Pointers for Landscape Photographer


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AngelZhou

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Jul 12, 2005
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Found this one from overseas photography forum. I'm not into landscape however I found it very good and inspiring. Share with you guys, hope can benefit you as well.

1. The best equipment you have is your eyes, heart and Mind. A pro Photographer with his/her less than US$ 200 pocket Camera can beat any Beginners with more than US$ 2000 equipment easily in making quality Photograph.

2. For Landscape, The best Zoom lens available in this planet up to now is your regular cheap fix wide angle lens (16mm, 18 mm, 20mm, 24mm) and your foot to walk closer/ further from your subject.

3. Trying to make good or excellent photograph is not enough. You have to aim to make a monumental photograph with your every shot.

4. Landscaper needs at least 5 legs. Three of them are your tripod's.

5. Look, feel, close your eyes, create imaginaton, open your eyes. Then Shoot.

6. You are a painter behind the viewfinder. Think like one, see like one, create like one.

7. Dont see landscape picture too much. Instead look for more landscape painting from legendary painter.

8. Skip any Landscape technic Photography class offered to you. Instead, take a serious class in painting about color, perspective and composition.

9. Only take your pocket camera when hunting with your fellow from local photo club. Take as much picture as you can in the location. Dont let their "show off" talk about equipment bother you. Go home. Examine your shot carefully and look for details. Make imagination. Choose an angle. Then Return to the place the next day when the light is right and shot your monumental picture.

10. The ability of the artist to breathe "life" into their art is the essence part of extraordinary artwork.

11. If you plan to edit every picture you took heavily with software. Just sell your camera and buy a good computer system and a pocket digital camera.

12. The more often you bring bad photo to photoshop, the more chance you have to become a really bad Photographer.

13. Get rid all your bad picture, bad poster you see, bad landscape magazine picture you read. The more often you see good composition landscape picture, the better chance you will have to become a good landscape photographer.

14. Patience is the key. Only take your shot at the highest point of your emotional curve. Ansel Adams would wait the whole season or year just to take one frame which closely describe his imagination. If he missed the moment, he would prefer to wait another year rather than taking bad picture.
 

thanks for sharing, angelzhou! they are very useful pointers for everyone indeed.

angelzhou said:
13. Get rid all your bad picture, bad poster you see, bad landscape magazine picture you read. The more often you see good composition landscape picture, the better chance you will have to become a good landscape photographer.

this point is quite subjective.

some people say, if you don't see rubbish, how do you know what is rubbish?

my work focus alot of catalog work/product shots. i'm advised to look at both good product shots (observe the styling, composition, lighting etc) and also look at bad ones and think how one can make it better.

i think the same can apply to landscape photography as well.
 

Stereobox said:
thanks for sharing, angelzhou! they are very useful pointers for everyone indeed.



this point is quite subjective.

some people say, if you don't see rubbish, how do you know what is rubbish?

my work focus alot of catalog work/product shots. i'm advised to look at both good product shots (observe the styling, composition, lighting etc) and also look at bad ones and think how one can make it better.

i think the same can apply to landscape photography as well.
Try to look at good pictures more offen, when once you spot a bad picture, you will know it is bad.
 

catchlights said:
Try to look at good pictures more offen, when once you spot a bad picture, you will know it is bad.

:thumbsup: exactly what i meant
 

Thank you.

An inspiring article that gives hope to alot of up-and-coming hopefuls.
 

Stereobox, actually somehow I agree with point 13.
I think everyone have their own measurement of 'bad' and 'good' photographs. However I think it's still better to look at so-called-good photographs.

I mean, imagine you are looking at a group of random passerby's paintings. Got this ah beng which can draw better than others people. You will consider "Ah Beng one good ah!"

While you are looking at another group of paintings by master painters and you spot one that doesnt look as stunning as others, you will say, "This one is not as good as others."

Yes, we learn from mistakes.
But I believe learning to spot imperfection for carefully done artwork is more usefull than learning from 'anyhow' artwork.

This is based on my personal experience when learning design. Instead of discussing badly done layout we gain more when looking at design with good execution.
 

catchlights said:
Try to look at good pictures more offen, when once you spot a bad picture, you will know it is bad.

agree with catch lights also. If look more at good pictures, once see the bad one, very easily to spot. Rather than look at bad bad one then good a bit we thot good already but it's just standard one - better than the rest only.
 

15. Stay away from all rules/pointers/tips that try to "help" your creativity by prescribing you how things should be done.
 

Someone just "blasted" me in another thread for being repetitive.

Since I am hard of learning, I will repeat some thoughts again on landscape photography. I had mentioned this before, and for those who had read it and think it was thrash, please move on. For those who think it is useful, ponder over it.

I am talking to those who do not want to take a picture of "yet another sunset. yet another rock.yet another tree". I admit that I am really bad in landscape photography. But I think the principle is relevant.

When one look at say, a sunset, and wanted to take a picture of this sunset. Before you take out the camera and put on that wide angle lens to "capture" that wonderful panorama, STOP.

