Landscape photography is an incredibly fascinating type of photography that requires the photographer to know the basics of not only photography, but also painting. Landscape photography has always been and remains a popular and interesting genre. Photos of architecture and nature are in great demand in the photography market.

Landscape photography with filters

Horizon level in landscape photography

When shooting landscapes, it is important to remember the level of the horizon, and to keep the horizon line level and not littered. This is especially important when taking photographs. seascape. There is a grid in the camera's viewfinder and display during Live View shooting to help you create the right horizon.

Clear photos in the landscape

Depth of field is an important factor when shooting landscapes. In landscape photography, photos are welcome where most of the frame is clear and sharp. To increase the depth of field, you need to photograph with a narrow aperture.

telephoto lens

To achieve the most wide angle For an overview, you should use the appropriate lens, or focal length, but a telephoto lens will also be useful when shooting landscapes. The telephoto lens allows you to compress the elements of the scene, bringing the foreground and background closer to each other. Thus, the mountain range and the foreground background will appear closer to each other, the picture will be richer. Telephoto lenses also help to focus on a particular subject.

Landscape shooting HDR

Exposure in landscape photography

Long exposure in landscape photography will allow you to take beautiful photos of moving elements. Waterfalls, waves and trees in the wind, and much more will look more alive and interesting when shooting with a shutter speed of a few seconds. It is known that the use of long exposures during the day can lead to exposure of the frame. It is required to set the aperture to f16, or even narrower. For best results, you may need to use a neutral density filter. Powerful filters such as the Lee Filters Big Stopper will allow you to use extremely slow shutter speeds even on the clearest day.

Tilt-shift in landscape photography

Tilt-shift allows you to combine photos with large and shallow depth of field. The effect is achieved by using lens shift and tilt. Due to Tilt-shift, the elements of the frame will resemble miniature models. This effect will look beautiful in landscape photography. If you do not have such a lens, the Tilt-shift effect can also be achieved with graphic editor in addition, this effect is provided in some cameras.

Black and white landscapes

If you have never photographed black and white landscapes before, but really want to try your hand at such shooting, then it is better to start by photographing in color. Once you've taken a good shot, convert it to black and white using Lightroom or Photoshop. So you get full control on editing the picture, and you can fine-tune to create a truly beautiful black and white photo.

Panorama

For creating panoramic photography do not shoot in the wide-angle position of the lens, this will distort the frame. Take pictures at a distance of 30-50mm. Yes, you will have to take more shots than with wide-angle coverage, but the panorama will turn out beautiful and natural. Many camera tripods have a tripod head for panning, but this is not always necessary in practice, especially if you plan on using software. latest version The Photomerge application for Photoshop will be especially effective in the process of creating a panorama. Panoramic experts recommend using manual settings- manual exposure, focus and white balance, to ensure maximum photo quality, and the same type of all created photos.

infrared photography

There are several ways to create infrared photos in Photoshop, but nothing beats making them yourself. Infrared landscapes in black or white, allow you to look at the world around you in a different way. To create such pictures, you need a special filter.

I tried to summarize my experience in landscape photography and give the most important tips for beginner photographers. I hope my tips will help you learn how to shoot a very beautiful, memorable landscape.

Landscape photography allows you to save memories of those rare moments, helps you mentally transport yourself to your favorite places. But it's one thing to shoot for yourself, and another thing is to convey the atmosphere of the place to people who have never been there. This is not for everyone.

We are used to living in cities, among concrete and glass. Many only occasionally manage to escape into nature, enjoy clean air, clear water and piercing silence. And that's why every date with nature seems special, you want to remember it for a long time.

1. Plan ahead

Strangely enough, the work on creating a beautiful landscape begins long before you press the shutter button - it begins with planning a trip. Wherever you are going to spend your vacation, in the Altai mountains or in middle lane on the shore of the lake, gather in advance as much information as possible about this place. Analyze satellite images and topographic maps - for example, you can use them to understand which mountain peaks will be highlighted at sunset or dawn. Find photos taken by other people in the area - even if they are taken with a soap dish, this will help you better imagine the location of the future shooting. Select the features of the area that are most interesting to you - it can be a beautiful mountain peak, or an unusual tree on the river bank - and concentrate your attention on these objects.

Lake Transverse Multa, Gorny Altai, mid-September.

