LANDSCAPE ESSENTIALS

MY TOP REASONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SUCCESS

What are the essential ingredients for a great landscape photograph? While developing an online landscape course, I have been asking myself this question to help photographers improve their work. There is a list of key elements that make up any strong photograph:

All of these factors serve to illuminate the subject and clarify the photographer’s intentions. Throughout this book, I will be illustrating these basic premises with various stories and photographs to reinforce these fundamentals.

Regarding light, it is the defining ingredient in most great images. Dramatic lighting conditions, such as rainbows or sunbeams through clouds, add excitement to an image. Soft light on a rainy day can emphasize every detail and the saturated colors of the scene. I often see photographs from students, taken in beautiful places, which were made in ordinary light. Once an effective composition has been found, the light must make it sing. At this is the point in time, waiting, returning, anticipating, and planning become skills as important as making the proper exposure.

Regarding composition, it is the foundation upon which the photographer defines what the viewer perceives. Image design can be strongly graphic, simple or complex, but ultimately it should lead the viewer toward an understanding, or serve as inspiration, or even prompt them to ask a question. Good composition requires the photographer to consider the balance of lines, shapes, and forms; the proportions and scales of objects; and most importantly, what is included within the frame and what is not. Including just enough information in the frame, without creating confusion or distraction, is a vital skill to develop.

As for emotion and passion, these are the final and essential ingredients for a strong photograph, and the most difficult to achieve. Even given a convergence of great light and excellent composition, creating a photograph where all the important factors come together is rare. Yet if we continue to cultivate the understanding of our favorite subjects, and immerse ourselves in the places that inspire us, our best work will follow.

For example, I have an overriding theme I call “Landscapes of the Spirit.” I used this phrase as the title for a book of my favorite landscape images, and I continue to add work to the theme. The image that opens this essay, taken in Hawaii, fits well into that theme. The light was remarkable and it was the reddest sunrise I’ve ever seen. In fact, I dialed back the color saturation because it was so overwhelming. I feel that the composition is well balanced and elegantly simple.

As for the emotional content, I can only speak for myself. The image reconnects me with the experience of standing in the surf, watching the early dawn light begin to glow and light up the clouds, and in turn, seeing the clouds reflect their color on the water. The long exposure (several minutes in length if my memory serves me) blurred the surf’s motion and created a watercolor palette of red hues.

Several years ago on a Memorial Day weekend I was visiting Carmel, California, for a family gathering. I brought my camera along, of course, although I wasn’t planning to have extended photo sessions. I went out for a few sunrise and sunset photo sessions, visiting some favorite locations in nearby Big Sur, and trying out some new ones. I have been making images in the Big Sur area for three decades now, and I am indeed passionate about the extraordinary energy and beauty of that landscape. I am so pleased with the results from my minimal efforts, and I got to thinking about why I had good luck on this trip.

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Two Rocks and Surf | Garrapata State Park, Big Sur, California | 2008

In addition to the three key essentials listed above, following are additional reasons for successful landscape photographs. These reasons assume that the obvious technical concerns such as sharpness, exposure, and composition are in good order.

FAMILIARITY

When you get to know a place by returning there often, you gain invaluable knowledge about the light and the weather patterns. You learn what landscapes are best in different lighting conditions. You try out different compositions, or you return to favorite compositions in hopes of the “perfect storm,” where light and clouds and image design all come together. You add depth to your portfolio from that location. For the Monterey and Big Sur area, I have a mental file of many such sites—which landscapes are excellent when the fog is thick, which ones will have more potential if the sky is clear, and so on.

WILLINGNESS TO PLAY

Have you ever returned to a location so often that you realized that you’ve been photographing “the same” composition over and over? I think we all have. When I am drawn back to the same location often, and don’t want to repeat myself, I am more willing to experiment. If I have already recorded a reasonably successful image there, then there is no risk, no failure possible. If I make a fresh image, fine. But there is no pressure to succeed, no significant loss if a successful photo is not made.

VISUAL LITERACY

Being aware of other photographs that have the same themes as yours is vital so that you have a mental memory bank of what has already been done. Improve your photographic “visual literacy” in your field, and you are less likely to create clichéd work.

BASIC PLANNING

When I know I am going out to photograph, I plan meals and other activities around the best light. On this trip, I was out looking for images by six o’clock in the morning. I came back by eight or nine o’clock, ready for a big breakfast and a full day with my family. For good sunset photography, I often try to have an early dinner, especially during the summer, and then go out in the evening until dark. We were staying right near the beach in Carmel, so it was a short walk with no driving involved. My point is that with some basic planning, it is possible to strike a balance between photography and other pursuits to optimize your photo opportunities. I am not one to get carried away with a precise itinerary or with using a compass or GPS so I can photograph at some preconceived “correct” location. I simply need to get out there and see what happens, relying on experience and intuition.

PATIENCE

Remember how important patience is. So often, when we arrive at a new location, we are so excited that we work too fast and are too scattered in our focus. The energy of a new discovery is thrilling but also distracting. When you’re at a new location, slow down and take a deep breath (or many, if necessary) so you can see the landscape more clearly. A calm, meditative approach for connecting with your environment is a valuable tool, especially in new locations. When you are already familiar with an area, you don’t feel as much urgency, and often less stress means better images. Digging deeper will only strengthen your vision.

When you focus on improving your photography, always keep working to develop your technical skills in terms of handling exposure, image design, depth of field, and post-processing technique. However, photographic success also requires dedication, such as adjusting your dinner schedule, and long-term effort, which often involves returning to favorite locations time and time again.

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Kelp | Carmel Beach, California | 2008

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Black Oaks, Autumn | El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California | 1984