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08-30-2019, 08:06 PM - 1 Like   #61
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I'm sorry, when I said move around, I meant to move around the area. Don't stand tall on the path, so to speak, holding the camera to your eye. Try sitting down or standing on something. Move into the field. Move further away. That kind of move around.

I'm with you on the golden hours though. I think I can count on one hand when I've been able to shoot then. In my case, I cherish sleep way too much to shoot sunrises. And sunsets, I'm doing dad things with my kids. So I shoot when I can.

That's actually how I figured out to get crazy wacky angles. The light isn't golden, so I had to do something to compensate? Distract? Stand out? Ah! Find what the light was doing and use that to my advantage.

Have fun on your trip!

08-31-2019, 01:53 PM   #62
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Whoops, sorry for the confusion - the 'multiple spots' approach was on me, your advice to change perspective at each spot was taken on board 😊

I really need to get in the habit of that more: I've done it a few times, to decent effect, but in general I'm standing upright (particularly if I'm cycling!).

I'm glad you mentioned that again though, as you just reminded me of a tree-limned path leading up to the castle that I want to photograph from close to the ground.

It's a straight path that leads up a hill - entirely straight along its length, with the lower section lined with trees every 5 or so meters.

I'm hoping that by getting close to the ground I can really take advantage of the forced perspective of the parallel lines of trees, and the path going up the hill at the end.

I'm actually really glad I posted back on this thread, because the very act of planning a day out has got me thinking not just *what* I can shoot, but *how* I shoot as well - which, fingers crossed, will be a useful insight!

It feels like a little epiphany: in the field, I often find myself focusing more on finding a subject, and on the technical knowledge required to take a particular shot... And in doing so, I'm neglecting the creative side that will turn my mere *shot* into *something more.

"Well...duh!?" - it seems obvious in retrospect - but the act of planning has made me focus on the "how" parts of the process, and not just the where. By planning, I already know "where" I will be, and what the subjects are (or at least the type of subject I'm after) - which will hopefully allow me to focus on my goal: expanding my creativity, and with it, one can hope, my photography in general!

I'll stop rambling now 😂 - just glad you highlighted that so that my brain would "click" onto my larger shortcomings! Thanks!
09-01-2019, 09:44 PM - 1 Like   #63
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Dear cprobertson1, Here are my 2 CDN cents worth....
Pick a place you want to photograph...doesn't matter where....take your camera with one lens attached, and a second one you believe you may use, one tripod, and one polarizing filter if needed.
Walk around the place you want to photograph to decide on where you want to photograph-location, sun position, shadow position, etc.
Photograph that one place from one perspective with different aperture settings, different shutter speeds, different ASA settings, and bracket the exposure. take your time, focus as carefully as possible, and check depth of field. Then pick a different perspective-higher, lower, or move to the left or right, and repeat.
Then go home, put card into your computer and look at them enlarged. Pick 1 or 2 that interest you and correct with software as needed.
Go to somewhere like Walmart...print 8X10 or 11X14 and determine what looks good, what does not. If not satisfied...go back to where you photographed and repeat. Hope that is a start...
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09-03-2019, 04:11 PM - 2 Likes   #64
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To be honest, I figured that one out in the woods. I was walking up to a shot with one eye closed and the other looking through the viewfinder. All of a sudden my field of view was six feet lower and sideways. So that's something I try to pass on. Especially if it'll save you a chipped tooth and a broken battery door.

When I was young, I learned to get my settings then get my shot. I was, um, enthusiastic about getting the shot. I went swimming off a bridge by accident getting a picture of a crab. I was able to save the camera. I have been bitten by every bug native to Maryland doing something stupid trying to capture something. And I lost count how many times I've been invited to leave by very large non humorous men.

So the corollary to my advice is to pay attention to what you're going down or up into.

09-04-2019, 12:10 AM - 1 Like   #65
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QuoteOriginally posted by RookieGuy Quote
To be honest, I figured that one out in the woods. I was walking up to a shot with one eye closed and the other looking through the viewfinder. All of a sudden my field of view was six feet lower and sideways. So that's something I try to pass on. Especially if it'll save you a chipped tooth and a broken battery door.

When I was young, I learned to get my settings then get my shot. I was, um, enthusiastic about getting the shot. I went swimming off a bridge by accident getting a picture of a crab. I was able to save the camera. I have been bitten by every bug native to Maryland doing something stupid trying to capture something. And I lost count how many times I've been invited to leave by very large non humorous men.