2. Explore the area

Surely, many of you have found yourself in a situation where, at the sight of the colors of a flaring sunset, a person begins to fuss and tries to take at least something to capture the rapidly escaping light. In such a situation, you are doomed to failure. To avoid this, devote all your free time to exploring the area. If you are relaxing by a lake, go around the lake and look for places of interest on its shore (for example, rocks covered with variegated lichen or a stream flowing out of the lake).

Take a walk through the forest or along the river, climb higher up the slope - somewhere you will definitely find something unusual and beautiful. During these exploration walks, take test shots so that later in the evening you can review them in a calm atmosphere and choose the most interesting places for shooting. And when once again the sky lights up with sunset colors, you must stand at the point you have chosen in advance with the camera at the ready.

I found this vantage point after several hours of exploring the area.

3. Landscape is, first of all, light

Most amateurs prefer to shoot at noon when the sunlight is very harsh. In this case, the photos, as a rule, turn out flat, with dirty colors and excessive contrast. Meanwhile, the sunlight is most beautiful and soft during the regime time - at sunrise and sunset, plus or minus an hour. Try to shoot during normal hours, and you will see how your photos will sparkle with completely different colors.

During exploration walks, use a compass to figure out where the sun will rise and set - think ahead about where it is best to shoot sunrise and sunset. The exact time and place (azimuth) of sunrise and sunset can be found, for example, using The Photographer’s Ephemeris program (http://photoephemeris.com).

A dawn of rare beauty, taken by me in complete solitude - the rest of the tourists were sleeping at that time. When they woke up, they saw only the sky covered with gray clouds.

4. Photo equipment

Always use a tripod. If you have the choice to bring a tripod or an extra lens, choose a tripod. The tripod is able to turn the most a simple camera into a powerful tool that allows you to shoot landscapes in almost any conditions. It is desirable that the tripod allows you to install the camera at any height from 20 cm to 1.5-2 m. The weight of the tripod is not so important if you are not going to shoot in a storm.

I advise you to use a wide-angle lens, it is most in demand when shooting landscapes. For example, if you're shooting with a 1.5 crop factor DSLR, it could be a 10-20 or 12-24 lens; respectively, for full-frame cameras - 16-35 or 17-40.

A tripod is a landscape photographer's most powerful weapon.

5. Shooting from a low position

If you find an interesting foreground to shoot (for example, flowers or moss-covered rocks), try lowering your camera on a tripod. This will focus on the foreground and make the photo more expressive.

Shooting from a low position (40 cm above the ground) made it possible to focus on the flowers by visually increasing their size in the photo.

6. Depth of field

In a landscape, all parts of the photo should be sharp, from the grass in the foreground to the snowy mountain peaks in the background. Relatively large apertures, from f/8 to f/16, are typically used to achieve the desired depth of field. The larger the aperture number, the greater the depth of field. However, it should be remembered that when large values Aperture numbers (f/16 and above) sharpness can be significantly degraded due to diffraction.

The f/13 aperture made it possible to sharpen almost the entire scene from rocks to mountains.

7. Dynamic range

Dynamic range (DD) is the difference between the brightness of the lightest and darkest parts of the scene. When shooting sunsets and sunrises, the camera often cannot cope with a large DD scene, and white “overexposures” and black “underexposures” may appear in the picture. The easiest way to avoid such problems is not to shoot in backlight. For example, instead of shooting the sunset itself, try turning the camera 90 degrees and shooting mountains illuminated by the last rays of the sun.

The DD of this scene is much less than that of the sunset, which was blazing at that time behind my back.

8. Volume

A good landscape should have volume. Our eyes always see a 3D picture because we have two eyes. But the camera has only one "eye", so in order for the photo to become voluminous, you need to make an effort. The sense of volume in a photograph is created by tonal and spatial perspective. Volume can be enhanced by light. The greatest volume is achieved with side and back lighting of the landscape. Try to choose a shooting point in such a way that there are both close objects (foreground) and distant objects (background) in the photo. Ideally, if there is a smooth transition between different shots, for example, a stream flowing from the background to the foreground.

Spatial perspective makes the photo more voluminous. Sunlight, illuminating the ridge at an acute angle, exposes its texture.

9. Get up early, stay up late

Perhaps the most important piece of advice. Get up an hour before dawn and go shoot regardless of the weather. I know how difficult it can be to get up at 4 in the morning and get out of a warm sleeping bag into the cold air, but believe me, it's worth it. Similarly, an hour before sunset, go shoot regardless of the weather. Remember that gorgeous sunsets with rainbows happen only after the rain, and in order to take them off, you need to get pretty wet.

