This Spring's Awesome Feature - Landscape Photography
Have you ever experienced this: you are traveling through some of the most scenic terrain that you have ever seen, you hurriedly get out and snap photographs the most beautiful overlooks. She then you get home only to find that the pictures you took filled to retain any of the natural beauty that awed you in the original scene.
You are so excited to show your friends these wonderful pictures and then you look at them and are horrified. Although the elements remain there is nothing in the picture that evokes the emotions you felt when you first viewed the scene. You are at a loss to understand why? Where did you go wrong?
There are several reasons this could be happening with the following tips you could greatly improve your clarity beauty and emotional impact of your landscape photography.
Let’s start with the basics, “The Camera”
The right camera can make a big difference in the quality of your photograph. For one thing you may not always be in a vehicle. This means that you have to carry around the equipment. Here are the top three things that should be considered when making a camera choice.
- Lens – weight and size
- Camera – weight and size
- Image –quality and size
Why are these 3 factors so important? Well consider that you may have to walk up to 10 miles to get a great group of shots. Now think about it, the weight of the lenses, camera, tripod, water and such could easily add up to more than 20lbs. Before you run out and buy that great camera, bag and other accessories you really need to keep this in mind. You will want to purchase smaller cameras and lenses, smaller filters and a smaller tripod, bearing in mind that they need to have all of the functionality of a larger camera.
If you compare the Nikon D 7000 with the very capable Sony Nex 7 you will see that the smaller camera is comparable to the Nikon and both have the APS – C sensors. It might surprise you that the smaller Nex 7 has a letter you save size sensor as the largest ever so your pixels will be slightly larger, but the D 7000 is said to have better noise reduction. When it comes to lenses the Nex 7 lenses are again have to size, but instead of being made of plastic like the Nikon they are made from metal so can be just as heavy. As with anything. There are pros and cons of both sides, but something similar to the Nex 7 by Sony would be a better choice.
A tripod is very necessary when shooting landscapes, although some will benefit from being shot from a handheld position. Shooting landscapes can be very complex. This is especially true when trying to figure out how to best capture and present them. A tripod will give you the ability to shoot at low ISO so that you get great image quality. Again it comes down to weight and starting with a more compact camera will allow you to also begin on the right foot. You can now purchase that lightweight compact tripod. There is a great one made by Benro, the Travel Angel that weighs less than 4 pounds. This is what you have to think about when you are considering a long hike or a trek up the side of mountain to get a perfect shot.
In order for an image to show depth you have to keep as much as possible in focus, this is done typically with a F/11 – F/16 on the lens. The Tonika 11-16mm is great at F/11 and this is where you should leave it unless you are trying for a specific type of shot. There is one thing that you have to keep in mind, this will mean that you need more exposure time in low light and a tripod or you could just boost the ISO. However, boosting the ISO may not give you the quality that you want for photographs that will be used for print or sale.
Time is one of the elements that you do not have to buy and it is the most crucial for landscape photography. Take the time to scout out locations, especially if you are in an area for the first time. Drive or hike around the area, look for different and interesting vantage points from which to photograph the same scene. Look at the same location at various times of the day. The light and shadows will be vastly different.
Conclusion
As you can see there is a lot to more to landscape photography than just pointing and shooting. Choosing the right setup and this could double not only the quality of the pictures but enhance your enjoyment of the task. The last bit of advice is one that you will find the most exciting and that is to just get out and start taking pictures. Using a digital camera allows you to see your handy work immediately, making slight adjustments will surely get the right one.
