Asian Photography - December 2015

DECEMBER 2015 83

Time and light
The most basic factor to consider when
shooting landscapes is time of the day.
The landscape will look different to
you at different times of the day, as the
light changes. The best time to shoot a
landscape is definitely not at noon. The
ideal time that you should venture to
shoot a landscape is at sunrise or sunset.
During both these times, you will get the
ideal lighting for your landscape to be
well-lit. This also means that you must
accordingly plan to be at your location
on time to capture it in the best light
possible.

Angle
The angle from which you shoot
the landscape is another critical factor.
Most commonly, you would be shooting
your landscape shot at eye-level. If
not eye-level, then you might click a
high-angle or low-angle shot. In the high-
angle shot, you are generally looking
down on the subject or landscape, and
it will look smaller. However, in the
low-angle shot, you would probably be
crouching at a low-level, possibly with
the phone on the ground and shooting
the scene before you. This can be a
great idea to get a dramatic shot, and
enhancing the size and the importance
of the subjects in front of the mobile
camera.

Composition
The most significant aspect when
shooting any image is composition.
This will make or break your image.
Composition is the key in landscape
photography. While you can always see
famous landscape paintings or images
and then accordingly take references
to do the same. But what would be
better is if you try to make compositions
you haven’t seen before. Use the rule
of thirds to form classic compositions,
but also experiment! Lie down on the
ground, get a higher vantage point, and
try unique perspectives! The phone is
the best camera you can do this with, as
it is tiny, as it is not as bulky as a DSLR.

Type of landscape
Generally landscapes are
straightforward, a shot of the
scene before you, also known as