It rained an hour before sunrise. It was hard to imagine that literally in half an hour a doomsday of incredible beauty would break out over the lake.

10. Be patient

Beautiful light happens infrequently, and in order to wait for it, you have to be patient. No tips will let you create beautiful landscapes dozens a month. Even the best landscape photographers take an average of 5-10 days to complete a single shot - this time is spent waiting for the light. This should be taken into account when planning a trip - if you stay in some place for less than a few days, then the probability of taking a beautiful shot in this place is close to zero.

Lake Taiga Eye, Ergaki Natural Park

P.S. Ask your questions in the comments..

Exists Golden Rule landscape photography, and no matter how much advice you are given, without following this rule exactly, you will never achieve results comparable to the pictures of professionals. Landscape photographers can only take pictures twice a day. First, at dawn: it's best to start shooting 15-30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the brightness of the light) after sunrise. Secondly, at sunset. Why only twice a day? That's the rule. The fact is that only at dawn and at sunset can you catch soft warm light and light shadows that allow you to get lighting. professional quality for shooting landscapes.

The tripod is your best friend

Now you know the schedule of a professional landscape photographer: you need to get up before dawn and skip almost every dinner. If you have no problem with this, then it's time to reveal another important secret: since you will be photographing in low light conditions, you should always use a tripod. Every day. Constantly. AT landscape photography There are no pictures taken without a tripod. I must warn you that one morning you will definitely see an amateur next to you taking the same pictures as you, but without a tripod. He doesn't know yet that he will get the most blurry, overexposed and fuzzy photos of his entire life.

Tripods: The Benefits of Carbon Fiber

The latest models of tripods are made of carbon fiber. Such tripods have two advantages: firstly, they are much lighter than traditional metal tripods, and are not inferior to them in stability, and secondly, carbon fiber tripods do not resonate like metal ones, i.e. the risk of vibration is reduced. But there is also a drawback. As you might expect, these tripods are not cheap.

Aperture priority mode

For professional photographers-landscapers, the main shooting mode is the aperture priority mode (on the dial switch it corresponds to the value A or Av). The reason for its popularity lies in the fact that it allows you to solve creative problems. What I mean? Let's say you're taking a picture of a tiger with a wide-angle lens and want to make the tiger (in the foreground) in focus and the background blurred. In aperture priority mode, it's easy enough: set the smallest aperture value available for your lens (for example, f/2.8, f/4, or f/5.6) and focus on the tiger. That's all! The camera and wide-angle lens will do the rest: you will get a sharp photo of a tiger with a completely blurred background. Thus, you have just mastered one of the three main techniques for using the aperture. Low aperture values ​​(plus a wide-angle lens) allow you to focus on the foreground subject and blur the background. But how do you get a sharp image of both the tiger and the background if you want to see the tiger in the photo in the surroundings? The aperture should be set to f/8 or f/11. These two values ​​are best when you want to capture a scene as our eyes see it (without creative background blur). Distant objects in the background will be slightly out of focus, but not too much. This is the second method of working in aperture priority mode. The third technique is when you need to get the maximum clarity of the entire image: foreground, environment (middle ground) and background. Just choose the maximum aperture value (f/22 or f/36).

Correct composition

The next time you buy a travel magazine with beautiful landscapes or study the work of the masters of digital landscape photography, pay attention to images with vast expanses. You will find that in almost every photo there are three elements. The first one is the foreground. For example, if the sun sets in the sea in a sunset photo, then the image does not begin with the water surface, but on the shore. The coast becomes the foreground. The second element is the main subject. In the case of a sunset photograph, it could be the sea reflecting the setting sun, or the sun itself. The last, third element is the background. In the sunset photo, it is the sky and clouds. All three elements are needed to create an impressive landscape photograph. The next time you shoot, ask yourself: "What should I choose as the foreground?" This nuance is often forgotten by amateur photographers. Always remember the three elements of a landscape, and you will be able to convey its beauty and scale.

Another reason to take pictures at dawn

An additional advantage of photographing at dawn (and not at sunset) is that the water in the lake, river, sea, etc. will be calmer, as it is always less windy in the morning than in the late afternoon. Therefore, if you want to get a mirror image on the water surface of the lake, then it is better to take a picture in the early morning, and not late in the evening.

