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Popular articles. Landscape Photography in the Lofoten Islands of Norway With its dramatic and largely untouched Arctic landscape and immensely scenic viewpoints, Lofoten is arguably one of the best locations in the world in regards to photography.
Adding the midnight sun Interview with Erin Babnik Landscape photography is as much of an art form as any other genre; just ask Erin Babnik, one of the leaders in the genre in the present day.
This artist, educator, writer and speaker is not only kn The Best Places to Photograph Puffins in Iceland Iceland has one of the greatest puffin colonies in the world, and it is estimated that between 8 and 10 million birds inhabit the island.
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Other interesting articles. How to Get Creative with a Fisheye Lens There is a certain mystery that surrounds the use of fisheye lenses. Those who have them swear by their creative purposes, while others may view a fisheye as more of a toy lens than a tool for serio Read more. In the best kind of way, that is. You've probably just purc Whatever you happen to call them, why do you wear them? The obvious answer is to shade your eyes from the sun. The reason behind using an ND filter is to hold light back so that the part of the scene that is brightest usually the sky does not overexpose.
This effect creates a pleasing image. The sky is well exposed and the foreground is correctly exposed as well. If you were to expose the scene without using an ND grad filter, very often, the foreground would be well exposed while the sky may simply be overexposed or, if you were to expose for the sky, the foreground would be very dark. As I said earlier, you can do blending in Photoshop, but sometimes, you may not capture all the detail in the sky and using a filter to capture the scene may be useful.
Also, you will be able to spend more time shooting and less time editing afterwards! Most landscape photographers will use them at sunrise or sunset, during the golden hour. You can also use them during the day to slow the shutter speed to make water smooth and silky. Blurring moving objects such as people, cars, buses or even trees blowing in the wind is also an option.
What you will get is a well exposed, daylight scene with some blurred movement. This can look really interesting and dynamic in your image. The reason you will want to use an ND grad filter is that there can be a substantial difference, light wise, between the sky and your foreground. If you have more than a two stop difference, you will probably need an ND grad filter to correct that and get a good, well balanced exposure.
This not a rule, but if you try and average the exposure and you are finding that your foreground looks too dark and your sky is too bright, maybe it is time to use the filter. An ND grad was used in this image to expose the sky and clouds correctly. ND grad filters have a few variables.
The first is whether the filter has a hard or soft edge. There is a reason for this and both types are useful. The hard edge filter has a very definite transition between the dark gradient part of the filter and the part that is clear. The soft edge filter gently blends the gradient across the filter, so the line is less obvious. Each one of these filters are used on different scenes. For example, the hard edge filter is really useful if you have a very definite horizon line i. The soft edge filter is used for scenes where there is no clear horizon i.
Learning when to use which type of filter takes some practice, but once you can visualise what the result will look like, it is pretty easy. The filters are made in different strengths to compensate for different lighting conditions. Lastly, the cool toning brings all the elements together.
An image to be proud of. Taken at sunrise the photographer has used the Reverse Neutral Density filter to control the brightest part of the image - the horizon and the ascending sun. A Polariser has also been used that has increased the saturation of colours, controlled the foreground reflections and also acted as an ND to increase the exposure time just enough to smooth out any ripples that may have been present.
Overall, a good combination and use of filters. This is a very simple and pleasing composition enhanced by the blues and oranges and complemented by the colours of the traditional fishing boat. The position of the boat and anchor rope occupy the very heart of the image and beautifully interact with the light. I also love the way the colours of the boat emulate that of the warm sun and blue sky above. A beautiful image with lovely colours and technically excellent.
This is a dark and moody image that is well composed and balanced with a good flow from the bottom right of the image across to the left and onwards to the distant mountains. I particularly like the compliment of cool icy blues and the warm skies. A couple of small comments: I would lighten the shadows in the very dark rocks to reveal some detail and calm the highlights in the snow in the foreground. The title of this image is very fitting. It is indeed very calming. The use of a Big Stopper is instrumental in creating the mood of this image by smoothing out the water and softening cloud forms.
