​Creative ideas of landscape photography

This article introduces how landscape photography masters create landscape photography, to see how they think about the elements of landscape photography, and what experience we should learn?

Learn about natural light

Figuring out how the sunlight falls on a scene and is reflected and absorbed by its surface requires practice and trial. Mastering light does not mean controlling it, but learning how to make the most of it. It is important to keep in mind that you should thoroughly analyze the light and its distribution throughout the scene.

The experience and understanding of the location

We take pictures based on how we feel and interpret the place. But the connoisseur of the photograph has never been to the scene and will judge the photograph by a range of different criteria. Photography is a personalized, subjective and creative activity. We can never be sure where the impulse to take a particular photograph comes from. Perhaps the impulse came from a mass of previously seen images. Most of these images can no longer be recalled clearly, but the images accumulate and take root in the photographer's mind. In other words, there's nothing like identifying or recalling these two mental activities to inspire us.

Waiting game

It's common to hear people say, "You were lucky to get that light!" But in reality, it has nothing to do with luck. Capturing the best lighting effects is like playing a waiting game. Most of the fun in photography comes from the fact that we often wait with joy before imaging. While we wait, we daydream and enjoy the pleasure of anticipation. The so-called "luck", in fact, is only caught opportunities.

Photography is an unpredictable process

All photography is bound to face a certain degree of unpredictability, which is the process of photography tension and pleasure. Perfect images are always out of reach and should be. The challenge for a photographer is to try to predict a shot as accurately as possible. This means that the photographer should do some planning for the controllable factors before shooting. A photographer riding his luck is like a chef cooking a "signature dish" before he knows if the ingredients are there.

Careful planning

For landscape photography, I advocate careful planning and a military-like approach. Just as a general plans to take possession of a fort, taking a photograph requires careful planning and attention to every detail. The ideal light will appear, but for a short time, and it will be difficult to "meet" you. There are days when the light is too strong and too bright for the image, but there will come a day when the light conditions are incredibly good. You will be delighted to find that the time, place and light all fit the bill. It's those moments where the light seems to blend everything exactly as you'd like it to, and the experience is exhilarating.

Learn about the lighting characteristics of different locations

We know that in the UK, white Cliffs can be photographed with side light to highlight its shape and outline; Filming bryce Canyon in the US has taught us that backlight can make its jagged shape even more vivid. So what's the best light to shoot in other locations? How do we determine which light is best? We can mainly grasp two points:

Camera position

Don't just stand there and shoot. Many people take pictures with their legs slightly apart and their body leaning forward (the so-called classic photographer's stance), which is the easiest pose. One helpful tip, however, is not to hold up your camera until you know exactly where and how high to shoot.

Revisit and review

Every time we review a photo, we find that some elements don't look good in the photo, while others may be more expressive than the actual scene. The locations and scenes we shoot are changing, and even if they are frozen on film, we can learn new lessons from them. The key is to study the photos and try to recall what attracted us in the first place. Although the initial feeling is always blurry, it is hoped that we will be able to recapture the inspiration if we see similar scenes again after leaving the photo.

Predict the effect of the photo

Using the depth of field preview device helps us determine which part of the photo (usually the sky) to use in the gray filter. This method will ensure which filter will work best at a certain aperture. If the medium grey filter is used in conjunction with a rangefinder camera, the accuracy will not be particularly high because the photographer cannot predict the true effect of the image. Some medium-range rangefinder cameras have a frosted glass screen on the back to improve accuracy. Any filter should be used with care. If the filter leaves a visible mark, the shot will fail.

Optimum light condition

For photographers, the ideal situation is to be able to take advantage of the best light conditions. Post-production adds "deceptive" light, so rely less on photo post production. Filters often play a key role in how well landscapes are shot, because only through some optical processing can we create an image that is more "mental" than "visual".

metering

Should we trust the light metering system of cameras? Only with a comprehensive understanding of metering can we distinguish the brightness of light. Today's camera metering systems are so advanced that the exposure curve can be adjusted using digital histograms. However, hand-held point-based light meters are also useful because they help us keep track of the intensity and changes of light.

Can the light unify the tone of the picture?

