Landscape « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Landscape’

5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

15 Feb

Are you passionate about portrait photography? Do you love sharing images of your trips and landscape photos? Or maybe you spend your free time capturing the streets of your city?

Let me tell you something you might not know about yourself. Every now and then you are a landscape photographer, too. Everyone is. Let’s be honest, you couldn’t resist that beautiful mountain view you photographed a few weeks ago on a hike. Your social media feeds are full of your friends’ photos of canyons, lakes, and forests. Even your grandma sent you a picture of a sunset from her backyard the other day.

01 Sunset in Ilulissat Icefjord Greenland - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

The amount of landscapes captured and uploaded every day is overwhelming. So how can you make people stop and look at YOUR images? How do you make YOUR landscape photos stand out?

Here are some useful tips and tricks to help you. Save them for later, and the next time you are photographing a beautiful view make sure to follow them. You will have a much better chance of taking a good picture and making it noticed.

1. Less is more

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

011 Greenland midnight sun - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

This famous quote also applies very well to landscape photography. I know you are excited to show the whole world how beautiful nature is around you. However, often showing everything is equal to showing nothing.

For instance, look at the image below. It is simple and straightforward. You clearly know what the photographer tried to show.

Now, imagine there is a road below the greenery, two smaller mountains on the right and little pond on the left. You could capture all of that instead; it would give much more information about the location. However, then your viewer wouldn’t know where to look.

002 Bad weather Iceland - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

Your viewer is exposed to thousands of images every day (social media, streets banners, TV, online advertising, etc.). Don’t give him any more work. Seeing your photo should be an effortless and enjoyable process. Here is how to get rid of the unnecessary parts of your images:

If you have a zoom lens, zoom into the frame.
Reposition yourself. Sometimes you have to walk closer to your subject or choose a different point of view.
As a last resort – crop your image later. Generally, It’s not advisable to crop more than 20% of your images. This rule will keep you more disciplined about your choices in the field. Also, it will help you keep your images in high resolution in case you decide to print them one day or participate in photography contests. (Many contests don’t allow cropping more than 20%).

2. Avoid distractions

Now you’ve decided which part of the scene is the most compelling. But before you click the shutter, make sure that these technicalities are in check:

A) Check that the horizon is straight. Turn on the grid in your camera to help you with that.

003 Nepal tilted horizon - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

004 Nepal straight horizon - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

B) Position your subject away from the middle of the frame. Most of the time you will find yourself following the rule of thirds

005 Rule of thirds precise - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

.Sometimes following the rule, precisely.

006 Rule of thirds approximate - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

Sometimes, not so much.

C) Get your settings right to avoid overexposed, underexposed, blurry, or noisy images.

3. Look for color contrast

This is an extremely important concept that you need to be familiar with.

Our brains are wired in a way that when we look at a picture, we first respond to contrasts in color and light, then to the shape, size and other characteristics of the scene.

Make sure you know the theory of color contrast. The general rule is that cold and warm colors work well together. Here are some examples:

007 color contrast moon iceberg - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

008 color contrast aurora - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

4. Test a thumbnail of your image

In a perfect world, you would make a large format print of your image and people would come and spend hours savoring every detail of it. In reality, your picture will be one of many tiny thumbnails on someone’s social media feed. (If you don’t post your images online, you can skip this part.)

A great exercise is to look at your image as a small thumbnail. Can you tell what’s on it? Would you pay attention to it if you saw it on your Instagram timeline or would you scroll past it? You’ll notice, that simple images with high color and/or light contrast stand out the most.

Can you guess which of the images from the grid below got the most amount of interaction on Instagram?

009 thumbnail grid - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

5. Is the image good or does it make YOU feel good?

You just came back from a trip and that sunset you observed with your partner was amazing. You still remember the sound of the waves and the warm wind coming from the sea. Time to share that memory with the world!

99% of the time, that’s fine if you want a snapshot of a holiday, but not if you want people to see an artistic value in it. A great image should be great by itself, regardless of what emotions you have attached to it.

A good practice is to look through your photos weeks, or sometimes months after you took them. You will be surprised at how your selection will change compared to the day of the shoot.

Here are a couple more images that follow the tips above.

010 iceland beach - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

012 Norway window lights - 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

Over to you

Do you have some images that reflect the points of this article? Share them in the comment section so that others can learn from you.

The post 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out by Maria Sahai appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

How to Add a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

14 Feb

You might find that sometimes you take pictures of grand, scenic landscapes only to have viewers not react to the picture the way you had hoped. You present them with a well composed, properly exposed photo of a dramatic scene, but the viewers quickly pass it by. Why is this happening with your landscape photos?

Adding a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos - Grand Canyon

One reason might be that the viewer cannot get a sense of the scale of the scene. They cannot tell if they are looking at something really big, or just something that looks big in a picture. Viewers are used to being tricked by the camera, such that small things look huge.

Remember that a picture is just a two-dimensional representation of a scene and it is hard for the viewer to put things in the right context. You only have a split second to do so, or the viewer has likely moved on to other things.

Using items to add a sense of scale

It can be tricky to relay a sense of proper perspective in your photographs. For example, you might have a photo of some cliffs, but it might not be clear to the viewer whether these cliffs were 7 feet tall or 700 feet tall.

It happens to me all the time, and my hard drive is littered with photos of large cliffs and mountains that did not translate into compelling photographs because there is no sense of scale. In the example below, however, I think you get a sense of the height of these cliffs. How?

Adding a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos - cliffs

I think it is because of the castle in the middle of the picture. It is just a tiny item, but your eye picks up on it and uses it to put the rest of the picture into context.

It is probably not something you really think about, but it happens nonetheless. You know that castles are fairly tall, and you subconsciously use that knowledge to add a sense of scale to the entire picture.