A Polariser has also been used creating a darker foreground and more importantly revealing some textures beneath the surface of the water. Lastly a Graduated Neutral Density filter has been used to manage the dynamic range of the image bringing down the bright sky.
From a post processing perspective, shadow detail has been retained and there is plenty of texture in the rocks. Lastly take care that halos that may appear around the edges of the rocks are dealt with if introduced during resizing or sharpening.
This is beautiful black and white image that has been well executed and is pleasing to the eye. Carmen Norman is an award winning fine art landscape and portrait photographer and Nikon Professional who lives and works in the Lake District. Her work covers a wide range of landscapes, portraits, family lifestyle images and weddings. She enjoys walking the fells and capturing the fantastic scenery the Lake District National Park has to offer. Carmen has intimate knowledge of the Lake District and knows lots of secret and quiet locations, as well as the best times to visit the popular spots to capture the iconic images.
Her work has been published in various magazines, she has been shortlisted for Outdoor Photographer of the Year and has had work exhibited in national and international salons and around the Lake District. For more information please visit: carmennorman.
The first thing that struck me about this image was the colour, such a beautiful tone which balances beautifully with the simple, but strong composition. The bridge leads the eye across the image, and it disappears into the strongest area of colour as the sun comes up. Good use of an ND filter to smooth the whole image and a Reverse Grad to balance out the bright sunrise which is low on the horizon.
The suspension cables take you on a journey up to the top of the bridge tower then down along the bridge and you glance down to the soft reflection.
A very evocative and poignant image, the bridge leading us to a new dawn! Carmen Norman. These ornamental cabbages make such a striking image. The colours, the shapes, the light and the composition are all very compelling. The portrait format suits the scene well and the sun burst is perfectly positioned in the mountains and leads the eye from the cabbages to the mountain line range. The use of a Hard Grad has left a bit of an obvious filter line across the horizon, but that can be overlooked because of the strong foreground.
The goal of minimalist photography is to convey a concept and provoke an emotional response or a unique visual experience. And this image of Clevedon Marine Pools is a lovely example of minimalism and a perfect use of the big stopper, which completely smooths out the water leaving us with an evocative and powerful image.
It has been stripped down to the bare essentials focusing on only a limited number of objects and elements. The perfectly simple composition and the use of negative space makes for a very pleasing picture. The shapes along the fencing on the main jetty lead the eye through the image allowing your eye to just make out a distant jetty in the fog.
There is some lovely light and wonderful shapes in this image of a small cascade of water. The 30 seconds is perfectly timed to allow the viewer to see the route the water takes through the pool and the shapes created by the long exposure of the bubbles leads the water beautifully out of the frame finishing at the rock which catches the light.
The use of the Polariser means we can just see through the water enough to get a glimpse of the stones below the surface and it also gives a lovely warmth to the colour of the water and a glow to the mossy rocks. Diagonal lines are important factors to add to images. They create tension and dynamics and lead the eyes in a particular direction.
This image of the pier at Saltburn makes use of diagonals perfectly. You have the diagonals in the sand leading the eye one way, then the pier leading the eye across the image, yet the diagonal of the sky leads us in another direction. Then your eye is drawn to the light in the middle of the image that is reflected in the pool, the eye finally landing on the foreground rocks with beautiful light catching the sand.
Jon Gibbs is a professional landscape photographer and workshop leader from Norfolk, England. After running a photographic gallery for ten years his main focus is now sharing his enthusiasm for the landscape and landscape photography through his workshops. Jon aims to produce landscape images with a very natural feel with the minimum amount of processing. For more information please visit: jon-gibbs. You could easily crop into the image and create many more images from it.
For me one of the reasons this image is so pleasing is the wonderful sense of movement within the frame. Without it I doubt the image would be so pleasing.