So the corollary to my advice is to pay attention to what you're going down or up into.
What a levitous description! I have dyspraxia (a.k.a. "my gross motor skills are often terrible") so I've inspected many floors myself, often without the aid of a viewfinder, and can appreciate the fun of a rapid unplanned descent!

On the plus side, it does mean I habitually compensate for my clumsiness by dedicating a lot of mental energy to concentrating on moving around; by compensating for my shortcomings I've had to become exceptionally aware of my surroundings, just to have the footing of a normal person - though in this case it seems to work out in my favour!

I have, as yet, not been asked to leave anywhere, though! I've actually been pretty lucky in terms of asking random folk if it's okay to go somewhere to take pictures - Scotrail in particular are more than happy to let folks take pictures of the choo-choos. They also smirk if you call them choo-choos. Even better, Scotland's land access rights (right to roam, right of way, and.... the other one?) allow folk to go almost anywhere, within reason, as long as they don't cause damage, inconvenience, or endangerment.

As a side note, stay away from the naval base where they service the nuclear submarine fleet... They don't like you visiting the forests near there - in fact, soldiers pop out of bushes and tell you to turn back. I don't need to tell you how scary that is... but I do need to emphasise exactly how surreal it is to see a bush disgorge two very large, armed men who order you and your grandmother to turn around... and then helpfully give you directions to where you want to go, explaining that you took the wrong fork in the path half a mile back - thanks, guys!
09-08-2019, 04:32 PM - 1 Like   #66
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You've gotten a lot of excellent technical advice on landscape shooting. Now let me throw you a slight curve ball.

Many or most of our ideas about landscape photography and how it should look are based on European landscape painters such as JMW Turner and John Constable; in the U.S. their influence extended to the 19th century American landscape painters -- primarily artists in the Hudson River School, such as Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. The Hudson River painters established the well-composed lush, Romantic look that, a couple generations later, would be easily visible in the work of American photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston and can be seen today in most online landscape photo forums.

So my suggestion is to spend some time looking at those earlier paintings and try to figure out what elements are worth copying, from color to composition to subject matter. Then try to copy what works! If you don't have a good art museum nearby, check out the art section of a library or a decent used-book store. Online images work, too, but with painting there's nothing quite like the real thing.

Have fun!

Bob
09-10-2019, 08:39 PM   #67
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QuoteOriginally posted by bkpix Quote
You've gotten a lot of excellent technical advice on landscape shooting. Now let me throw you a slight curve ball.

Many or most of our ideas about landscape photography and how it should look are based on European landscape painters such as JMW Turner and John Constable; in the U.S. their influence extended to the 19th century American landscape painters -- primarily artists in the Hudson River School, such as Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. The Hudson River painters established the well-composed lush, Romantic look that, a couple generations later, would be easily visible in the work of American photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston and can be seen today in most online landscape photo forums.

So my suggestion is to spend some time looking at those earlier paintings and try to figure out what elements are worth copying, from color to composition to subject matter. Then try to copy what works! If you don't have a good art museum nearby, check out the art section of a library or a decent used-book store. Online images work, too, but with painting there's nothing quite like the real thing.

Have fun!

Bob
Albert Bierstadt (romantic), Thomas Moran, Frederick Remington {light and color), Charles M, Russell, etc. Often ignore the figures and study the landscape setting.

09-10-2019, 11:42 PM   #68
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QuoteOriginally posted by bkpix Quote
You've gotten a lot of excellent technical advice on landscape shooting. Now let me throw you a slight curve ball.

Many or most of our ideas about landscape photography and how it should look are based on European landscape painters such as JMW Turner and John Constable; in the U.S. their influence extended to the 19th century American landscape painters -- primarily artists in the Hudson River School, such as Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. The Hudson River painters established the well-composed lush, Romantic look that, a couple generations later, would be easily visible in the work of American photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston and can be seen today in most online landscape photo forums.

So my suggestion is to spend some time looking at those earlier paintings and try to figure out what elements are worth copying, from color to composition to subject matter. Then try to copy what works! If you don't have a good art museum nearby, check out the art section of a library or a decent used-book store. Online images work, too, but with painting there's nothing quite like the real thing.

Have fun!