Finding items to use to add a sense of scale

The same dynamic works in other contexts. Your picture doesn’t need to be dramatic cliffs like the one above. It can be any landscape or coastal scene.

Look for things that your viewer knows. Those items give them something to use to add a sense of scale to the picture. It can be anything. Sometimes the item you use is the actual subject of the picture. For example, in this picture below, the lighthouse provides an actual subject or center of interest for the picture.

lighthouse - Adding a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

In addition to providing a point to the picture, the lighthouse is also providing your viewer with a sense of scale. It makes the viewer’s mind more comfortable with the entire image. The viewer has a better idea of what they are looking at, and the relative size of all the elements.

Small things provide scale too

You don’t have to use a large structure like a lighthouse to provide this sense of scale though. You can also include small things that just give your viewer a little clue. In the case of landscapes, perhaps a bird or birds in the distance will help. In fact, animals of any kind often work. In the picture below, the herd of cows provides context for the picture.

cows - Adding a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

When there is nothing else available, just use trees. We have a sense of the general height of trees and our mind will use that to provide context to the photo. Of course, there are trees everywhere (you almost cannot avoid them) so that should be easy to do.

Keep the people in your pictures

The final item I want to mention is the one that you may struggle with, and that is adding people to your pictures. This is an incredibly powerful tool. We, humans, are amazingly adept at recognizing people in a picture and we will use that to provide context to the entire scene.

Therefore, there is no more powerful way to add a sense of scale than by including people to your pictures. Your viewer will see those people in the pictures and naturally use them to gain a sense of scale.

little people on a cliff - Adding a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

To do this, you will have to reverse your thinking in a lot of ways, particularly if you are a landscape photographer. You probably spend a lot of time trying to avoid having people in your pictures.

You probably ask the people you are with to step out of your frame. Or you might spend a lot of time standing around waiting for people to move. In many cases, you will still want to do that, but sometimes – to add this sense of scale – you might want to include those people in your image.

Adding a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

Conclusion

There is no magic bullet to creating a sense of scale in your images. It is something I get asked about from time to time, and I do not have a quick answer. The good news is that just thinking about it puts you ahead of the curve.

So next time you are out shooting, look around and find things that will work for you. Use them to add that sense of scale. Hopefully, the ideas in this article will provide you with some things you can use for your images.

The post How to Add a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos by Jim Hamel appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Getting Started with Landscape Photography – 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

13 Feb

One of the things I like most about photography is that there is always more to learn. It keeps the mind active and the creative juices flowing. But the wealth of information out there can be overwhelming for beginners in landscape photography. Where do you start?

There are a few easy things you can do that will have an immediate impact on your photography so you can start making better images right away. Let’s focus on those and leave the more technical stuff for later.

1. Pay attention to the light

There is no such thing as bad light. The key is to understand what kinds of images are suitable under various lighting conditions.

Red Rock State Park, Arizona by Anne McKinnell - Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

During golden hour, the day’s last light makes the rocks glow.

The Golden Hour

This is the time right after sunrise and right before sunset when the sun is low in the sky and casts beautiful golden light. Start here! It’s hard to go wrong with golden light, which is the most popular time of day for photography.

Ajo, Arizona by Anne McKinnell - Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

The cactus in the foreground is in the shade while golden hour light reflects off the mountain in the background.

Bright Midday Light

The opposite of golden hour, the harsh direct light you find at midday can be the most difficult to work with – unless you photograph in the shade.

Just look for interesting subjects that are in the shade and leave the sky out of the frame. The even soft light is great for close-ups and flower photography.

Bush Lupin - Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

Flowers photographed in the shade.

There are more types of light to work with and different times of day to photograph, but start with these for the quickest results.

2. Remove distractions

Pay attention to the things in the background of your images and try to simplify the background as much as possible. Sometimes there is an unwanted object, like a trash can for example, that you might not notice unless you are looking for it. These things can often be hidden behind your main subject simply by moving to one side, photographing from a higher or lower perspective, or getting closer.

Try to simplify your composition as much as possible with fewer items in your scene. Find a way to photograph your main subject on a clean background.

Big surf on the Oregon Coast. Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

To make this image, I had to change my perspective to eliminate debris on the sand as well as other rocks and birds from the frame.

Beware of tree branches or other things that poke in to the edge of your frame. Before you take your shot, try to remember to do an “edge check”. Look around the edges of your frame and make sure it looks clean.

3. Look for one thing

Your photograph cannot be about everything. You need to decide what is most interesting in your scene and make your photograph about that. Get closer to it.

One exercise that will get you in this habit is to go on a photo walk with the purpose of looking for one particular element of design. You’ll find that when you set your mind on one thing, you’ll start to see it everywhere. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Textures and Patterns

Often beginning photographers will try to capture an entire vista in one photograph and don’t notice the details. But the more you train your eye to notice the details, the more interesting your photographs will become.

The best thing about photographing textures and patterns is that you don’t have to go far to find them. Your subject can be anything from rocks to grass or peeling paint. I’m sure you can find subjects with wonderful textures close to home. Try to fill your frame with the pattern.

Weston Beach, Point Lobos State Reserve, California - Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

Filling the frame with the pattern of colorful rocks.

Lines

Look for horizontal lines, vertical lines or diagonal lines. Try to find lines that lead the way to some interesting subject.

Colors

Take a look at the color wheel and notice complementary colors. Those are the ones that are opposites on the wheel such as blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purple. Any scene with complementary colors is always striking (which is why so many photographers carry around a red umbrella or a red jacket for their partner to wear in a grassy or forest scene).

Bamboo Forest - Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

Complementary colors plus diagonal lines.