Great image, colour, chaos and movement but it all works really well, superb job Gianni. Jon Gibbs. A wonderfully evocative image from Piet. I can imagine being there. The sweep of the inlet is very pleasing, coming in from the left of the frame leading us into the area where the reflected light from the beautiful clouds is at its most luminant. Good use of the Big Stopper here.
Some viewers may have a problem with the footprints? This is a really nice autumnal image from Steve. A perfect choice of shutter speed has made the small waterfall look very effective and the wispy areas of white water just below the falls are lovely, they add a nice sense of movement.
If they were not there, that area may have had too much dead space. This is a perfect place to use a Polariser and by doing so Steve has reduced all the reflections that would have possibly been a problem. Instead we have lovely punchy autumnal colour, and in the stream the hints of beautiful rusty colour beneath the surface of the clear water. The use of a 10 stop ProGlass IRND has worked wonders on the sea, you get two separate areas of white water within that beautiful aquamarine colour which helps to accentuate that layered feel.
This layered feel continues into the sky, the varying tones here work really well with this long exposure, I especially like the brighter area of the sky to the right, they act like framing devices, keeping the eye in the picture.
You also get little splashes of colour in the image that help to add areas of interest, namely the telescope on the pier, the yellow flag and the figure in the very bright coat, these are probably not so obvious at smaller size but viewed larger they would be a welcome element.
My only criticism here would be that there is too much sand included in the image, I think a more panoramic crop starting just below the area of slightly darker sand would work really well. A quiet and subtle image from David. By using a long exposure the image has become simplified, there is no doubt that the stunning tree is the subject, framed perfectly by the tree lined distant shoreline, nothing else is needed.
Talking of the background I love the soft recession of the distant hills. The calmness of the image is threatened by the rather moody sky, you can imagine what the conditions must have been like, probably quite challenging! My only criticism of this image is that my eye does get drawn to the building on the shoreline on the right, I do believe you could crop just to the left of it and the image would work well.
Alternatively the building could be cloned out. Neil Hulme is a photographer based in the North West of England. He prefers a simple minimal approach to his work, producing an air of calm and serenity that allows the viewer to feel a sense of solitude. Using a monochrome approach allows him to focus on tones, textures and shapes in his interpretation of the land and seascape. For more information please visit: neilhulmephotography. What perfect conditions for minimal monochrome photography.
The fog has helped to isolate the pier from any background distractions. The use of the Big Stopper was a great choice from Andy; the 62 second exposure has flattened the water out, giving the image a Zen like quality.
What I particularly like about this image is how Andy has managed some lovely separations in the bottom of the pier framework; this always leads to a successful pier image.
The long exposure technique has also enhanced the subtle reflections of this beautiful structure. Is there any way I could improve this image?
This is high quality long exposure mono work, which I would be proud to have in my own gallery of images. Neil Hulme. What a beautifully composed image by Kenny, I really like how the two corners lead in from both bottom edges.
I see you used the Little Stopper on this one with a 25 second exposure. This has added some great drama in the sky with some wonderful cloud movement. The long exposure has also enabled you to keep some lovely textures in that gorgeous coloured sea. The combination of colours and textures has made this a very successful image in my eyes.
Just a couple of little things that I would adjust. The horizon line appears to drop down to the left of the image, I think a slight adjustment in Lightroom or Photoshop would sort that out.
And maybe I would have used a 0. All in all a very fine looking image with textures, colours and composition all working in perfect harmony. Very striking image Paulo, it has a dream like feel to it. I really like the textures in the water and sky, they add so much to the image giving it a feel of mystery. I think under these conditions maybe a Little Stopper would have helped to keep the exposure time down a little as well as using a lower ISO.
The lead in line from the left hand bottom corner works well, taking the eye through the image very nicely into the emptiness that lies beyond the jetty. Quality work. The exposure is spot on with excellent use of the Big Stopper to give the waterfall a dream like affect. Colour wise, the autumnal colours of the rustic browns and the bright greens work really well. Editing wise, I really like the highlighted area of the green foliage above the waterfall; this is a masterstroke from Jonathon.
