Light: it's the essence of photography. For landscape photographers, understanding and utilizing natural light is paramount. Unlike studio photographers who can manipulate artificial lighting, landscape photographers must embrace the ever-changing dance of sun and shadow, turning it into an ally rather than an obstacle.
In this article, I share five photo editing techniques in Photoshop you can use to create better night photos.
Landscape photography generally embraces extremes of focal length, but somewhere in between is a middle zone that can be tremendously challenging.
Throughout my photography journey, I've encountered various mistakes that have served as valuable learning experiences, ultimately shaping my understanding and approach to the craft. In this article, I'll share some of these mistakes, how you can avoid them, and how they've contributed to my growth as a photographer.
Observing the skies and understanding the interaction between light and cloud formations are crucial elements in capturing breathtaking landscape images. This helpful video will show you how to improve your sunset images.
Time blending can create dynamic, visually compelling images. This process involves merging photos taken at different times to showcase the contrast between natural and artificial light, offering a unique perspective on a scene.
Landscape photography often entails a complex blend of planning, physical effort, and an intimate understanding of the natural environment. This dedication to the craft, from pre-dawn hikes to meticulous weather monitoring, epitomizes the photographer’s quest for the perfect shot—a pursuit that is as rewarding as it is demanding.
As landscape photographers, we hear it all the time: "Always use ISO 100 for your photos. That is the only way to get the crispest and cleanest image." Is this true, though? Should we be afraid of using a higher ISO? Or are there times you should use a higher ISO? We find out in this video.
Lightroom has some impressively powerful denoising tools, and they can help you rescue images that might not work otherwise. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to use them for landscape images.
Capturing landscape photography images is only half of the process. Mastering the art of editing will help strengthen your images by finding the balance between too much editing and not enough editing of the photograph. This video highlights some common editing mistakes landscape photographers make.
Whether to share locations in landscape photography is a frequent topic of discussion in landscape photographer communities. People get frustrated when they ask where a photo was taken and the photographer won’t tell them. Are they gatekeeping, or are they trying to protect the natural landscape?
If you've followed my writing, you'll know that I rarely pick up my camera if I don't have a contract attached to the action. Call it the joys and perils of being a commercial photographer. You get paid to do what you love, yet your love morphs into a duty and can lose its allure. This is why I surprised myself on my recent work trip to California.
Crafting the perfect landscape photograph involves much more than just pointing a camera at a scenic view. This fantastic video shares the process and will help you find and create better images.
The evolution of a photographer's skill set and perspective over time can drastically change the way they view their craft, especially in the realm of landscape photography. This video documents one such examination and some common mistakes that emerged.
Waking up early for sunrise photography sessions can transform a photographer's portfolio, offering unique lighting conditions and serene landscapes devoid of crowds. This practice is not just about capturing the golden hour but also about embracing the discipline required to seize these moments, for which you'll often be greatly awarded.
Access to key photographic locations is increasingly becoming a concern among photographers worldwide. As iconic landscapes attract more visitors each year, issues surrounding access, preservation, and management arise. This article delves into the factors contributing to the potential loss of access to these sites and explores perspectives from both landowners and photographers.
Mastering Lightroom's masking tools can significantly elevate a photographer's post-processing workflow, allowing for precise adjustments that bring creative visions to life without much work. This helpful video tutorial will put you on the right path.
Photographing a seascape with crashing waves along the shore and the movement of the water can be a challenge for a landscape photographer. This video provides several tips on capturing dramatic images from the seashore with an ultrawide lens.
Crafting a compelling landscape photograph is not solely about adjusting camera angles or positions; it's about conveying a deep, meaningful message through visual storytelling. Recognizing the intricate relationship between light, landscape, and atmospheric conditions is essential for photographers aiming to elevate their imagery.
Split toning in Lightroom offers photographers a robust tool for creative color grading, enhancing the emotional impact and aesthetic appeal of their images. Understanding its application can transform an ordinary photo into a stunning visual narrative, a reason why photographers should incorporate this technique into their workflow.
The transformation from an average photograph to a masterpiece lies within mastering subtle changes in composition and lighting. This fantastic video tutorial highlights the fine line between a compelling image and one that merely documents a scene.
While many have tips for keeping travel expenses low regionally, what happens when you start flying to landscape photography destinations? Things that work with regional travel don’t scale when limited on what you can bring. I have several tips for keeping travel costs low when flying to your destination.
I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for creative ideas for my next shoot. It's not always easy, and sometimes you just need to get to your location to find what you're looking for.
Embracing the challenge of dull, overcast days, this video offers a refreshing perspective on photography under conditions many might find uninspiring. Highlighting creativity over clarity, it suggests that less-than-ideal weather can be the perfect setting for exploring new photographic techniques and compositions, offering five different ways to approach such weather.
In the world of landscape photography, the conventional reliance is on wide angle lenses for capturing the grandeur of the nature. But the telephoto lens should not be overlooked, and this fantastic video tutorial shows you why you should add one to your bag the next time you head out.