4. Make time to practice

It doesn’t take long to develop good habits and learn what makes an interesting photograph. But it can be hard to remember if you only go shooting once in awhile. Try to make a habit of doing it every day, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. By doing this, you’ll reinforce the habit and find yourself seeing the potential for great images all around you all the time.

Spider Rock, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona - Getting Started with Landscape Photography - 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

Golden hour – there is still enough light to photograph the depths of the canyon while the last of the day’s light reflects off the top of the highest rock.

Conclusion

There are more technical things that you’ll want to start learning soon such as; how the exposure triangle works, understanding depth of field, picking the right shooting mode, focus settings, and more. It’s endless (which is a good thing).

But for now, these tips will get you on the right track so you are happy with your images right from the beginning. Have fun!

The post Getting Started with Landscape Photography – 4 Easy Tips for Beginners by Anne McKinnell appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Landscape photography: Don’t miss the moment for the photo

07 Feb

In the pursuit of timeless landscape photography, it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees. That is, to miss the moment for the photo.

Too often, photographers—myself included—focus on tiny imperfections in their images, yet miss the grandeur of the scene before their eyes. We can scrutinize over every pixel, while neglecting the people who are there with us sharing in nature’s spectacle. We search and yearn for perfect sunsets, only to set ourselves up to feel dejected when our idealized expectations fail to meet ‘mediocre’ realities.

Yet, over time, we begin to discover that the endearing value of landscape photography lays not in the final image itself, but in everything behind it and beyond it. In the effort—the literal blood, sweat, and tears—we exert to capture the image. In the memories forged along the way; the memories preserved decades later through the photo. The lasting value lies in the process itself.

In landscape photography, the means do not merely justify the end. The means are a worthwhile end in and of themselves.

Natural beauty, appreciated

The pursuit of capturing stunning landscapes exposes photographers to moments of wonder the majority of the population will rarely if ever have the privilege of experiencing. It grants us opportunities to witness scenes ignorant observers may dismiss as being ‘photoshopped’. Little do they know, these views do exist beyond the wallpapers of their desktop computers—should they have the curiosity and desire to look for them.

Once bitten by the landscape bug—and for those of you who have been, you know what I mean—the unscratchable itch encourages us to get out there as often as possible. To see the sun rising over Sydney Harbour while the city sleeps. To brave freezing winter nights and gaze up at the tapestry of stars in the Milky Way. To hike through forests, in the rain, in order to experience the torrential fury of waterfalls at full flow.

It encourages us to see the artistic potential in scenes taken for granted by untrained eyes. To look for alluring elements in seemingly mundane scenes—a fallen tree trunk acting as a leading line or a coastal rock channel aligned to catch the rising sun for a few fleeting weeks each year. To truly appreciate when the sky explodes in color on sunset, knowing all too well the countless times it doesn’t.

It’s these moments that open our eyes to the wealth of beauty that our natural world has to offer. Moments that leave those who witness them all the richer for it.

Explore with wonder

Not only does the pursuit grant us picturesque scenes to reflect fondly upon, it also exposes us to an emotion not often felt since childhood: a daring sense of wonder.

When viewing the work of my peers, I’m regularly exposed to fantastical scenes so different from what I know. It leaves me inspired to wander through these foreign lands and see how I might put my own unique spin on capturing them. From the scarred canyons of Iceland to the sandstone monuments carved into the American West.

Yet this act of discovery needn’t—and shouldn’t—only apply to grand overseas adventures. It can be found just as easily closer to home.

There’s a sense of wonder in humbly exploring your local countryside in search for the perfect skeleton of a tree. In researching familiar locations on Google Earth and then driving down ungraded side-roads not knowing what the next bend holds. Or in hiking out under the light of the crescent moon on way to an astrophotography shoot.

Express yourself

Life is full of customs to limit how you behave, to restrict what you can and can’t do. And for good reason. There’d be utter chaos should we wake up wanting to drive on the wrong side of the road…

But in our approach to photography, and the work we create, we can be our true selves. We can pursue the facets we like best while leaving behind those we don’t.

Two photographers can look at the exact same scene, yet walk away with starkly different images. One may focus on the weathered bark of an old tree and produce an elegant black and white, while another captures the entire grand scene, opting for an an ethereal Orton Effect in post-processing. Neither method is wrong. Nor is either more correct. Both are merely personal interpretations by the artist.

Dedication to the ongoing pursuit—the capturing, processing and sharing of work—allows us to experiment with new approaches, gear and techniques. It’s a humble process of trial and error to see what works for us and what doesn’t. Ultimately, through this continual refinement of our craft, we establish a look and feel to our images that becomes uniquely our own.

Personal achievement

Succeeding in landscape photography requires a healthy amount of discipline. Discipline to wake at 4am. To drive for an hour out to location. To battle the elements as we set up our gear. To wait and watch the sunrise fizzle out. And to then return home without taking a single decent image.

All to do it again next week, and the week after that.

It takes grit to push through the disappointment in failing to capture the ideal image you had envisioned. Grit to push on through the lows, so that when you reach the highs of a great image—and you will—you have the perspective to truly appreciate what you have created.

As landscape photographers, we must push ourselves. To reach beyond the known, safe certainties of our comfort zones. Be it leaving the warmth of our bed on a dark winter’s morning or embarking on an overnight hike through the bush. The pursuit allows us to challenge and exceed what we think we can achieve. We persevere with our craft and come through the other side the better for it.

Not just a solo pursuit

Who said landscape photography was a lonely pursuit?

Social media has changed the game for photographers. Instagram in particular has become the default portfolio of work for many. The platform allows us to not only draw inspiration from the works of others, but to directly engage and communicate with them. To discover new locations and new ways of viewing tried and true ones.