Shooting waterfalls

Want to get a picture of the silky streams of a waterfall or stream like a pro? The secret is to leave the lens shutter open for at least one or two seconds. Water will flow, and everything else (stones and trees near a waterfall or stream) will remain unchanged. The procedure is as follows: select the shutter priority mode (set to S OR TV on the dial switch) and set the shutter speed to one or two seconds. Even when shooting on a cloudy day, the shutter open for a few seconds will miss enough a large number of light, and you get a completely overexposed image. This is why professional photographers take pictures of waterfalls at dawn or just after sunset, when there is much less light. In addition, they use a neutral density filter. This is a special filter that is screwed onto the lens and reduces the amount of light entering the camera. Under these conditions, you can leave the shutter open for a few seconds. There is so little light coming through the lens that you get a sharply focused photo of the flowing water flow. If you do not have such a filter, but the waterfall or stream you are interested in is located deep in the forest (i.e. hidden in dense shade), then a similar effect can be achieved using a simple trick. Mount your camera on a tripod, set aperture priority mode, and choose the largest aperture available (f/22 or f/36, obviously). The lens shutter will stay open longer than usual (in dense shade, this is not a problem), and you will get the same effect of a "silky" stream of water.

Use a polarizing filter

When shooting waterfalls, you can use a polarizing filter instead of a neutral density filter. This allows, firstly, to remove reflections in the waterfall and on the stones, and secondly, to reduce the amount of light entering the lens, which makes it possible to use large shutter speeds. High shutter speeds increase the silky effect, so try different settings (4,6,10s, etc.) and see which one gives you the best result.

Want some great advice on how to photograph a forest? Don't take pictures of the ground. The ground in the forest is often not very attractive (fallen branches, rotten leaves - all this does not add to the aesthetics), which is why many professional photographers do not shoot the ground - it contrasts too much with the beauty of the trees. Of course, if the forest flooring looks normal, it can be added to the frame, if not, it is better to save the frame. And one more piece of advice. It is better to photograph in the forest on cloudy days, as it is very difficult to take a forest shot in bright sunshine. However, there is one exception to this rule: if there is fog in the forest on a sunny day, then the sun's rays breaking through the haze can be very impressive.

Skyline

The answer to the question "Where should the horizon line be?" simple enough. Do not repeat the mistakes of amateurs and do not place the horizon line strictly in the center of the photo, otherwise your landscapes will always look like Polaroid shots. First, decide for yourself what you want to focus on: on the ground or in the sky. If the sky looks great, make sure the horizon line is in the bottom third of the photo (emphasis on the sky). If land or water looks more interesting, then the horizon line should be in the top third of the photo. Most importantly, any of these methods will give your photo more depth and color.

Boring sky? Changing the rules

If there is nothing interesting in the sky when shooting a landscape, you can abandon the one-third rule and leave the minimum necessary part of the sky in the frame. Capture 7/8 of the land or water and only 1/8 of the sky. As a result, the audience's attention will be drawn to a more interesting foreground.

Summer is the season for filming outdoors. Many go on photo walks to take beautiful staged portraits. But how do you move from creating random everyday shots to conscious portrait photography?

This article is about shooting a staged portrait: one in which a person poses for you. But most of the above tips can be used when shooting reportage shots, without staging.

Where to start?

Of course, the best place to start is planning the shoot.

Arrange with the person you want to shoot. If a person is interesting and pleasant to you, then the shooting will be comfortable. Let's look at what questions should be discussed with the model in advance.

photography concept. Discuss with the model what image you want to show in the photo (for example, romantic or fabulous). Think about the nature of the model.

Shooting location. The selection of a location (a slang word from the English location - the place in which the shooting takes place) should be treated with special attention. After all, the area in which you shoot can help reveal the plot of the pictures, the image and character of the model.

We especially note that the selected location must meet a number of criteria. For example, there should not be a ban on filming. It is advisable to choose a time when the planned shooting location has the least number of passers-by. Good places for a photo shoot will be parks, estates (open to the public), streets in the city center.

Many photographers specifically select "secret" locations for shooting - those that are not known to other photographers. In our lessons, we have repeatedly touched on the topic of choosing locations for shooting. Programs also help in the search - with the help of them we can find out what a particular place looks like without coming there. Before shooting, it is recommended to conduct reconnaissance on the ground yourself.

