MINI COURSE TOPIC 4: Tips for photographing landscapes
One of the things that most travel photographers need to know how to do is take landscape photos. There are professional ways to do it to ensure you get the shot at the right time. It may take some practice, but you will get better as you learn more.
Find Your Location
Use Google Earth to help locate a landscape if you are trying to decide where to shoot. It can help you pinpoint a safe spot to work, away from traffic or roads. Also, it may have ground base images at points youíre interested in to give you an idea of what you can expect to photograph. If you have a GPS device or cell phone with an app, you can write the coordinates from the Google Earth screen to help locate the exact spot.
Tripod Helps and Try Many Camera Settings
If your camera has scene modes on its mode dial, just set it to landscape mode for quick set-up. This will cut off the built-in flash and any auto-focus assist illumination if present, and will have settings determined by the camera for optimum depth of field. The feature works best in bright daylight. If lighting is poor, using a tripod can help.
If Using Auto-Focus
When not using manual focus, set your auto-focus for wide-area - especially when using hand-held shots for landscapes.
Set Aperture for Deep Depth of Field
If your camera doesn’t have scene modes, adjust your aperture for long field depths to bring the foreground and background into focus.
Optimise Programmable Cameras
Nikon cameras have a menu-driven picture controls feature which makes it possible to share image processing settings among compatible devices and software. In P, S, A and M modes you can choose a picture control according to the subject or type of scene. In other modes the camera selects a picture control automatically.
Use LS Picture Control for Landscapes
One of the possible options for picture control is LS for landscape and cityscapes. It will enhance settings to optimize the image and share the data to computer software. Other camera picture controls can manipulate the contrast, brightness, saturation and hue data for further possible image processing.
For example, when contrast values between -3 to +3 are used, higher values help to preserve detail in misty landscapes and other low-contrast subjects.
Use external or Built-In Color Filters for Colour or Monochrome Contrast
Filter effects are another menu option. A yellow filter can be used to enhance contrast and tone down the brightness of the sky in a monochrome landscape image. Orange produces more contrast than yellow and red more contrast than orange.
Landscape photographs can be used in so many ways to earn money. You can have them put on canvas as wall art, and turn them into a beautiful calendar, postcards and more. Landscape photography will be one of the most important parts to learn with travel photography.