Bob
QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
Albert Bierstadt (romantic), Thomas Moran, Frederick Remington {light and color), Charles M, Russell, etc. Often ignore the figures and study the landscape setting.
That's a good shout, actually! Once upon a time I enjoyed studying impressionist works, and I always loved how they handled water. Being the veriest tyro on the subject, I never studied the "why it was done this way" - just the "how" - and even then, it wasn't to any great depth, and it was fifteen years ago...

ANYWAY - the point was I enjoyed analysing them in my own novice way - so it'd be good to make an excuse to visit a few art galleries and go for a wander. I've got a book of impressionist works kicking around as well1, which will be enjoyable to browse in my spare time.

I still haven't managed to go for my trip to Eglinton Park yet ("life" getting in the way I'm afraid) - but I think I'll deliberately hold off on studying the classics until after I've gone - I want to try using what I know already before adding more - and that will allow me to look back and analyse what I've done, and how it can be improved - which I think will be more constructive than having a whole bunch of theoretical knowledge and not practical experience with it.

---------- Post added 09-10-19 at 11:46 PM ----------

Oop! I meant to say, thanks for all the advice, folks, it's certainly been helpful - now all that's needed is to put it to the test!
09-11-2019, 02:47 AM   #69
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
I never studied the "why it was done this way" - just the "how" - and even then, it wasn't to any great depth, and it was fifteen years ago...
No problem at all, photography is very different from painting. A painter can alter reality to make the painting look how he want it to be, you can't do that with a camera. The camera records scenes as they are.
09-11-2019, 02:41 PM   #70
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Here is another approach....if the "landscape" is just not interesting enough, take along a prop !



09-12-2019, 12:05 AM - 1 Like   #71
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QuoteOriginally posted by pschlute Quote
Here is another approach....if the "landscape" is just not interesting enough, take along a prop !
Oooh! That's weird! I like it!

That's an idea actually - I was gifted one of those acrylic spheres for xmas last year, but I haven't actually managed to make use of it yet!

Since it's small enough to fit in a pouch, I'll take it as an "added bonus" to experiment with after getting my "regular" shots - I want my focus to be on learning the basics before I complicate matters. I'll save the acrylic sphere for when the real work's been done and it's time to play!




Side note from my earlier mention of cycling around... make sure if you're on any sort of slope that you turn your front wheel such that it rests against your foot and cannot possibly turn around... because it turns out that if you lean just the right (wrong) way, the front wheel will turn 180° and the bike will slip sideways, neatly sweeping you off your feet - and it'll all happen in less than a second! In all fairness, it was an amazingly beautiful interaction of physics - a truly immaculate display of forces, leverage, friction, fluid dynamics, and of course, me smacking my camera into my face! Did you know you that a hot-shoe can in fact leave a hot-shoe-shaped bruise on one's brow? Outstanding! That's an art-piece in and of itself!
09-12-2019, 12:32 AM - 1 Like   #72
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QuoteOriginally posted by pschlute Quote
Here is another approach....if the "landscape" is just not interesting enough, take along a prop !
Isn't that where the naked woman comes in?
11-06-2019, 03:23 PM   #73
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This an excellent thread. While some comments have been largely a review I think I've gained more knowledge on landscape photography here than from any other single source.

It's a bit more of a narrative than your usual 'sticky', but could this thread be moved to the top of the subcategory?
01-29-2020, 03:59 AM   #74
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I've discovered a "guide" by Colin Prior over on the WildernessScotland website, which should prove useful to other folks in a similar position to myself!

The Best Landscape Photographers in Scotland – Colin Prior

I've also recently discovered that the planning tools on the photopills app to make the planning stages a lot easier (especially when it comes to setting reminders of when you want to go somewhere). The Photographer's Ephemeris is another great tool - but at the moment, its lacking a few features on Android devices, and photopills may better suit your needs. Give them both a look at and run comparisons - the point was that planning is key!

For instance, there exists a hill at my local country park with three standing stones: I've photographed from the hill on many occasions, but on my latest trip I decided to figure out when the sun would be in the optimal position for the shot I want, and now I've got it scheduled to remind me that I want that shot in July.

As Mr. Prior puts it, "It’s simply about stacking as many of the odds as I can in my favour.", referring to seasons, location, weather, etc.

Hopefully, the above post will be of use to others as it was myself - and hopefully, I'll get some good shots this year!

Last edited by cprobertson1; 01-30-2020 at 04:54 AM.
01-30-2020, 03:28 AM   #75
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I use the Photographer's Ephemeris app, which does some of the same things and at least tells me where and when the sun is coming up and setting for a given date.
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