This works both ways, too. When you share your unique take on a location, no doubt it encourages like-minded photographers to get out and discover those locations for themselves. While it’s tempting to view their work as piggybacking off your hard work, it needn’t be a zero sum game. Through open sharing, we can teach and inspire one another to work harder, to create more. And as a profession, we are the better for it.

If you’ve ever struggled with the discipline aspect to landscape photography (I know I have) try to arrange meet-ups on location with like-minded peers in the field. Not only will their attendance commit you to venturing out, but it then becomes a shared learning opportunity for you both. Local Instameets and Facebook groups are great opportunities to better know the photographic community in your area.

But the social component isn’t limited to just other photographers. Consider inviting those closest to you on the next location scout. Or offer to act as tour guide for a friend, introducing them to new locations they never knew existed.

Case in point

Consider this photo above. On a recent trip across The Ditch, we were staying on New Zealand’s east coast. I knew I wanted to capture the famed Wanaka Tree under the light of dawn, but we were at the end of our travels and the tree was far away on the other side of the island. So, like all mad photographers, I decided to drive four hours through the night to get there in time.

Beside me on the road trip was my 75-year-old grandma, a former Kiwi-turned Aussie. The drive through the night proved to be a great opportunity to bond with her—a rarer opportunity with each passing year. As we drove through the towns of her childhood, she told stories of her past growing up in NZ. And likewise, I had time to share with her my current creative pursuits.

However, once we arrived in Wanaka, the clouds had rolled in to block out the rising sun. And so too our chance of capturing the image we had sought.

And in the car we waited, laughing to each other after coming all this way to be met by less than ideal conditions. Yet, after some time, a fleeting gap in the clouds lit up the fresh new growth on the foreshore and on the tree itself. Together, we hurried down to the lake and both snapped a handful of shots before the clouds returned again.

We couldn’t stop pinching ourselves on the drive back for having been so fortunate to have those brief few moments to take the shot, but upon reflection, it wasn’t getting the shot that made it worth it. Rather, it was the time spent bonding, and the moment shared. While it turned out to be a pretty picture, for me it was an even more memorable moment.

Take a moment for the moment

The classic adage states that it’s the journey, not the destination, that’s of greater importance. And that’s an apt mantra to keep in mind when we go about our landscape photography—both literally and figuratively.

Landscape photography demands much from the photographers who pursue it. It demands we invest our time and our effort into the craft. That we invest without guarantee we’ll walk away with the stunning award-winning image we so dreamed of.

With that in mind, the next time you find yourself on a beach on sunrise or on a hike through the bush… stop. Stop to appreciate the effort you’ve put into preparing for the photo. Stop to take solace in knowing that you’re in the thick of life, immortalizing the scene in front of you through your art. Stop and take a moment, to appreciate the moment.

And then take the shot.

Mitch Green is a Melbourne based Travel and Landscape photographer. He can be found via his website, through Instagram, or down by the beach at 5am waiting for sunrise.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle Lens for Landscape Photographers

07 Feb

The choice of camera lens always represents a crucial moment for every photographer. But it is not always easy to find the lens that fits our actual needs, as too often we get seduced by features that we don’t really need, and are therefore just useful in raising the price.

Have you chosen a stabilized lens and you always use the camera on a tripod? You exclusively take landscape photos in the daylight but have chosen to rely on a f/2.8 lens. Sound familiar?

Especially if you are at the beginning of your journey through the world of photography, your budget won’t likely be particularly high and you may want to maximize your investment by choosing something that can be really useful to you now.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

This is why today I want to tell you about the Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 Lens (with macro), an entry-level lens that every landscape photographer should take into consideration.

Why? Let’s see it together.

Review of the Laowa 15mm F/4 Lens for Landscape Photographers

Construction features

The Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro is a lens that has been on the market since 2015. Although it certainly does not stand out for its cosmetic appearance, it comes with features that really make this a unique lens in the world. So much so that it can simultaneously seduce landscape photographers, lovers of macro photography, and architectural photographers.

Here are its main features, that I’m going to examine with you:

Focal length: 15 mm
Angle of view: 110.4°
Maximum Magnification: 1:1
Maximum Aperture: f/4
Shift function: +/- 6 mm
Minimum Focusing Distance: 12.2 cm
Filter Thread: 77 mm
Mounts: Canon, Nikon, Sony A, Pentax K, Sony E

Exactly, you’ve read it right. The Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 is a Macro 1:1 lens with an angle of view of 110° and a shift function that allows a translation equal to +/- 6mm.

The optical scheme is composed of 12 elements in 9 groups, including 3 high refractive index elements and one low dispersion element, and on paper that holds great promise for excellent performances in terms of sharpness.

And in case that wasn’t enough, add the fact that this lens is compatible with most of the mounts currently available on the market.

One last point, and it’s absolutely not a negative one, is the price. While I’m writing, the list price of the Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro is only $ 499.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

Using this lens for landscape photography

When evaluating a lens, we’re always going to start from the analysis of its MTF charts, and then we carry out an almost infinite series of laboratory tests so as to bench-test it, from a perspective that is more theoretical than practical.

Of course, these tests are absolutely fundamental and I encourage you to look at them. But I also think that you are likely more interested in the real-world behavior of the lens. Knowing that certain optical limits of the lens will be then invisible in the real world, and what you are more concerned about is understanding whether the lens has the features that are really essential to you or not.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

While there are many online reviews available regarding the use of this lens for macro and architectural photography, I haven’t found much regarding its use for landscape photography. So, my purpose here is to examine this lens from the point of view of the landscape photographer, omitting other features that are not fundamental for us hunters of sunrises and sunsets.

So let’s start to analyze the features seen in the previous chapter, now with a more critical eye.

