Creative Landscape Photography
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Nature is capable of presenting us many magnificent vistas. That is when we feel an urge to capture such images. But sometimes, when we look at this photos at home, they do not look so dazzling. That happens mainly because when we look at those marvelous landscapes, our eyes focuses on the more attractive elements, and our brain skip the rest and concentrate on the most fascinating details.
But when it comes to photography, this does not apply. The camera cannot do such filtering on its own. First of all, to get quality photos, you should take your time to look around, to scout the area for the best position, light, shadows, etc. Creative landscape photography is not just shooting whatever comes in front of you. In nature, you can choose from several different settings: flowing water, forests, plains, deserts, seacoasts, mountains, ice regions, among others.
When thinking of a river or a stream, you have to consider if you want it to be your main element, the center stage subject, or just an element in the whole composition. Also, be careful with the reflections in the water since they may enhance you photo or distract the viewer from the main subject. When in a forest, think about the feeling it gives you and, then, choose the elements that help to convey it. Plains are one of the most difficult scenes because they are wide-open spaces, lacking elements of interest. In addition, think about if you want a lot or a little of sky in your image. Deserts can be the perfect place for taking photos of stars. Furthermore, you can have great pictures with heat waves. You might choose to include the sun in your composition or not, but pay attention to it if you do because the sun brightness might put everything else in second.
Seacoasts vary a lot, so you have to focus on one element and think about light (which varies according to time of the day, to the weather, and even to the season). The rules for photographing mountains are pretty much the same. Think of the best details that will certainly capture its spirit. Consider having a person standing in the picture to give it a sense of scale if your intention is to show how grand is the mountain. Last, do not forget landscape photography does not apply only to nature anymore; you can also capture urban and industrial settings, or focus on people interacting with nature.
All in all, you can see that being creative is not the only prerequisite to be a great landscape photographer. It is important not to have preconceived ideas and stay open to what nature has to show. Let the image speak to you, and do not forget that light is essential to your photo. When in a beautiful place, do not race around trying to shoot everything in sight. One really good photo is worth several poor ones. So, walk around and take the time to find the uniqueness of the place. Play with your subject and have some fun arranging the elements of your composition. That is what creative landscape photography is really about.
