City, nature and rural landscape shots are among the most important areas of photography.
So, what should we pay attention to for beautiful and impressive photos? I will try to summarize it for you below.
Text and Photos: Yüksel Altun
LIGHT
The most important element in landscape photography is light. Therefore, it is extremely important to be in the right place at the right time. The season we shoot, sunrise and sunset times, and the reflection of falling light will have a different effect on the photograph. These are the hours when the harsh sun rays that affect our photographs are the softest and most ineffective. We call these hours Golden Hours. When we say right time, it means being in the right place in the right season as well as the right time. Going to a place with a snow view in winter, taking photos of waterfalls in the spring when the snow melts, taking photos in the Seven Lakes in autumn when there is a riot of colors...
NET AREA
Since we aim to make every point clear in the landscape photograph, the DIAPHRAGM should be low. For sharpness, F8 -13 is ideal. For the best depth of field, attention should be paid to the focusing distance and hyperfocal distance.
ISO USE
During movie time, we used 50 ASA Velvia film for landscape and nature photographs. In landscape photographs, the lower the ISO, the sharper the better results we get. ISO 50-200 gives best results. For this reason, landscape photography cannot be taken without a tripod. Because small aperture and low ISO extend the shutter duration and the slightest vibration affects clarity and sharpness.
LENS
In landscape photographs, it is important to use appropriate lenses. Generally, a telephoto lens is used for wide angle and details. The glass quality of the lens affects sharpness. For sharper images, fixed lenses called primes can be preferred.
FILTER USE
Indispensable equipment for landscape photography are filters. We will need to use filters to balance the exposure difference between land and sky and obtain more saturated colors.
UV-Ultra Viole, Polarizing and ND (neutral density) filters are the most used in landscape shooting.
UV filter is used to filter ultra violet rays. Especially in snowy and high altitude areas, UV is high and a slight blueness occurs in the photo.
The POlarizing filter is used for color saturation vibrancy and to control reflections.
ND filter is used to reduce light, create a yellowish warm effect and make long exposures. The stop value of the filter varies between 1-10 stops, depending on the effect you want. 3-4 stops are appropriate to slightly reduce the light, and 8-10 stops are appropriate for long exposure experimental studies.
PERSPECTIVE
Perspective means reflecting the appearance of the object and space from certain angles in order to give a three-dimensional visual effect to a two-dimensional surface. Objects and Space can create different appearances from different perspectives. In the simplest terms, as objects move away, their appearance differs from their real appearance and becomes smaller.
Perspective is based on the effects of the position and distance of the object relative to the observer. It gives the photo a sense of depth. The shooting angle is tried to be adjusted to create perspective.
DEPTH OF FIELD
You must have heard the word "Depth of Field" (DoF - Dept of Field) in photography. If we make a basic definition for Depth of Field in photography: it is the region of acceptable sharpness that appears in front of and behind the focal point in a photograph.
There are three main factors that will affect depth of field in our photographs:
- Aperture value (aperture, f-stop) In landscape photography, it is important to capture most of your scene clearly. By using a wide-angle lens and a small aperture, you can maximize your depth of field to keep your scene in focus.
- The distance of the subject from the camera
- It is the focal length of the lens we use. Focal length refers to the ability to bring the image of a distant object closer, that is, magnify it. Knowing which parts of the image to highlight and which to focus on is essential for a good result.
Can depth of field be adjusted to ensure everything in the scene is in focus?
Yes, you can achieve this by using hyperfocal focal length. When you focus on the hyperfocal distance, your depth of field extends from half the distance between you and the focused area to infinity.
I recommend using a DOF app to find your hyperfocal distance.
If you do not have such an opportunity, the best rule is to divide the scene into three parts and focus on the 1/3 area closest to you. Using an aperture of around F11 or smaller with a wide-angle lens will maximize depth of field.
COMPOSITION
For effective and creative landscape photos, compliance with composition rules will make your photo stand out.
- The 1/3 rule means that if you draw imaginary lines that divide the photo frame into 3 equal parts horizontally and vertically and place the object you want to capture at the intersection of these lines, you will take a more impressive photo.
- Simplicity means that the background of the subject reflected in the photograph is empty and plain.
- Framing means creating a frame using elements from the environment to further give meaning to the subject in the photograph. Shooting a distant building by framing the window of the room you are in or keeping tree branches and trunks in a corner while shooting a landscape are considered using a frame. But while doing this, we make sure that the focus is where you want it (on the frame or the subject).
- Texture can add quite a different feel to any photo. When people see a texture in a photo, they think about what the texture is like and how it will feel when they touch it. Be sure to try to show texture when shooting rocks, walls, surfaces, someone's hands or leaves.
- Colors are the element that adds emotion to the photo. Harmonious and contrasting colors will create effective results.
- Progressing, Continuous Lines: Similarly, our eyes naturally follow lines. Paying attention to these points when adjusting the composition of the photo can draw the viewer into the photo and will be much more helpful in conveying their feelings about the photo.
- Symmetry and Patterns: We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and man-made. They can enable us to create very eye-catching compositions, especially when we least expect it. Another remarkable way to use symmetry and patterns is; To disrupt the symmetry or pattern in some way is to place a focal point or object on the scene at the disrupted point or this tension.
- Point of View: Before photographing your subject, time it if you have time and consider what angle you will be photographing from. The perspective from which you take the photo has an incredible contribution to the photo. The perspectives you capture from an upward, elevated perspective, or from ground level, perhaps from a long distance, are enough to attract interest for the photograph.
- Background – Depth of field: You should pay attention to what is in the background when taking your photo. A person passing by in the background can spoil your portrait photo, and a piece of garbage you don't pay attention to can cause all attention to be focused on the ground. That's why I recommend you pay special attention to the background when taking photos. To correct the background, you can take action immediately if you have the opportunity, or you can wait for distracting people, cars, etc. to pass by.
- Experimental: You can photograph objects, angles, or events that other people cannot see, but that you think might tell something, in a thousand different ways, and hide what you want. The worst part about this article is probably which photo
At the same time, using one or more rules in the same photograph also indicates your mastery in photography. Don't forget to try these.
