Travel and Landscape Photography

Dublin Camera Club

4 March 2020

Gerry Dwyer

www.irelandswildlandscape.com

Instagram: @irelandswildlands

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Intro - H ealth & Safety

• Don't take risks with personal safety• Wear the right clothing and footwear for the conditions• Know how to take care of yourself if you are in remote locations• Be wary of slippery rocks, hidden holes, very soft earth/sand• Don't look directly at the sun through your camera• Always carry a torch and fully charged mobile phone• Drive safely

1.Composition I

Think about the subject and what you are trying to convey. The di#ference between a “record [Snap shot] shot of nice scenery” and a good strong image of the landscape.

• Conventional landscape composition is a wide *eld of view

• Use the forground to:◦ Add depth and perspective◦ Position interesting elements◦ Draw the eye to a point of reference in the background

• Know the main rules – but don't be hung up◦ Rule of thirds◦ Diagonals and leading lines

• Consider where your horizon should be in the image◦ Central horizon not always the best option◦ A plain sky – maybe a higher horizon◦ A dramatic sky, or distant feature such as mountain range – maybe a lower horizon

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2.Light

Light is the single most important element of good landscape photography.

• The Landscape photographer often “chases” the light “The right place at the right time...” “The Golden Hours”

• The travel Photographer has the bene*t of “happenstance” - can be more dramatic than the cliches of sunrise & sunset?

• Understand where the light source is and how it is a#ecting the subject:◦ Sun is in a di#erent location in the sky in winter than summer◦ Sun arcs around the sky during the day◦ Softer and warmer light in the morning & evening◦ Long shadows of winter◦ High contrast of high sun in summer (weddings!)

• What if there is no sun?◦ The “softbox” allows the recording of *ne detail – The natural elements

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3. Composition II

Know some basic techniques:

• The “frame within a frame”• Using an element to draw the eye to

the subject• The rule of thirds• Looking around – Up/down/• Use the vertical format

4. Travel Photography

• Normally hand-held• Spontanaeity• Auto everything!• Higher ISO (usually 400 – sometimes higher if lighting is poor)• Check the histogram as you go• An unfamilar view of the familiar

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5. Equipment

• Having a keen eye – intuitive, but can be enhanced. Study good photographs. Follow some good photographers/artists. Visit exhibitions. Invest in some good books. Try joing some on-line critique communities. Be wary of competitions

• The camera is always relative◦ A wider *eld of view is better that a ?X Zoom!◦ Any modern camera will produce good quality images for screen and up to 10X8◦ Look for weather sealing and robust build◦ More advanced Features

▪ Ability to shoot RAW *les (software and storage needed...)▪ Interchangeable lenses▪ Higher resolutions▪ HD Video▪ Larger sensors (usually better than more pixels)

• Tripod• Polarising Filter• Graduated Neutral Density Filters

No Polariser:

ReKections on foilage and water reduced with polariser:

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6. Using The Camera

• Understand the three elements that make up good exposure (ISO, Aperture/F Stops/Shutter)

◦ Worth looking at how the mechanics of a camera works – old film camera ideal.

◦ In landscape photography, each of the three elements have an important role. ▪ Shutter affects the recording or the freezing of movement in the scene;▪ The aperture impacts on the Depth of Field of the image

• Convention in landscape photography is front to back depth of field (Sharpness)

▪ The ISO can impact on image quality – a higher ISO may result in more “noise” or digital grain in the dark areas. Often not seen until the image is enlarged or printed.

◦ Understand how the Histogram works:

◦ Understand how the view screen aids your photography:▪ Assessing Composition ▪ Asessing focus/dept of field etc▪ NOT for assessing correct exposure, or colour balance

◦ Understand whitebalance

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7. Composition III

• Balance elements in the frame • Using a strong colour• Leaving Space• High Key• Mood & Drama• Use the square format• Use the panorama format• Punctuation....

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8. Monochrome

• A scene that might look “ordinary” in colour can come to life when the clour is removed• Monochrome emphasises textures, tones, and shades and can add a mood• Convert in the computer – not in the camera

◦ After converting, an increase in contrast will usually make a mono image look more appealing

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9 Having Fun!

• Macro Photography• “Impressionism”• Multiple Exposures• Night Photography• “Mistakes”• Camera Phone• Film & cameras

(Holga/“Low Fi”)

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10. Further Reading/Resources

For Feedback & critique:

DCC – workshops/outings/lectures/ See Irish Photographic Federation (IPF) for other clubs

Landscape Resources:

http://photoephemeris.com

http://en.allmetsat.com/images/sat24_uk_vis.php

http://www.yr.no/place/Ireland/

The Luminous Landscape

On Landscape

Mountain Views.ie

Travel:

National Geographic,Travel Photographer of the Year

Location ideas: links Here:

http://www.irelandswildlandscape.com/links.html

Further questions? Please do send them to me at: info@ irelandsw ildlandscape.com

http://www.irelandswildlandscape.com

Insta: @irelandswildlands

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