Some Thoughts on Landscape Photography
Larry Lindner – April 16, 2011
This summary responds to a request at our first meeting that I provide a short discussion of some of the basic things that I watch for when I set up to take an image of a landscape. There are numerous books and web tutorials available to learn about landscape photography and photographic composition which provide much more intensive and accurate information than I can with a short narrative. As I drafted this information, it seems to sound stiff, contrived, and long winded, but it really doesn’t feel that way when I’m in the field with a camera.
My personal image of an “iconic” landscape generally includes interesting visual elements in the foreground, middle-ground and background of a large area of land – preferably without evidence of “the hand of man.” Including interesting detail in all three “grounds” will generally provide tension and balance within the image. The intent is to provide enough visual interest within the image to keep the viewer’s eyes moving from one of the elements to another, but always staying within the image. Even so, care must be taken to ensure that, by including a foreground element, the image does not become cluttered or include large, un-interesting space.
My process begins when I see something that attracts my attention while I have a camera in hand. I look more closely to determine the specific elements I am looking at that I like. I consciously try to visualize how I can isolate what I like and whether an “in-camera-crop” would benefit the image by avoiding the inclusion of parts not needed for the image to have impact while being an expression of the subject. I generally go through a loose thought process that follows something like the following:
- What has attracted my attention – specifically? Is it the light, the color? Is the subject’s form, color or texture; or is it something more ephemeral like fog, atmosphere or alpenglow?
- How can I best capture the object of my attention? Which lens do I need? How much “zoom” do I need to use to crop out distractions to focus on the important; to “compress” the scene; or to capture the entire scene I’m interested in?
- Where does the camera have to be to get this “best” image I have been looking for, considering the light, lenses, distracting elements, etc.?
- Do I need to move closer, further away or to the side?
- What lighting do I need to capture the image with the most impact? This is generally a choice between side lighting and back lighting.
- Is there any opportunity to enhance the image by:
o Including an object in the foreground? Would any element provide either a diagonal or curved form or line leading into the image?
o Moving sideways to enhance lighting on the subject or to darken the sky?
o Zooming in or out to include the most dramatic element(s)?
- Are there aspects of contrast, axis, convergence, or enframement?
- Once I have the desired image in mind, what camera settings are necessary to produce the desired depth of field or sense of motion?
- Do I need any filters to: reduce light on all or part of the image, eliminate/reduce reflection and glare (water, leaves), improve saturation, balancethe light to correct for shadows, enhance clouds, or enhance texture.
- Are there other pictures not related to the ones I have taken that I need to capture? Where else can I move the camera to capture another, entirely different view of what attracted me?
Keep observing and studying the scene! After reviewing a friend’s images of the same scene I just photographed, I am often startled at the impressive images I could have captured with longer lenses and less foreground.
Definitions that may help with the above discussion:
The following information was extrapolated from Agricultural Handbook 434:
An observer sees landscapes in terms of form, line, color and texture.
Form is the mass of an object or of a combination of objects that appear unified. When seen in only two dimensions, we call it a “shape.”
Line is a point that has been extended across our vision, generally as a narrow linear “line.” It can be a row or sequence such as power lines, avalanche paths, boundaries of vegetation, tree trunks, road, stream, trail, etc.
Color can be bold or subtle and still enable us to differentiate objects with identical form line and texture. In large scale landscapes, the bluish haze color caused by dust and moisture helps us separate near and far objects.
Texture is the pattern – often repetitious - that our eyes see in objects or combinations of objects. This can be an assembly of forms, lines or colors. The dominance that texture holds varies with distance. In the foreground, we can see the individual leaves of a tree. As the distance is extended, we can only differentiate between large branches, then between individual trees and finally, between large patches of trees.
The potential visual strength of each of these elements varies greatly over the continuum of most landscapes. While all four elements are usually present, each exerts a differing degree of visual influence in a particular landscape. It may be that one element dominates the landscape or that some of them compete for dominance within the captured image. As a result, any of these elements may be the one that catches our eye in a particular landscape – and each of us may think a different one as being the predominant element. Ordinarily an individual’s eye seems to focus on one of these elements, which helps us to identify what attracts our interest us as an observer or photographer. This element then becomes the focus of our attention and the subject of our image. For instance, there could be a large precipitous mountain range that dominates one landscape, while the thread of a hiking trail dominates another, and the color and texture of a field of flowers is the reason we want to take a picture of yet another landscape. The photographer needs to be continuously alert to how these elements interact and form an image worthy of exposure.
Axis is a main line of direction, such as a road, stream or opening that leads directly towards the subject (waterfall, bluff, etc.)
Enframement uses landscape features to provide a “frame” on at least one side of the subject - like a picture frame. The iconic image of Yellowstone falls from Artist’s point is an example of enframement.
