August 2019^69
to amplify the subject when it is displayed against a
larger canvas. When working with negative space you
need to work with background elements that will not
distract from the main subject. Working in conditions
like heavy mist and fresh snow can work brilliantly
for using negative space, likewise so can coastal
landscapes by filling a large part of the image with
the sea or the expansive horizon.
LONG EXPOSURES
Long exposure photography can be an excellent
way to help minimalise landscapes, especially when
working around water. By using longer shutter speeds
you can help to render out some distraction within a
landscape like ripples on the water’s surface and turn
these into a blank canvas. If your main subject is then
framed among this simple background, it can help
not only to define in but also create a photograph
without some of the complex elements that can be
hard to remove by composition alone.USE OF COLOUR
The use of colour can be a very powerful tool in
photography, bold or contrasting clours can easily
hold our attention to a part of an image, but they
can also make a photograph more complex. When
shooting minimal landscapes, it is often better to
work with a more limited and subtle colour pallet, so
that the eye can focus on form and shape without
stong colours competing. Likewise, with lighting, the
softer light that can be found at the beginning and
end of the day is easier to work with than strong
and contrasting direct sunlight. Black and white
can also be a great option when trying to remove
the distractions found in colour images, creating an
image of minimalist quality simply because of its lack
of colours.MORING LIGHT, MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS
F8, 1/1250s, ISO400SNOWFIELD, FOX GLACIER
IMPROVE YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY THIS WINTER ON A WORKSHOP IN TONGARIRO NATIONAL
PARK OR AT MT COOK WITH NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS