltersUsing Filters

UV & Skylight Filters

ND Filters

Extreme ND Filters

Graduated ND Filters

Polarizing Filters

Chapter 8PostproductionPostproduction Fundamentals

Basic Image Corrections

Black & White

Output

Preparing to Print

Glossary

Useful Web Sites

Index

Acknowledgments

Contents

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6

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6 MASTERING LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographers often go through two stages as

they start to explore photography. The fi rst stage

is relatively simple to defi ne: its the learning

stage. This is when the technical issues involved

in making photographic images are grappled with

and mastered.

The second stage is slightly subtler. It requires

the photographer to ask himself or herself a

philosophical question: what kind of photographer

am I? If the answer is landscape photographer,

then this is the book for you.

Defi ning SkillsAll photographers need to know the basic

technical skills of the craft. However, as strange

as it may seem, this is actually the easy bit, as

theres a logic behind things such as exposure

or focusing. Even if they seem mystifying initially,

these skills can be learned.

Less easy to defi ne are the skills that need

to be learned once youve decided what sort of

photographer you are. A wedding photographer

needs to have the same basic photographic

skills as a landscape photographer, but that

doesnt mean that one would be able to do

the others job. Wedding photographers need

to be able to get the best out of people and to

have the patience and organizational skills of a

saintly general. Im full of admiration for wedding

photographersits not something Id wish to do

on a regular basis, if ever!

A landscape photographer, however, needs to

understand how the landscape is affected by the

weather, the seasons, and the light falling upon

it. Navigational skills are also useful for finding

Introduction

potential subjects, but above all, empathy for

the natural world is essential. Without that I

dont think a landscape photographer can make

images that will inspire others. Ultimately, to be

fulfilled creatively, a landscape photographer has

to move beyond being a mere technician to find

his or her own artistic voice.

Right: One aspect of landscape photography that I fi nd endlessly fascinating is the way the light changes

throughout the day, affecting the mood of an image.

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7INTRODUCTION

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8 MASTERING LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Slowing DownLandscape photography gives you permission to

temporarily cut yourself off from the modern world.

Being out in the landscape early in the morning

or late in the evening means youre often on your

own, with only your thoughts for company. These

are all good things: creativity requires a certain

amount of peaceful contemplation to fl ourish. Its

incredibly diffi cult to be creative in a noisy, busy

offi ce if others constantly disturb you.

It is important to allow yourself time at your

chosen location without feeling a desperate panic

to shoot. This means arriving in good time so you

can wander around, take in the atmosphere, and

allow your subconscious to get to work. In fact

theres something to be said for not shooting for

at least teneven 20minutes after you arrive.

Its all too tempting to fi re your camera like

a machine gun, hoping that if you shoot often

enough you will create at least one worthwhile

image. Dont give in to that temptation. A few

good images will always be more satisfying than

scores of mediocre ones.

This is another good reason to arrive in good

time: if youve got time to think and to contemplate,

youll panic less and shoot fewer images. An even

more compelling reason to slow down is that

every image you shoot will have to be assessed

and either rejected or processed at some point

in the future. Overshooting will expand the time

this takes, and this could be time better spent

outdoors shooting instead!

Left: Walking can be incredibly helpful to the creative process, particularly if you take time to look around you as you walk. This image was shot on an afternoons stroll because I did just that.

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9INTRODUCTION

Above: Landscape photography isnt an immediate social experience in the way that portrait or wedding photography is. The pleasure of sharing comes later, when you show your images to friends, family, or via social media. And your work should be shared: spreading the wonder of the natural world will encourage others to explore it for themselves.

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10 MASTERING LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Landscape photography as a genre is almost

as old as photography itself. This means that we

have our pick of nearly two centuries of images

to look at and learn from, and everyone should

have heroes and heroines to inspire them. The

Internet has made this easier, of course, but theres

arguably nothing better than curling up with a book

about landscape photography and taking in the

work of others. For me, this is a particular treat

on dark, wintry evenings when the weather isnt

cooperating and inspiration is lacking.

The work of a really great photographer, more

often than not, still seems like magic to me. I

somet