Restoring colors in a photograph, especially when dealing with the limitations of ND filters and color casts, is a crucial skill for any photographer. The ability to manipulate and correct these aspects can transform a seemingly lackluster image into a vivid, striking composition. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to do just that.
Landscape photography transcends simply capturing scenes; it's about weaving depth and perspective into visuals that tell a compelling story. This helpful video tutorial offers an exploration of this concept, focusing on the most effective method to enhance the intrigue of any photograph.
Mastering landscape photography is something that requires more than just a high-quality camera. Understanding the nuances of camera settings and composition is crucial for photographers aiming to elevate their outdoor imagery, something this helpful video directly addresses.
Optimizing the initial stages of photo editing can dramatically enhance the final image quality. This helpful video tutorial offers insights into leveraging Lightroom's auto settings to streamline the editing process, particularly useful when dealing with complex lighting situations like sunsets.
Exploring new locations for landscape photography, especially in challenging weather conditions, offers a unique opportunity for growth and learning. Venturing into North Wales, this fun adventure provides insights into preparing for the spring season and adapting to the unpredictable elements, highlighting the value of resilience and creativity in outdoor photography.
Professional photo editing does not have to take a lot of time. If you have proper source material, all it takes is a few minutes and the right combination of tools to add that little extra that makes your photos shine.
Just when you thought raw images couldn't be improved any more with external software, DxO aims to show you they can make your raw files look even better.
Photographers are always looking for ways to improve their editing process. Often, a particular piece of advice is given to use a specific option in Lightroom to help nudge your photo in the right direction. This video talks about why you should never use that option.
When it comes to landscape photography or any genre of photography there seems to be nothing more grinding than someone telling you that they are better than you and when they go on to explain why. However, the nuggets contained here are indeed some of the reasons why some are better than others.
Great landscape photographers are distinguished not only by their stunning images but also by their approach to their craft. Mark Denney, a prominent figure in the landscape photography community, advocates for several principles that contribute to greatness in this field.
Photographers often chase the "best" camera gear or ask, "what settings did you use?" in hopes of improving their own landscape photography. Mastering your tools is an ingredient of stunning images but not the only one. Acute awareness of your environment is also a key component.
When I first started my photography journey, I was full of hope, excitement, and wonder about what adventure the day would bring me. The challenge for me was that it was just a day before I either had to head home again or find a place to stay, so I could spend more time in a certain location.
Burnout can happen to any of us, from hobbyist photographers to established professional photographers and everyone in between. Whether you feel like you are on the path to burnout or are already there, I have five tips to help you through it!
Capturing unique photographs in popular tourist destinations presents a significant challenge for photographers. The influx of visitors and fellow photographers can often clutter the frame, making it difficult to capture the essence of iconic locations without the distraction of crowds. This fantastic video tutorial offers some useful advice for dealing with the problem.
Navigating the complexities of landscape photography, particularly in the vast wilderness, takes more than just capturing images. It's about the entire journey, from planning and visualizing to experiencing the majesty of nature firsthand. This adventure, especially in remote locations like New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, gives you a chance to express your unique perspective and emotions through your work.
Color grading in photography is a crucial skill that transforms a good image into a keeper. It's especially important for photographers seeking to achieve a harmonious balance between different areas within their images, enhancing both their aesthetic appeal and emotional impact.
The process of photo editing can significantly alter the perception and impact of an image, and it deserves as much attention as the process of taking the photo itself. This exploration of how photographers at different skill levels approach editing sheds light on the nuanced journey from capturing to finalizing an image, emphasizing the importance of editing in the creative process.
Landscape photography often challenges photographers to find beauty and composition in less than ideal conditions. This excellent video tutorial ventures into a seemingly mundane weather day and showcases this skill, demonstrating the potential of "boring" weather to produce stunning, intimate landscape shots.
There is often debate about how much editing crosses the line of having an authentic photo. Does the image need to be straight out of the camera with minimal adjustments to be genuine? Does more editing ruin the authenticity? This video discusses where the line is for the right amount of editing.
Transforming a photograph from its raw capture into a visually compelling final product requires both vision and technique. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do just that with a woodland image.
As a landscape photographer who is addicted to the big vista, I have often wondered just how hard or easy it would be to force myself to only use one lens, and that lens being the 70-200mm. The versatility of this lens is fantastic, and many of you will know this already. However, the best thing about having my 70-200mm is that it's always in my bag and ready to be deployed whenever I need it, but what if I were only to have this lens?
I've looked at previous version of the Radiant Imaging software, which focused mostly on landscape images. This latest version, Radiant Photo 1.3, offers new portrait tools that focus on natural skin tones and Color Style tools that should simplify the editing process. It's a free update for all Radiant Photo customers.
Within the genre of landscape photography, there is often debate about how much editing is too much. When does the photograph go from natural to manipulated? Does it even matter? How much editing is too much for your photos?
Effective composition is a linchpin in the creation of compelling photographs, distinguishing memorable images from mere snapshots. This fantastic video dives into the topic and offers some practical advice.
Landscape photographers often speak about the advantages of scouting locations, but a certain creative energy can be lost with too much pre-planning. In this video, we follow along as a landscape photographer explores an area which has some benefits and downsides.