Features

The fact that this is a prime lens and not a zoom gives us great hope with regard to quality, as the optical scheme will be optimized for a single focal length.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

We are not afraid at all of the maximum aperture available, which is f/4. As good landscape photographers, we’ll be normally working around f/11, where sharpness will also be clearly higher.

The lens does not have stabilization or autofocus. While this may make you turn your nose up at first sight, surely you will soon realize that you really don’t care about those things. As you likely use the camera on a tripod you should turn off stabilization anyway, and you may choose to adjust the focus based on hyperfocal distance, making use of the hyperfocal marks available on the lens body.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

So, those are two fewer functions that you don’t need, and their absence has certainly had a positive impact on the market price of the lens.

Using Filters with the Laowa 15mm Lens

With regard to the focal length, this clearly is not the first 15mm lens available on the market. But it is the only one with a feature that has convinced me to test this lens in action – the 77 mm filter thread.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers - filter thread 77mm

The 77mm filter size is very handy!

Normally all wide-angle and ultra wide-angle lenses (usually 15mm is considered the boundary between those two worlds) have a front optical element that is particularly curved. They often come with a built-in lens hood that makes it impossible to mount filters, unless we resort to particular solutions. Ultra wide-angle lenses whose front lens is not so curved and without a built-in lens hood, usually come with a large diameter and it’s therefore impossible to find filter threads smaller than 95 mm.

Thanks to the absence of a built-in lens hood (it does have a bayonet one) and to the 77 mm filter thread, the Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 lens opens the door to using a tool that I deem absolutely essential for every landscape photographer – drop-in filters.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

As I was saying above, with a lens that has a built-in lens hood or a 95 mm filter thread it is possible to use systems that can hold 150 mm filters. But with a 77 mm filter thread, you will be able to use the same system that you use on any other lens equipped with a filter thread up to 82 mm. In a word, it is priceless.

Shift Function

The last of the features coming with this multi-purpose lens is the shift function. Thanks to a lever mechanism positioned next to the lens mount, it is possible to shift the lens by +/- 6mm. Even if this function might not seem very interesting for landscape photography at first sight (after all a rock is always a rock), it turns out to be useful in case there are human artifacts, like buildings, within the frame.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

Shift lever.

The lens in shifted position.

The lens in action

If this lens appears very promising on paper, despite a very moderate price, let’s see its actual real-world behavior.

I have tested the Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 lens with my trusty Nikon D810, a full-frame camera body.

Testing the filter mount

Since this is fundamentally the reason why I decided to try this lens, again thanks to the existing 77 mm filter thread, I quickly mounted my loyal Nisi V5 Filter Holder, which holds 100mm filters. Even if it is possible to mount the holder, the fear of vignetting is too high, considering that we’re talking about a 15mm lens after all.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

Although the Nisi filter holder is guaranteed to be vignette-free up to a 16mm focal length, once mounted on the Venus Laowa 15mm the result was doubtlessly amazing. Vignetting was practically invisible, as you’re going to see below, and it’s possible to quickly remove it in post-production by activating the lens correction profile.

A little dream of mine was substantially coming true. The dream of using an ultra wide-angle lens, and adding up to three 100mm filters and a polarizer without vignetting!

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

The lens barrel

On the lens body (which is sturdy metal, not plastic) you find the focus and aperture rings, whose operations are smooth and precise.

On the aperture ring, I would have preferred a locking system or a snap selection so as to make sure that I never lose the desired aperture. But actually, I haven’t encountered any problems during real-world use of the lens.

The focusing ring is really precise, as well as the existing focusing marks, which allow you to focus using the hyperfocal distance in no time. Just for the sake of being fussy, I would have placed the metric indications of distance upside down, or a vertical line next to each distance, just to be really precise. But you simply have to check the photo you’ve just taken, so as to make sure you have got the desired focus.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

Although the manufacturer does not formally advertise this lens as weather sealed, most of my tests have been carried out in the rain (just for a change!). I protected the lens using only an umbrella or makeshift means, and no problems were detected.

Results

When I examine the images, the results were really comforting.

Sharpness

Shooting at both f/8 and f/11, the image definition is really excellent in the center of the frame. Obviously, the image becomes softer the closer you get to the edges, but doubtlessly the result is much more than acceptable. If you try to use higher apertures, you can naturally start to see that optical phenomenon called diffraction. But, as good landscape photographers, we know that we can go past f/16 only for situations of extreme necessity.

Definition Center - Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

Centre image sharpness.

Definition Center Low - Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

Lower center of the image sharpness.

Definition Corner - Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

Corner of the image sharpness.

Aberration and vignetting

There are no particular problems with regards to chromatic aberration with this lens. I mean, some chromatic aberration is there, but nothing that can’t easily be solved using the automatic chromatic aberration removal included in any post-production software.

Chromatic Aberration With - Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle lens

Chromatic aberration showing before correction.

Chromatic Aberration corrected - Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle lens

After the chromatic aberration has been corrected in post-production.

As for vignetting, as I said above, the problem is almost non-existent when using the 100mm Nisi filter holder. For me personally, this fact alone is worth the purchase price of this lens.

Distortion

It is worthwhile to talk a little about distortion. It is predictable that a 15 mm lens will have barrel distortion. To landscape photographers, this is not a great concern. As I said before, a little distortion on a rock will not invalidate your image, as an irregular rock will always remain an irregular rock. Unfortunately, though, barrel distortion will invalidate the only real line included in your landscape – the horizon.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 lens

The distortion caused by this lens to the horizon is of the “mustache” type, which doubtlessly is the most annoying kind. If when we take a first look at the live view this problem may give us some concern,

If this problem gives you some concern when you first notice it in Live View, as soon as you import the image into any post-production software the correction becomes really easy and immediate.