Choose locations that are easy and convenient to get to.

• We agree with the model. Immediately agree with the model on the timing and procedure for obtaining photos (even if the model is your close friend).

Quantity finished photos difficult to predict. It all depends on the circumstances: how lucky you are with the place and the weather, how smoothly you can work with the model. About some general rules it's hard to say, but most often they agree on 10-20 processed frames from a photo shoot, the delivery time does not exceed a month.

All frames from the shooting (source files) are usually not given to the models, because the selection the best photos the author must do. Picking the best shots is as hard a skill as taking a photo. The ability to select photographs needs to be improved in the same way as your creative vision.

When discussing future shooting, the most important thing is to establish contact with the model. It is a good psychological contact with your hero that will allow you to take expressive pictures.

• When should you pay for filming? Of course, the decision is yours alone. I will describe my opinion on this matter. The money for shooting is taken by a specialist who provides services to a less experienced person. Let's say you are a professional photographer, and your model is just a girl from a neighboring entrance who has nothing to do with photography. Then you will not have to create with it, namely to work. And they take money for work. If your experience in photography is the same as that of your model, then it is quite possible to agree on the terms of TFP (Time For Prints - time for pictures).

The terms denoted by the abbreviation TFP mean not just “free” shooting, but the joint work of two equal specialists aimed at a qualitative result. If you don't make a living from photography, I recommend limiting yourself to shooting interesting, pleasant people in TFP - you will get not only pleasure, but also really good shots.

• What time of day is best to take pictures? When photographing outdoors, we can only control the lighting to a very limited extent (using flashes and a reflector). To create beautiful shots, you need to adapt not to your circumstances, but to the sunlight mode.

It is best to take pictures during the regime time - in the morning or evening hours; when the Sun is low above the horizon and gives spectacular, voluminous lighting. But sunny afternoon is not the best time for shooting. The model will squint, hard dark shadows will appear on her face, and the lighting itself in the frame will look dull and flat. Cloudy days work well for portrait photography. When the sky is covered with clouds, you can take pictures all day - the light will be diffused, pleasing to the eye.

What photography equipment do you need?

Portrait photography is good because it requires a minimum of photographic equipment. It is enough to have a SLR camera and a fast lens.

Why do you need a SLR? It is very easy to operate, it is convenient to hold it in your hand. And of course, it has a large-sized matrix, which will provide not only excellent image quality, but also allow you to beautifully blur the background in the picture. APS-C (cropped) DSLRs are affordable and easy to operate. These include Nikon D3200, Nikon D3300, Nikon D5300, Nikon D5500. Cameras with full-frame sensors are more expensive, they are designed for an advanced user. This class includes models Nikon D610, Nikon D750, Nikon D810, Nikon Df.

All reflex cameras have interchangeable lenses. It is important to choose the right optics for shooting a portrait. Of course, you can start with a universal "whale" lens. But many photographers are quickly moving to more specialized optics. First of all, this includes high-aperture fixed lenses. A classic choice for portraits is a 50mm lens (such as the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G Nikkor). It is relatively inexpensive, it is convenient to use it on both cropped and full-frame cameras. If you want to shoot full-length portraits with part of the landscape included in the frame, it is better to choose a wider-angle lens with a focal length of 28 (for crop) or 35mm (for full frame).

NIKON D810 / 35.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 64, F1.4, 1/200 s, 35.0 mm equiv.

Note that when shooting at close range, such lenses will distort the proportions of the face and body of a person.

Classic portrait lenses are considered lenses with a focal length of 85 mm (for example, Nikon AF-S 85mm f / 1.8G Nikkor). But they are more suitable for full-frame devices, and on the “crop” they will “zoom in” too much.

Everything except the camera and lens is optional and depends on the author's creative ideas and shooting style.

NIKON D810 / 50.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 31, F1.4, 1/320 s, 50.0 mm equiv.

When shooting portraits, they usually photograph on open apertures- so it turns out to blur the background, separating our hero from him. In addition, with an open aperture, it will be possible to make better shots in low light conditions. Aperture can be conveniently adjusted in modes A and M.

How to make a frame darker or lighter? Use exposure compensation. This is the easiest way to correctly change the brightness of the resulting photos.