Although light changes can never be predicted with perfect accuracy, photographers must study the properties of light. A warm, beautiful sunset, for example, often gives the Mediterranean landscape an amber tint. This light is thought to be unique to the Mediterranean, but it can be photographed in northern Europe as well. Although many people don't think so, it is true. Every corner of the world has its own fascinating light.

What does a picture stand for?

Square photographic frames are not commonly used, but are ideal for design photography. The human field of vision is similar to an ellipse, and a square frame would conflict with a panoramic shot. Considering the problem of picture frame, practice over the years has proved that 35mm picture frame (photosensitive area 36mm×24mm) is the most ideal. Many people like wide-angle panoramic cameras, and indeed, many excellent photographers have sprung up in this kind of photography. But I advise you to try out a panoramic camera before you buy it. Don't believe that simply enlarging your frame will improve your photography skills. While a full-frame camera can help you make a decision by allowing you to see more of what you're looking for, photography depends largely on the insight of the photographer.

Rules of composition

Many people must have an innate sense of design and beauty. After all, we make our own decisions about where to set up our homes -- where to put a table, where to put a mirror, where to hang a picture -- all of which involve basic rules of composition. Simply put, it's about how it looks "right" or "works." Do we need to refer to the rulebook for this? Of course not. We judge by life experience and the day-to-day process of living.

Research on avoidance rationality

Please do not believe that every aspect of photography must have a rational explanation. Photography is a pure visual experience, while photographic works usually convey a kind of information and rely on the viewer's imagination to realize its meaning. Of course, a photograph -- especially a documentary photograph -- has a deeper or more subtle meaning.

Photography technology and creation

People often ask me this question: do artists have a certain talent? I think with a lot of practice and familiarity with the process and details of photography, the technique can be improved. So what can be improved? After a period of shooting, everyone will unconsciously have a "feature", that is, each person's unique creative "technique". This is because there is a series of shapes in nature that constantly attract us, and every time we find something of one shape or another, we are tempted to photograph it. Many believe that this mode of shooting leads to a repetitive style. Maybe that's the way it is. However, this does not prevent the artist from enjoying it. I believe that for artists, to keep doing things in a familiar way can to some extent deepen their understanding of such things. This is a significant and crucial process for photographers or artists in other fields. Maybe a voice from the inside is the only voice you need, right?

Personalized creation

The personalized creation of photography is real, that is, real to ourselves, the most important of which is the pleasure we get from shooting. When shooting, it is best to make clear the intention of shooting. Shooting at will is wrong and unscientific. Our images should be two-dimensional representations of our experience of interacting with our surroundings. Therefore, all artists should try their best to take their own photos.

The necessity of selecting a filter

Every landscape photographer wants to create a medium grey gradient filter for each shot. We know that the eye is connected to the brain and can capture a wide range of brightness, whereas film and photosensitive devices can record a much smaller range than the human eye. In photography, a set of medium grey gradient filters helps compress the brightness range of the subject, ensuring that the camera captures everything of value. Filters are essential for high quality landscape photographs. Used properly, polarizers can also be an extremely important filter, second only to the medium gray gradient filter.

Camera imaging

It is a great pleasure to finish a work with a camera. The process of composition and architecture is like struggling with the components in order to make them closely connected and interrelated. For me, the joy of landscape photography is in the process of shooting through the lens, not in post-production. In my opinion, trying to take pictures with a camera will make life experience more colorful.

The first feeling

When looking at a photo, where do we first look? Are our eyes on the spot we want them to be, or are we distracted by an unexpected scene left in the picture? Whether the image is pleasing to the eye or not, the eye and brain perceive it within a thousandth of a second of contact. If any part of the image conflicts with the subject and does not highlight the image, the eye will be drawn away and the image will eventually be rejected. This may be the reason why viewers don't appreciate a photograph when they first see it. Of course, once you have a bad feeling, it's hard to feel good again.

Crop of photos

Cutting is perhaps the most seductive aspect of photography. We can cut the landscape horizontally and vertically, trying to leave no trace to cut an ideal picture. If there is a wall or a river, or any continuous part, there must be a cutting point. We must consider carefully when cutting this breakpoint as its exit or entrance. For example, on a mountain slope, should you cut it up or down? Personally, I prefer the latter.