How would I improve this image, I am not sure I could in all honesty. A fine representation of a woodland waterfall scene. The beautiful Canadian Rockies in all its glory here. A fabulous scene beautifully captured by Reza. The cool blues work perfectly; giving the image a cold feel and the backdrop of those mountains are just stunning.
I also really like the way the 15 second exposure has kept the definition of the gorgeous reflections in the water. The soft lower clouds nestling in with the woodland adds another component to this breathtaking scene, as does the texture of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. I would liked to have seen a little bit more definition in the shadow woodland areas, maybe lightening them using the brush tool in Lightroom could have helped with this.
Peter Gordon is a photographer, an artist, a workshop leader and an organiser within the photography community. He has won several awards for his work, including Irish Professional Photographer of the Year twice, as well as European Professional Photographer of the Year in Peter is director of ExploreLight Photography and the IrishLight Festival , creating an exciting range of photo tours across Europe from Norway to Montenegro, unique educational and participatory art projects, as well as a range of personal fine art exhibitions.
His work tends to convey absolute calm through the use of long exposure and gentle light, or conversely the high drama of quickly changing and mood orientated light.
To reinterpret the landscape in an original way and capture an energy which can be transmitted to the viewer. For more information please visit: petergordonphotography. Wow John, a real show stopper. The Super Stopper must have been involved. The rich colour palette is both striking and engaging, while the simplicity of the composition just allows the colours to make an even bigger impact.
The combination works fantastically well. The processing tonally creates real depth to the image leading the eye smoothly through the transitions. The long exposure brings an even more abstract feel to the image and I feel your use of the Super Stopper is spot on here.
Great job! Not for the first time I might add. It could also look amazing in black and white but this works fantastically well as is.
Peter Gordon. I always feel that this type of work must venture from reality into the surreal to be truly successful. Neil has done just that. The abstract nature of the composition for a start, with interlocking triangles and futuristic shapes, transports the viewer to another dimension. Furthermore the image has been expertly toned, the eye locked firmly in position to those beautiful triangles.
The final piece of the puzzle is of course the right choice of filter. The Super Stopper is spot on here with the second exposure moving the viewer further toward the surreal. The sky is the perfect foil for the dramatic and abstract structure. Well done Neil. The only critique I can add here is that I would like to see a little bit more space at the front of the image to allow that first corner to breath.
The diverging lines of the background building look great but I would have been interested to see this image without perspective distortion. Keep the camera on a level plain then crop if necessary to keep all those lines straight. Did someone mention tilt shift? A wee bit on the expensive side but fabulous lenses for architectural photography.
Sometimes simplicity speaks volumes. There is nothing like a gentle misty morning for communicating calm and beautiful minimalism in the landscape. The black reflection of the rope extending right from the frame corners exhibits a developed and exact understanding of space and depth within your photography.
The use of the Medium Grad is also spot on. The 0. Power and subtlety rolled into one amazing filter. Perfectly executed here. The only minor critique I would make is it could be nice to lighten the bow of the boats a touch. Rysard has done a stunning job bringing Dun Brieste on Down Patrick to life. The colour combinations are a joy to see as the ocean azures combine perfectly with the white water of the swell. I think the filter choice is perfect here too.
The grad has held in all sky details and the water texture is spot on. I love my Big Stopper but its not always my first choice. The choice of a Little Stopper here means the exposure is not too long, consequently the swell leads you energetically through the frame and the raw power of the ocean is exposed. I might add that I always carry a 3 stop ND for this purpose even though we see much fewer of these on our workshops.
I absolutely love this image but the only critique I might add is in the processing. The vibrant colours are great but I would probably reduce saturation by a few percent. The stack has been lightened in processing which shows that the author is clearly thinking about structural depth in his processing.