Learn to Focus Accurately. This is especially important when working with fast optics. If the aperture values ​​are F1.4-F2.8, then it is very easy to miss focusing. As a result, your character's face will be blurry. Learn how your camera selects focus points. With high-aperture optics, it is convenient to work in single-point focusing mode, focusing on the eyes of the model.

It is also necessary to monitor exposure. At too long a shutter speed, the model will “smear” from its own movements, a “shake” will appear in the photo. The best thing take pictures at shutter speeds shorter than 1/125 s, this will insure against strong blurring of the image. If you are shooting with a telephoto lens, or if your character is in constant motion (running, jumping), it is better to use a shutter speed faster than 1/250 s.

Portrait photography often involves the processing of photographs. It can be as simple as white balance correction, as well as retouching images, removing skin defects and serious color correction. Therefore, it is desirable take pictures in RAW format in order to provide yourself with greater freedom for creativity during processing.

From what distance to take a portrait? Keep a distance so that the proportions of the face and body of the person in the frame are not distorted. Photographing is the best from a distance of at least 2-3 meters. The size of the plan can be changed by choosing the focal length.

Many photographers are fanatically chasing beautifully blurred backgrounds (bokeh) and "unique lens patterns". But it must be remembered that main character in the frame - a man. Pay less attention to technical refinements and leave more time to work with the model and the plot of the frame. This is the way to expressive photographs. Beautiful portraits can be made even with the simplest technique, if you approach shooting with soul.

If you decide to use manual focus lenses, then keep in mind that it will be extremely difficult to accurately focus with them. If the model is relatively stationary, you can focus through the Live View screen. Shooting through it (with zoom) will allow you to focus more accurately.

NIKON D810 / 50.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2.8, 1/320 s, 50.0 mm equiv.

There are a lot of different approaches and styles of shooting staged portraits. We recently had a tutorial with basic creative tips for beginner photographers. These tips are quite relevant for shooting a portrait. And here are some more useful tips for creating expressive portraits:

A portrait photographer should be able to win over people, interest them, inspire them. If there is mutual understanding between the photographer and his hero, during the photo shoot you will be able to take a lot of good shots.

Explain the essence of the frames to the model, tell us what you want to see in the photo. It is possible not in words: show by your own example, make sketches on paper, offer an associative series. Perhaps you remember a suitable image from some famous movie or book. The ability to explain your intention is an important skill for a photographer. Of course, in order to be able to do this, you will first have to think carefully about the essence of what you are photographing.

It's good when the result of portrait shooting is not one frame, but a small series of shots, united by a common idea, history, style.

The staging does not cancel the life and emotions in the frame. It only determines the plot in which our hero lives. Talk to the model, try to evoke the right emotions in her. Offering clear, strictly defined poses for shooting is not the best option. Most likely, with this approach, the model in the picture will turn out to be clamped.

NIKON D810 / 85.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 900, F1.4, 1/160 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

A similar tip for photographing children: don't expect children to be arranged like puppets. Come up with a plot, a general outline of the shooting and combine it with a child's game to keep them interested. Play, communicate with the child. Pick up funny accessories for the photo shoot: interesting clothes, toys, etc.

Look for diffuse side lighting. If the shooting takes place during regime time, you can try backlighting.

• A series of portrait photos (photoset) can be supplemented with other interesting pictures - for example, take a picture of the model's hands.

NIKON D810 / 35.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 64, F1.4, 1/400 s, 35.0 mm equiv.

Praise the model! Do not forget to celebrate her successful actions. Point to what you like. This will help to find contact, to liberate your hero. If something doesn’t go the way you planned, then it’s better not to blame, but to talk in a friendly way about your vision of the frame.

Use elementary layout rules. Compose the frame according to the rule of thirds, do not "cut off" the limbs of your hero at the joints, leave more space in the direction of the model's gaze. Of course, these rules can and should be broken sometimes. But it is important to understand that the one who knows and understands them well breaks the rules effectively.

It is believed that it is most beneficial to photograph a person at the level of his eyes (yes, when shooting children, you will need to sit down). Let this be your starting point in choosing an angle. It is important to consider that people have different faces, so in each case, the shooting point can be taken lower or higher.

NIKON D810 / 85.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 31, F1.4, 1/320 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

Tip that has become traditional - do not be afraid to experiment! All good photographers did not immediately come to their style of shooting. Think creatively, but don't forget theory! And you will certainly succeed.

