22 June 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113TechniqueUsebacklightingfordrama
Shootingintothelight– especiallywhenthesunis lowin
thesky– canproducedramaticresults,withshadowsfanning
outtowardsthecameraandemphasisonshapeandform.
Choosebold,graphiccompositions,andif therearestrong
shapesin theforeground,considersilhouettingthemby
meteringfromthebrightsky.If youarenotaimingto
silhouetteyoursubject,keepaneyeonthehistogramand
bepreparedtoincreaseexposure,asbacklightingcanfool
metersintounderexposing.Flareis alsoa potentialproblem,
so use your hand to shade your lens from the sun.Transitionallight
Themostdramaticlightingfor
landscapesusuallyhappensduring
thetransitionfromonestateto
another– lighttodarkorviceversa,
thetransitionfromoneseasonto
anotherorasoneweatherfront
replacesanother.Showerydaysare
oneof thebestexamplesof this:asa
showerpassesandthesunbreaks
through,thelightis dramaticwith
amazingclarity.Thekeytosuccessis
toanticipatethechangeandsetup
early– evenif thatmeansstanding
in therainwithyourcameraundera
raincover.If yousetupaftertherain
stops, you will miss the moment.Thebluehour
Mostphotographerspackupas
thecolourdrainsfromtheskyafter
thegoldenhour.However,if youlike
moody,romanticlandscapes,then
youshouldstayaroundforthe‘blue
hour’:theperiodof twilightwhenthe
residualsunlighttakesona bluehue.
Alternatively,gettodawnshootsearly
forthemorningbluehour.Cityscapes
area naturalchoiceof subject,asthe
bluebackdropcontrastswithartificial
lighting.Withrurallandscapes,look
forwaterasreflectionsmake great
foreground interest.Makethemostofdulllight
Ondull,overcastdays,it canbetemptingto stayat homeandcatchuponimage
processing,orsitonthesofaandreada book.Butyou’remissinga trickif youdon’t
headoutwiththecamera,asthistypeof lightingcanbeincrediblyproductive.One
optionis to packa setof neutraldensityfiltersandheadto thecoastto shootsome
longexposures.Keepcompositionssimpleandexploitthenegativespacearound
yoursubject.Long-exposureminimalismworksbestwhenit highlights the contrast
between a static subject and the moving elements around it.Dealingwithmiddaysun
It’sperfectlypossibletoshootgoodlandscapesin the
lessphotogeniclightof theday.Waitingfortheright
momentpaysdividends.Cloudsdiffuseharshsunlight,
soshootwhenthesunis coveredorpartiallycovered.
Onblusterydayswhenthecloudsaremovingquickly,
thereis potentialfordramaticlightasthesunbursts
throughandcreatesa spotlightonthelandbelow.In
harshlight,considershootingmonochrome.Contrasty
scenes,containingdeepshadowsandbrighthighlights,
make good mono conversions with the right subject.MarkBauer
MarkBauerhasbeena full-timeprofessional
landscapephotographersincetheearly2000s,
supplyingimagesforeditorialandcommercial
usetoclientsaroundtheworld.Heis the
authorofsixbooks,andhaswona number
ofawardsin majorcompetitions.Visit
http://www.markbauerphotography.com.LightingReadingandunderstandingnaturallight
is fundamental to landscape photographyALL PICTURES ON PAGE 22 © MARK BAUER