Unfortunately, at the present time, there is no automatic correction profile for this lens included in Adobe software (Lightroom and Photoshop). But the Venus Laowa technical support is very efficient and within a few hours, they emailed the correction profile that I needed. Once installed, one click was enough to do the job and the image automatically recovered from both distortion (completely removing the mustache horizon) and peripheral shading.

Original

Corrected

Conclusion

The Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 lens has really turned out to be a surprise, exceeding my expectations. Although it comes with a very moderate price, this lens really provides remarkable results in terms of image quality.

Once the lens distortion is corrected, the only thing that still needs attention is edge softness which is absolutely within acceptable values for an entry-level lens.

Construction quality is really remarkable and you can notice that as soon as you take the lens into your hands. Lastly, the possibility of using a 100mm filter holder makes this lens really priceless.

If you are a landscape photographer who is looking for an ultra wide-angle lens with a very advantageous quality to price ratio, then the Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 lens is undoubtedly what you are seeking.

Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro Lens for Landscape Photographers

PROS

Price
Ability to use a 100mm filter holder
Excellent sharpness in the center of the frame
Low chromatic aberration when not used at macro distances
Lens shift function
Lightweight and small

CONS

Manual focusing
Slight edge softness
Barrel distortion (but it can be solved in post-production without any problems)
Cosmetic appearance

The post Review of the Venus Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle Lens for Landscape Photographers by Francesco Gola appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

22 Jan

Have you ever been travelling, come upon a breathtaking vista, and taken a photograph only to find your representation to be a poor record of the view you remember? Welcome to the wonderful world of landscape photography! Capturing that breathtaking view in a photograph is not quite as easy as it looks.

Luckily, with a few simple strategies, you can significantly improve chances of getting better images. Read on and follow these tips for using layers and foreground to take your photos to the next level.

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

Do your images capture what you saw?

As is the case with any type of photography, great subjects (people or places) always help make better photographs. However, just because a vista is spectacular or the light is gorgeous does not guarantee that your photographs will turn out that way.

Why? What is going on?

The problem

Basically, the problem lies in creating composition from the vistas as they are presented. Many tourist views are interesting because of scale or the unusual nature of the location. To make a good image you need to create interest and capture that sense of scale. As you travel through scenic areas around the world, those locations that are the easiest to access don’t necessarily make the best landscape photographs. Being high or adjacent to the road may create a great viewpoint but it often doesn’t lend itself to a great two-dimensional representation (photography) of a three-dimensional object (the world and the view in front of you).

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

Going one step further, many beginners will look at landscape images from other photographers and instinctively like some and not others. They will often have difficulty articulating why they prefer one image over another. Understanding composition and layering will help you make more interesting images and get a better appreciation of why you enjoy certain landscape photographs.

The solutions

The best way to understand these concepts is to break your image down into a few simple pieces when approaching a scene you want to photograph, and then put them all together in the final photograph. Let’s start with scene scouting and composition before you worry about your camera settings.

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

Choose your subject

As part of your location scouting, before you set up to take an image, take some time to think about what you are looking at before you are ready take your camera out of the bag. Decide on the subject matter you are interested in making into a photograph. Figure out what part of it you found interesting – it could be something close, like a lake, or something far away, like a mountain.

Shoot when the light is best

Next, try to make sure you are taking the image when the sun is low in the sky. This is not always an option when you are travelling and it is raining or you only have time during the middle of the day. The wrong time of day (i.e. midday) will significantly limit the impact of your photographs. It is almost always essential to shoot landscape images during golden hour (right after sunrise or just before sunset).

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

The only exceptions are when the sky is overcast or if you are in the mountains. If the sky is overcast it will extend your shooting time but simultaneously makes getting good images harder because the sky is not interesting.

When you are in a mountain range, the mountains are often big enough to interfere with the lighting on your subject as shadows from mountains will get in the way. This means you have to shoot later in the day. In general, shooting during the golden hour will create interesting shadows and great quality of light.

Think in terms of layers

Once you have your subject selected and have picked an appropriate time of day, the next step is to think about layers. Add an object(s) of interest in front of your subject, and include it in the composition of your image. This will often mean using your feet to get into a better position.

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

What is meant by layering composition or objects of interest?

Good landscape photos have layers or objects in the foreground (close to you), middle ground (medium distance from the camera), and background (farthest away). This will help prevent your images from looking flat. These layers form elements that draw the viewer’s eyes and create depth in your photo.

It’s even better if the foreground leads into the background (maybe a river or a line of trees). Some objects, like people, can create a sense of scale. This is particularly important when you are looking at large vistas. For example, a massive cliff will provide no sense of scale without someone or something of a recognizable size in the field of view.

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

What makes a good foreground layer?

What kinds of things can you use to create these layered elements? For the background, distant mountains or hills can do the track. For the middle layer, look for tree lines, intermediate distance hills, clusters of objects, rivers, or lakes. If you have open water such as a lake in the foreground, lowering your perspective, may allow you to see a reflection of your subject that can create additional interest.

Finally, for the front layer, any isolated object in the foreground can function for this purpose. It could be a rock, a cluster of grass, or even a person. The object in the foreground creates weight and balances the image. These should all be placed in the field of view to divide up your image and create interest. You get extra credit for atmospheric effects like fog, mist or haze. Remember you can introduce a subject in the foreground, or get lower to the ground to make something small look bigger.

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

Get ready to shoot

Okay, now that you have scouted your subject, planned your layers, and have positioned yourself you can grab your camera. Choose a lens that gives an appropriate field of view, remembering that really wide angle lenses don’t necessarily work for distant objects in landscapes because they tend to make them appear very small.