Today we are going to talk about landscape photography. I have prepared a special video. Readers below will find information from the video in text form.

Hi all! Shooting in any genre has a number of features. Landscape photography is no exception. Today we're going to talk about the 7 main points you need to remember when shooting a landscape.

1: Use the right light
Most beginners shoot landscapes when it's convenient for them, and most often this happens during the day. But this approach is not correct. Professional landscape painters know how important the role of light is. That is why they try to take their photos after dawn or before sunset, during the so-called "golden hour", when the light from the sun is as soft as possible. In order to determine the "golden hour", you can use the application on your smartphone - it will show both the time of sunset / dawn, and the best shooting time. If there is no possibility or desire to use the application, then it is enough just to find out when, for example, dawn will be and count one hour from it - this will approximately be the “golden hour”. The same with sunset - the hour before it is called "golden". In fact, it is usually a little more or less than an hour and this can be seen if you use an exact calculation - the option described earlier is also suitable for the eye.

So, the "golden hour" is the best time to shoot a landscape. Beginners make two kinds of timing mistakes - shooting during the day (at noon) or shooting after sunset/before dawn (during twilight or even in the dark). Of course, you shouldn't do that. In the daytime, we have too harsh lighting and problems with shadows because of this. And at dusk and in the dark, on the contrary, there is not enough light to shoot the landscape. This does not mean that under the described shooting conditions it is impossible to obtain high quality photos- I'm just saying that it's much more difficult to do.

2: Don't forget the rule of thirds
The rule of thirds is a simplified rule of the golden ratio. We divide the frame with three lines into equal parts horizontally and vertically. At intersection points and on lines, it is recommended to place subjects to draw attention to them. In addition, the rule of thirds is used to set the correct ratio of the earth and sky in the frame. Usually it is 1 to 2. That is, either 1/3 of the frame is occupied by the sky, and 2/3 by the earth, or vice versa. This is a very simple rule that all beginners should master.

3: Don't fill up the horizon
Seriously, it's not worth it. Yes, there are creative ideas when you need to tilt the horizon line. But more often than not, it's inappropriate. At the same time, this error is striking when viewing the landscape, first of all - and even people who are far from photography very often notice this drawback.

4: Remember Composition
Of course, going out into the field and taking a picture of the sky and the forest on the horizon is sacred, but still, you should be more attentive to the composition and frame construction. You need to understand that good landscape shots are rarely one-dimensional. The thing is that if there is only one plan in a landscape photo, then such a photo looks flat. According to a number of professional photographers, there should be three plans in a landscape shot - foreground, middle and back. Then the photo looks voluminous and interesting. For example, when photographing the sea, you can put a stone in the foreground, water (waves) in the middle, and the dawn sky in the background. I think you have all seen similar pictures on the Internet. They look interesting and voluminous.

5: Use the correct camera settings
When shooting a landscape, you need to cover the aperture to values ​​​​from 5.6 to 11. Approximately. Because our task is to get maximum sharpness and detail. At an open aperture, it is more difficult to get sharpness throughout the frame, and most lenses usually do not achieve maximum sharpness at such values. That is, you should not shoot a landscape at f / 1.4. Just like f / 32 - because the image quality starts to deteriorate due to diffraction. The second point is ISO. It is recommended to set the minimum value. Usually this is ISO 100. On some cameras it is ISO 200.

6: Experiment with focal length
Many people think that you need to shoot a landscape at the smallest possible focal length that is available for your lens. That is, if it is an 18-55mm lens, then you need to shoot at 18mm. This is absolutely not true. The choice of focal length should depend on the composition and the frame you want to capture. Travel photographers shoot landscapes with long lenses (like 70-200mm) and get amazing perspective images. There are landscape painters who shoot landscapes exclusively for fifty dollars - it seems more convenient to them. In general, you should not go in cycles in the widest possible angle.

7: Use a tripod
I have already said that it is recommended to use ISO 100 and a smaller aperture for shooting. But how in such conditions not to get a stir, especially when shooting sunrises / sunsets? It's simple - you need to use a tripod, without it in landscape photography, nowhere.

Conclusion

And that's all I wanted to tell you about shooting landscapes today. This information is enough for you to improve the quality of your pictures. If you already know about everything I've talked about here and follow these rules, then I can only congratulate you - apparently, you are already well versed in landscape photography. And that's all for today, be sure to subscribe to our channel, put likes, follow the updates in