This might have been lightened a touch too aggressively though. Try the new range mask feature in Lightroom and Camera Raw to get extra control of your selective adjustments.
What a beautiful piece of art Gary. The structural shape is placed perfectly in the vista and the use of the Big Stopper and 0. With a more minimal image such as this the long exposure is key. The processing is also spot on, the muted colours within the core structure gently surrounded by grey, and the use of a vignette is subtle and effective in equal measure.
No nits here, just pure viewing pleasure. He started with film and traditional silver gelatin darkroom processes, but all images are now produced digitally. Blue skies and sunshine do not feature heavily among the portfolio. Mike is much more likely to be seen out and about when the weather is poor or just turning. Most of his images are taken at margins; the beginning of the day, the edge of water or the approach of a storm. Mike runs landscape workshops for all abilities and specialises in developing a vision and an eye for composition.
In the last year these have varied from a half day in the Lake District to a week on the Isle of Skye. For more information please visit: mikeprince. This image appealed for many reasons, not least that the conditions are far from what many might term perfect.
I can feel the dampness, the spray and can almost hear the photographer wiping filters in between each exposure.
Working under such conditions requires skill and dedication. The composition works well, with the just visible fall in the background flowing eventually out of the frame in the bottom left. The use of a Polariser gives both the desired shutter speed and also allows for some of the rocks below the water to be more clearly visible.
Images like this are all about atmosphere and this succeeds enormously well, it places the viewer right in amongst that waterfall. Mike Prince.
I can almost hear some judges saying that the foreground is too empty but for me the very emptiness of that foreground provides a delicate pillow upon which to place the delightful upper portion. This image is all about delicacy, subtlety and balance for me.
The graduated ND brings out just the right amount of the midground and background hills to balance the white clouds. The Big Stopper serves to soften the supporting parts so that they complement rather than distract from the hills. There is just enough of everything and not too much of anything here. Dawns can be vibrant and jump start a day or they can, like this one, creep in quietly and beautifully.
This fine image goes well beyond the immediate and delves into the essential elements of the place; in this case the dunes and the distant mountains. The combination of a Big Stopper to deliver a long shutter speed and the use of multiple exposures serve to capture not only the beauty but also a sense of the wind and elements.
The sense of depth is enhanced by the warm foreground tones contrasting with the distant blues. I might be tempted to consider a crop on the image to take a small slice of the bottom of the frame away; to my eye the image would then balance more comfortably.
Harris is a magical place and this image captures the essence of that magic. These places are all about the rocks, the water and the weather and we find all aspects contributing here. The use of a Polariser and ND Grad both serve to give a desired shutter speed and attempt to balance the very bright sky against the foreground rocks.
Opinions vary on the ideal shutter speed for coastal waters but for me this combines a pleasing amount of movement with enough detail and texture to define the sea water. One must always remember however that the photographer represents how the scene looked and felt to them at that moment. A superb image that demonstrates excellent technique. All the necessary ingredients are present: a fine location, great composition and delightful light. The light landing on the tops of the basalt columns is sublime.
The use of the Big Stopper allows the long shutter speed which creates the delightful contrast between the solidity of the basalt and the fluidity of all the other elements. An ND Grad holds the exposure in the sky allowing the details of the rocks to take centre stage. The aperture of f14 and careful choice of the point of focus ensures that there is front to back sharpness and every detail of the columns is preserved impeccably. The more you look the better this image becomes as each layer of details emerges from the standing water on the columns to the appearance of weed down the right hand side.
Purely subjectively, I tried this as a crop so that the edge tailed off into the bottom right hand corner and felt the overall composition was improved. This is however subject hair splitting in the extreme, a really outstanding image.
Chris Prescott is an adventure filmmaker and photographer living in the mountain town of Chamonix in the French Alps. Through the production company Dark Sky Media Chris specialises in shooting climbing, skiing and mountain biking and enjoys shooting in remote and inaccessible locations where just getting the camera out of the bag can be a challenge.
