Landscape photography is a challenging genre that takes the confluence of a variety of techniques, creative mindsets, planning, and often, just a bit of luck. It also has a storied history with a long line of master photographers. So, what can we learn from those masters? This great video discusses six tips gleaned from their work.
Coming to you from Photo Tom, this awesome video discusses the lessons learned from six master landscape photographers. I particularly enjoy seeing older landscape photography in black and white. Of course, that was often a limitation of materials rather than a creative choice, but it does not change the fact that it made these photographers instead focus on composition and light, which often really shows through in the images, as they often have a strong sense of drama created by the interplay of light and shadow. Of course, that is not to say we should all stop shooting in color, but it does suggest that maybe taking time to explore black and white can do a lot to improve our creative eye and way of seeing the frame. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out "Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi."
It's also maybe a good idea to look at a large variety of photos from the "masters," and learn that they shot a lot of crappy images too. Just like you and me!
I think I've just learnt to crush the blacks and add strong vignettes, basic composition aside. I jest but really this isn't AS applicable (note the emphasis on the AS) with colour when people nowadays want to see the details in the shadows.
I think that is obvious when I look at the prints that are selling well almost no matter who the photographer is but let's use a few well known landscape photographers that are often featured here : Mads Peter Iverson, Thomas Heaton, Nigel Danson and Adam Gibbs and I'll add one more, a gallery owner, Stuart McGlennon.
There is processing a photograph for yourself, for supposed artistic merit or peer review, and then processing a photograph for the general population (and no I don't mean instagram). It depends what the ultimate aim for your work is.