Ask what are you photographing? Are you photographing the sun? the wonderful ways. The reflection on the water. The coconut branch? The boat on the horizon? the couple walking hand in hand on the beach?

Or are you photographing the tenderness of the couple bathed by the romantic light? The sense of majesty of nature? the smallness of man? the warmth of the last rays? or the death of light? Or the edge between light and darkness?

Meaning, try to photograph what you feel about the sunset. not the elements in the scene before you.
 

student said:
Someone just "blasted" me in another thread for being repetitive.

Since I am hard of learning, I will repeat some thoughts again on landscape photography. I had mentioned this before, and for those who had read it and think it was thrash, please move on. For those who think it is useful, ponder over it.

I am talking to those who do not want to take a picture of "yet another sunset. yet another rock.yet another tree". I admit that I am really bad in landscape photography. But I think the principle is relevant.

When one look at say, a sunset, and wanted to take a picture of this sunset. Before you take out the camera and put on that wide angle lens to "capture" that wonderful panorama, STOP.

Ask what are you photographing? Are you photographing the sun? the wonderful ways. The reflection on the water. The coconut branch? The boat on the horizon? the couple walking hand in hand on the beach?

Or are you photographing the tenderness of the couple bathed by the romantic light? The sense of majesty of nature? the smallness of man? the warmth of the last rays? or the death of light? Or the edge between light and darkness?

Meaning, try to photograph what you feel about the sunset. not the elements in the scene before you.

Erm, isn't that rather restrictive? Quite emotional, can do some tries though.
 

student said:
Someone just "blasted" me in another thread for being repetitive.

Since I am hard of learning, I will repeat some thoughts again on landscape photography. I had mentioned this before, and for those who had read it and think it was thrash, please move on. For those who think it is useful, ponder over it.

I am talking to those who do not want to take a picture of "yet another sunset. yet another rock.yet another tree". I admit that I am really bad in landscape photography. But I think the principle is relevant.

When one look at say, a sunset, and wanted to take a picture of this sunset. Before you take out the camera and put on that wide angle lens to "capture" that wonderful panorama, STOP.

Ask what are you photographing? Are you photographing the sun? the wonderful ways. The reflection on the water. The coconut branch? The boat on the horizon? the couple walking hand in hand on the beach?

Or are you photographing the tenderness of the couple bathed by the romantic light? The sense of majesty of nature? the smallness of man? the warmth of the last rays? or the death of light? Or the edge between light and darkness?

Meaning, try to photograph what you feel about the sunset. not the elements in the scene before you.

at times it can be the elements themselves that invoke the thinking process
 

Certainly many good points but still, never let them become "rules" that can't be bent.


AngelZhou said:
Found this one from overseas photography forum. I'm not into landscape however I found it very good and inspiring. Share with you guys, hope can benefit you as well.

1. The best equipment you have is your eyes, heart and Mind. A pro Photographer with his/her less than US$ 200 pocket Camera can beat any Beginners with more than US$ 2000 equipment easily in making quality Photograph.

2. For Landscape, The best Zoom lens available in this planet up to now is your regular cheap fix wide angle lens (16mm, 18 mm, 20mm, 24mm) and your foot to walk closer/ further from your subject.

3. Trying to make good or excellent photograph is not enough. You have to aim to make a monumental photograph with your every shot.

4. Landscaper needs at least 5 legs. Three of them are your tripod's.

5. Look, feel, close your eyes, create imaginaton, open your eyes. Then Shoot.

6. You are a painter behind the viewfinder. Think like one, see like one, create like one.

7. Dont see landscape picture too much. Instead look for more landscape painting from legendary painter.

8. Skip any Landscape technic Photography class offered to you. Instead, take a serious class in painting about color, perspective and composition.

9. Only take your pocket camera when hunting with your fellow from local photo club. Take as much picture as you can in the location. Dont let their "show off" talk about equipment bother you. Go home. Examine your shot carefully and look for details. Make imagination. Choose an angle. Then Return to the place the next day when the light is right and shot your monumental picture.

10. The ability of the artist to breathe "life" into their art is the essence part of extraordinary artwork.

11. If you plan to edit every picture you took heavily with software. Just sell your camera and buy a good computer system and a pocket digital camera.

12. The more often you bring bad photo to photoshop, the more chance you have to become a really bad Photographer.

13. Get rid all your bad picture, bad poster you see, bad landscape magazine picture you read. The more often you see good composition landscape picture, the better chance you will have to become a good landscape photographer.

14. Patience is the key. Only take your shot at the highest point of your emotional curve. Ansel Adams would wait the whole season or year just to take one frame which closely describe his imagination. If he missed the moment, he would prefer to wait another year rather than taking bad picture.
 

nuts said:
Certainly many good points but still, never let them become "rules" that can't be bent.

That's why I called it pointers instead of rules.
But eventhough I called it rules, arent rules are meant to be broken? :bsmilie: When the rule doesnt fulfil its purpose, we need to question it. Do we need to follow it? Why we need to follow it? So it become a process, not only 'broke the rules' for the sake of brokening rules.

thanks for sharing, student.
 

Excellent stuff and good guidelines for beginners!!
 

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