For more information: darksky-media. I really like this shot for a number of different reasons and not just because Val Badia is one of my favourite parts of the Dolomites. Photographing mountains when the weather is poor and the light is flat can sometimes be challenging but the creative use of the Big Stopper and an over exposed image work really well in this case.
In a lot of ways it reminds me of the work of mountain artist Tessa Lyons who uses paint, pencil and charcoal to achieve a similar effect. Chris Prescott. I find this image really striking and when I first glanced at it I thought it was shot at night with the colour in the sky coming from the northern or in this case southern lights. I really like the monochrome nature of the lower half of the image which contrasts really well with the richer blues and yellows of the sky, the single green leaf really draws the eye too.
The image might have benefited from an increase in exposure by a stop or two as it overall feels a little dark and an increase would have made the green leaf pop a little more, having said that the underexposure is understandable given the dark and brooding nature of the image. It would also have been nice to see what the image would have looked like by taking a step to the left and reframing with the curve of the tree potentially drawing the eye towards the leaf a little better.
Having grown up by the sea but now living in the mountains I was instantly drawn to this image. I love the layers of waves leading out to the horizon and the colours created by the setting sun coming through the spray from the waves is sublime. Getting the exposure right can be challenging when shooting directly into the sun but the use of the 0. This image is really eye catching, not only because of the richness of the sunset colours but also the small details which take a while to notice and keep your eye drawn to the image.
I particularly like the way the neon cross is reflected in the water as well as the people sat on the rocks to the left. Using a Big Stopper to create an even longer exposure would have resulted in a little more movement in the clouds which would have made the upper and lower halves of the image more uniform and made the church even more striking and ethereal looking. It would also have been nice to have the people standing up as they would have been a little more noticeable, although getting a group of people to stand still for 25 seconds can be challenging!
Autumn is my favourite time of year and this image sums it up perfectly for me. My eye was instantly drawn to the waterfall and trees in the upper third of the image before slowly being drawn down to the single leaf at the bottom. I love the way the Little Stopper has created a silky smooth texture to the water and the use of a Polariser gives an extra level of richness and warmth to the autumn colours. It would have been nice to bump up the exposure by a couple of stops in the upper third to give a little more richness to the colours of the trees, this could be easily achieved in post-production or through using an upside down ND Grad.
Mark Cornick is a Surrey-based photographer currently working on creating abstract images using the techniques of Intentional Camera Movement and Multiple Exposure. When not photographing, his time is split between looking after my 18 month old daughter, and working in the Broadcast Industry. Mark's portfolios and details of print options can be found on his website: markcornickphotography. Having visited Saunton Sands only last week whilst on holiday, this image appealed to me greatly.
The mist is what makes this photograph a success and doubling up on filters with the Little and Big Stopper for a second exposure has created a superb atmosphere in the image, with the mist floating through the frame. It has also created three distinct layers which I like a lot: the bridge in the foreground, the mist rolling through the centre of the frame, and then the city skyline in the background.
I also think that presenting the image in black and white was a great decision and really adds impact to the shot. Scrolling through the thumbnails, this was a 'must see larger' image! The colours and clouds are what drew me into this photograph - it really is like fire pouring out of the mountains and into the sky. The use of the ND Grad has meant that the details in the sky have been preserved and the Polariser has enhanced the colours beautifully.
A five-second exposure has flattened out the water and enabled some lovely colour and light to be reflected - a really nice touch. The only thing I would change is not about the image itself, but of the use of the watermark.
I do find them very distracting. I know that in this age of social media, image theft is a concern, but for me, it takes away from the final presentation, which is a beautiful landscape. There are a lot of elements in this image from David that I really like, and which help to make it a really successful seascape. Firstly, shooting from a very low angle makes me feel like I am almost in the scene myself and about to get my feet wet! I have made a few mistakes myself shooting this close to water, so I hope none of your kit got a soaking!
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