Compose your image well

With your camera and lens selection in hand, you need to compose the image in your frame. It is easiest to remember and implement the Rule of Thirds with layers at the thirds. Most modern cameras can be configured to have a grid with lines that divide the screen into nine squares (two horizontal lines and two vertical lines). Where these lines intersect is where you should put the objects(s) of interest, or the layers.

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

For example, placing the horizon on one of these lines is great. Having the sunrise positioned on one of the intersections of the lines is even better. If the sky is really interesting, put the horizon on the bottom third so the sky fills the top two thirds. If the ground is the most interesting, position the sky so that it is only the top third.

Remember you can also shoot landscapes in portrait orientation if that helps the composition. Some people don’t want to follow things like the rule of thirds, but until your photographs are regularly turning out as you want them, it is a good general approach.

Camera settings

In general, for each type of landscape there will be preferred camera settings that will make your photographs really pop. Don’t set your camera at its widest aperture for landscape photographs. You want to try to get as much of the subject of interest in focus. Using a smaller aperture will help, but don’t go too far or you will start introducing diffraction effects.

Use the hyperfocal distance of your aperture to your advantage and make sure you are focusing on an element in the middle ground. This will get all of your background in focus and much of your foreground too, especially if you are using a f-stop in the range of f/8 – f/11.

Finally, you should almost always use a tripod for landscape photography. This type of photography demands tack sharp images: achieve this by using a tripod.

Conclusion

Once you get used to this as an approach to your imagery, it will help you create better images and understand why you like some landscape images more than others.

Please share any additional tips you have for adding layers to your landscape photos in the comments below. Share your landscape images as well, we’d love to see them.

The post Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography by Mark C Hughes appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos – 4 Steps

07 Jan

When we think of storytelling images, we immediately think of people doing something in a documentary type of photograph. After all, people make the most interesting stories. But landscapes have stories too.

As a landscape photographer, you can create a collection of images that tell a story about a place without having people as the main focal point in the image.

Salton Sea, California by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos

The following steps will help you pull the story out of the landscape and convey it to your viewers.

1. What is the story?

The first thing you need to do is to spend some time thinking about what exactly is the story. Often we go to a place and start making images based on compositional elements in the scene without thinking about what is important to the story first.

Salton Sea California by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

When I go to a new place, I often do a scouting trip first just to have a general look around and get a feel for it. Then I do some research to find an interesting story. If the place is a park, why is it a park? Who made it a park? What is the history? What interesting things happen there now and in the past? Do any animals live there, and if so which ones?

Once you have some background, you can pick a story to wrap your photographs around.

Egret at Salton Sea, California by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

2. The first photo shoot – using different focal lengths

Your first photo shoot will help you bring your plan together. Go back to the places that had the most photographic potential from your scouting trip and while there look for elements in the scene that relate to the story you have chosen.

I usually start out with a wide-angle image that takes in the whole scene. Often I don’t end up using this photo in the final collection, but it helps me in my process of making the collection. When you have your photo that takes in everything, think about what are the most interesting things in the scene. Try to pick at least three things and then get closer to each one of them in turn.

Gulls Flying over Pelicans by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

White pelicans by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

Example

For example, when I went to the Salton Sea in California (a stunningly beautiful location that was created as a result of a man-made disaster) one feature that is most interesting is a layer of dead fish. But how do you make a good photograph of dead fish?

I started by making an image that took in the whole scene. Then I changed lenses to use a mid-range focal length and then a long focal length from where I was standing. Then I started to get closer and closer to the dead fish looking for elements of design such as lines and shapes along the way.

Salton Sea Tilapia by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

Dead Tilapia at Salton Sea, California by Anne McKinnell - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

When I found something interesting, again I tried to use different focal lengths to see how I could convey the feeling of the place in an image.

Make sure you photograph the details of the scene as well as the overall feeling. Finally, when you find a really interesting detail, get really close to it using your wide-angle lens so you have an image with an interesting detail in the foreground that also takes the whole scene into the frame.

3. The second shoot – using the best light

The next step is to pick out your favorite images from your first shoot and think about what kind of light could make them better. Is there a subject with a great shape that would make an interesting silhouette? Is it transparent and might glow with some backlight?

Would it create interesting shadows at a certain time of day? Would it look best with warm light during the golden hour? Does it need a dramatic sky?

Sunset at Corvina Beach, Salton Sea, California - How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos - 4 Steps

Whatever it is, plan to revisit the location when you have the best chance of getting the conditions you need to make your ideal shot. You may need to go back a number of times, if possible before you get all the shots you want.

4. Putting it together

Whether you are putting the images into a collection display on your wall, using them in a blog post, displaying them on your website, selling them to a magazine (along with your story of course), or simply showing your friends. Having an interesting set of images that are storytelling will always create a larger impact than random photos of a place that are not connected.

Salton Sea Collage by Anne McKinnell

The post How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos – 4 Steps by Anne McKinnell appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Best Landscape Articles on dPS in 2017

26 Dec

We hope you are enjoying your holiday week and have some time off work to get out and do some shooting.

In this first installment of our annual roundup of the best of the year on dPS, here are the top 18 landscape articles that we published in 2017.

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Travel and Landscape Photography
The dPS Ultimate Guide to Landscape Photography
How to Use Neutral Density Filters to Make Better Landscape Photos
6 Ideas for More Creative Landscape Photography
5 Composition Tips for Landscape Photography
8 Tips For Doing Stunning Urban Landscape Photography
How to Use Graduated Neutral Density Filters for Landscape Photography
5 Hacks and Tricks to up your Landscape Photography Game
How to Use Juxtaposition for More Compelling Landscape Photography
How a Short Versus Long Exposure Will Affect Your Landscape Images
5 Ways to Create Better Landscape Photos
7 Tips for Urban Landscape Photography
How to Create Glass Ball Landscapes – 6 Techniques
How to Plan and Prepare for Landscape Photography
How to Find the Best Locations for Landscape Photography
Landscape Photography: All About the Light
Video: 10 Hot Tips for Better Landscape Photography
How to Shoot and Stitch a Panorama Photo

Watch for more “Best of dPS” articles tomorrow.

