A new genre of landscape art, exploring the natural beauty of the world through camera has developed over the years - popularly referred as landscape photography.
This form of photography virtually encompasses every aspect of landforms, weather, and ambient light. It is all about capturing the essence of the scene.
Typically, people consider landscape photography, as all about Mother Nature, however this is not the truth. It also includes urban landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and others depending on requirements. Technically there are wide aspects to be discovered in landscape photography.
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You would discover most people assuming that landscape photography is far easier than other kinds and styles of photography. The reason being there would be nobody to instruct you on the subject and you can chose your convenient angle to shoot. Well, things are not always as easy as it seems, this form of photography would usually require you to carry a set of heavy equipments and have a keen eye to transform an ”ordinary” scene into a picturesque one.
The best way to evoke the mood with your photograph is to compose your image emphasizing on the subject. Make use of different lenses, different lighting (sunset, moonlight, harsh mid-day sun), and different compositions, which would support a particular mood. Now, if you have thought of a barren desert, consider shooting with polarizing filters at mid-day where the shadows are genuinely spectacular.
Styles of landscape photography
Broadly, you have three recognized styles of landscape photography - impressionist, representational and abstract:
Impressionistic – This form of photography involves techniques, which are expected to produce images that look more real and less obvious while still enclosing their values. So the viewer gets an impression of a landscape instead of a clear picture.
Representational - The representational style is also known as the straight descriptive style. This style of photography includes the sceneries in their natural form, without any kind of visual deception or tactical maneuvering. The style is purely unambiguous that is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get.)
Abstract – Basically, this is a graphic style, as the section of the landscape are assumed to be graphic elements and are arranged according to the compositional values. The shape or form is the major consideration. To achieve the required comparison or contrast, the elements can be juxtaposed by extreme close-ups or even generate silhouettes through under exposure. The design holds more importance than representation.
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Tips for good Landscape photography
Here are some of the techniques that will help you to improve your landscape photography immensely:
- To create depth, you would require the foreground, midground, and background all in sharp focus at the same time, small apertures (f/11 to f/22) and corresponding shutter speed for definite exposure. You can use the aperture-priority mode for the scene.
- The best landscape photographs are often taken through wide angle lens – most commonly used lenses are the 24 mm and 35 mm. Normally, you would find most photographers recommending the SLR or digital SLR as they offer wider range of lenses and superior quality. The wide-angle lenses also allow greater view of the picture.
- You should lead with lines into the critical part of the scene, as this will help you draw the viewer into the image. The tracks, riverbanks or fences can often serve as lines successfully.
- To focus attention on the main part of the picture, you must frame your picture with the surroundings like trees, hills etc.
- Look for superior film and filters. Nowadays a film can be used as it can record the pure color’s of nature. You must find the right ISO film in order to avoid the grains in your photo prints. If you are using a digital camera use the apt lens.
Tags: Photography
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