Landscape Design


Left Image:
Pentax 67, 200mm lens, Fuji Velvia, Bogen tripod and ball head. Average metering using Minolta Auto Meter IIIF, 1/60 sec at f-11.

Landscape photography is one of my favorite subjects and the most difficult. I can photograph wildlife, close-ups, or portraits and know instantly how I want to compose my shots. I always try several compositions, but I almost always have an idea how I want to arrange my shots. When it comes to landscapes, I need several minutes to examine the area to choose a starting point. The more I see, the more complicated it seems to get. A good landscape photograph is a simple one. What I always try to do is to include less rather than adding everything I see in the viewfinder. Have you ever seen landscape images taken by photographers who use large format cameras? Large format shooters seem to take the best landscape photographs. One of the reasons is that large format users are forced to slow down due to the slow operation of their equipment. Composing an image with view cameras which is upside down and reverse is difficult. However, it forces the photographer to pay closer attention to detail. Large format users spend time looking at the landscape before setting up their camera. They learn to see better and pick an area that is simple yet most powerful. Best images are always simple and to the point. Beginners feel that everything they see in a landscape should be included in their pictures. This is the wrong approach. It gets even more difficult with wide-angle lenses. With 20mm or even 28mm lenses, we see a wider view that can definitely work against us unless we carefully design all the objects we see through the viewfinder.

I rarely pick my lens before I walk around and study the area. I don't become too excited by seeing all the flowers, rocks, or vegetation. I look for colors and simple shapes. I start by looking for a strong foreground and then look for a background that I feel is not distracting and won't take the attention away from the foreground. Another words, The viewer should immediately notice the subject in the foreground and then look at other areas in the image. The main subject should stand out. Whether it is placed in the foreground or the background. Surrounding objects should not compete with each other. Lines, shapes, and colors should be kept simple.

Choosing the right lens is extremely important. Try several focal lengths. I examine the scene with wide-angle to short telephotos. As I mentioned before, wide-angle lenses can be difficult to work with. Check the edges for unwanted objects. Change to another focal length or move around if necessary to get the right composition. Focusing point and the f-stop you select is critical. Start by focusing somewhere in the middle of the frame at a medium aperture. Check depth-of-field by using the preview button if your camera has one. Single focal length lenses have hyper focal distance markings which are great for checking depth-of-field. You can quickly tell if you need to use smaller f-stop or change focusing point. Marking on the lens show the range of sharp focus at different f-stops. The hyperfocal distance is the distance from the camera to the optimum focusing point to achieve maximum depth of field. The distance depends on the lens focal length (f), lens aperture used (a) and the circle of confusion of the lens (c, which is a constant: 0.036 for 135 format):

Using depth-of-field scale on lenses as a guide is a
good way of checking the range of sharpness in the photograph.

Hand hold the camera and look through the viewfinder. Move around to find the best spot. Don't be afraid to get down low on the ground. Set up your tripod after you have found the best composition.

Canon EOS D60, Tokina 20-35mm f2.8 ATX , 1/250 sec at f-11, Bogen Tripod and ballhead

Photography is about light and controlling light. Pay close attention to the direction of light. Generally speaking, bright sunny days are not the best time to photograph landscapes. Direct sun creates harsh light which make the landscape look flat. Early morning and late afternoon are some of the best times to photograph landscape. Overcast days are also ideal times for landscape photography. Clouds act as a reflector that create even light which brings out the colors in landscape.

Studio photographers have the luxury of designing their own images. They can move the objects around and add or remove colors. They have control over light as well. Landscape photographers have to work with what is available. Have patients to look for strong compositions. Change positions if you have to. As long as the light is good and you keep the composition simple, you can record great images on film.

You can take good landscape photographs with any camera. 35mm and digital cameras are easier to work with. Medium format and large format cameras produce more detail and sharper results. 24mm and 35mm lenses are the most useful for wide-angle shots. You may want to try 20mm or even wider lenses. 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm lenses are excellent for isolating part of the landscape. Other useful accessories you should carry are polarizing filters for removing glare from vegetation or darkening the sky. ND-2 and ND-4 (ND stands for Neutral Density) filters which are half clear and half tinted are used for balancing the light in highlight and shadow areas in landscape and every photographer should carry them. Avoid special effect filters such as rainbow, star, fog or similar filters. Special effect filters are fun to play with but for serious landscape photographs avoid using special effect filters.

Use slow fine grain films or a ISO 100 to 200 on your digital SLR for best possible sharpness. ISO 50 and 100 are best for film photography. Use the film that gives you the colors you like. I prefer Fujichrome Velvia for landscape photography. I have shot Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film and highly recommend it for those of you who prefer to shoot black and white photographs. Kodak Gold and Fuji Superia 100 and 200 print films are excellent choices if you prefer print films. For digital SLR users, select the appropriate white balance setting depending on lighting condition. Play around with different settings to evaluate color and pick the one you like best.

If you are serious about landscape photography, consider medium format or large format system in the future. I guarantee that you will become better photographers with these systems. Medium format and especially large format cameras are slow to operate. You have no choice but to slow down. This will make you see better and forces you to pay closer attention to detail.