The post Best Landscape Articles on dPS in 2017 by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

15 Dec

Born and raised in Norway, my opinion might be slightly biased but winter is my favorite season for photography. Sure, it’s a cold and harsh season but there are so many opportunities to capture beautiful winter landscape images both during the day and night.

I haven’t always been a fan of winter photography, though. In fact, it took me several years after purchasing my first camera before I brought it with me on skiing and hiking trips. Needless to say, it didn’t take many trips before I was hooked and began looking forward to next winter. I quickly realized that photographing during winter is in many ways different than any other season.

There are several new challenges you need to handle and, quite often, everything is white. How do you handle that? Here are five tips to capture better winter landscape images.

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

1 – Look for Color Contrast

After a few days of heavy snowfall, the landscape here in Norway is completely white. White trees, white lakes, white mountains and normally a white sky. When everything is white, it’s quite challenging to find a focal element as nothing really stands out.

During days like this, you should be searching for elements of color that stand out in the otherwise white landscape. Here’s an example of a house captured the morning after a heavy snowfall.

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

The red cabin is what makes this picture interesting. Without it, the scene lacks a focal element and the viewer’s eyes have no place to rest.

I find red to be a particularly pleasing color in situations like this but search for any dominant color. Perhaps there’s an autumn leaf laying on top of a thin layer of snow, or maybe it’s a few skiers wearing red jackets. Just find a dominant color in the otherwise white landscape and use that as your focal element.

2 – Bright is Better than Dark

When you’re not able to find a colorful focal element that stands out in the frame, overexpose your image. If it’s snowing and there’s no contrast in the sky, winter images can often benefit from being a stop or two brighter. Just avoid clipping the highlights.

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

This isn’t something I always do but whenever it’s a whiteout I tend to lean that direction. The slightly overexposed image enhances the whiteout and helps convey just how cold you were when taking the picture, yet it still shows a sense of calmness.

3 – Choose a Cold White Balance

You can either choose White Balance in camera or in post-processing if you’re photographing Raw, a cool color balance is often the most suitable for winter scenes.

Unless it’s a colorful sunset, there’s no reason to use a warm White Balance. Snow is white and the shadows are cool. Using a cold White Balance will help enhance the winter mood while keeping the image more realistic.

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

4 – Photograph During Bluehour

Winter is a season with lots of opportunities throughout the entire day; even a sunny winter day is worth taking your camera out for. However, during the last years, I’ve begun to appreciate the blue hour more and more.

The moments before the sun rises or after it sets creates a magical, soft light in the winter landscape, especially near the mountains. This is a time where you should be out with your camera. Even if it’s freezing cold and you’d rather stay at home underneath a blanket, you’re doing yourself a favor by going out with the camera at this time of day.

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

If I was only able to choose one time of the day to go photographing during winter it would be the blue hour (well, night-time and aurora chasing might be preferred…)

5 – Bring Extra Batteries and Keep Them Warm!

The last tip is perhaps the most important when it comes to photographing cold climates in general – bring extra batteries. Batteries drain much quicker in winter and if you’re like me and use Live View for most shots, you need to bring at least a few extra batteries – just in case.

I tend to keep at least one spare battery in an inner pocket of my jacket to keep it from draining or failing in the cold temperature. I’ve also found that doing so will result in the battery lasting longer when you do start using it.

5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography

A self-portrait I took on a hike in rough conditions last winter

Lastly, related to keeping the batteries warm, you need to stay warm as well. Always be prepared and rather bring a layer too many than too few. You always want to have the opportunity to dress down, especially if you’re going on a hike.

Over to you

Do you get winter weather where you live? Get out and take some winter landscape shots and share them in the comments below. We’d love to see them.

The post 5 Tips for Better Winter Landscape Photography by Christian Hoiberg appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

These are the winners of the UK’s Landscape Photographer of the Year contest

02 Nov

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_9057334703″,”galleryId”:”9057334703″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

The winners of the 2017 “Take a View – Landscape Photographer of the Year” contest have been announced—a competition that aims to find the best images of the UK from photographers around the world. This year’s winner of the top prize and title was Benjamin Graham with a nicely uncomplicated view of the dunes at West Wittering in West Sussex.

The competition, which is in its 11th year, has a prize fund of £17,000. £10,000 goes to the Landscape Photographer of the Year, £1,000 to the winners of the four adult categories and the youth prize, and £500 to second placed images in the adult categories.

This year’s winners are:

Landscape Photographer of the Year
Benjamin Graham

Classic view
Rachael Talibart

Living the view
Paul Fowles

Urban view
George Robertson

Your view
Neil Burnell

Youth winner
Andrew Bulloch (15)

The competition also had prizes from sponsors Network Rail (Jon Martin wins a trip to photograph the Forth Bridge in Scotland) and VisitBritain (Graham Niven), and from Fujifilm for the best print, Lee Filters and The Sunday Times. For a full list of winners and to see all the winning images visit the Take a View: Landscape Photographer of the Year website.

The winning images and those in the shortlists will form a book as well as a free exhibition that will be held in London’s Waterloo station from November 20th, 2017 through February 4th, 2018.

Press Release

Landscape Photographer of the Year 2017

The Winner is Announced

A photograph of the UK’s stunning coastline wins the top prize for the third year running, as Benjamin Graham’s image of the dunes at West Wittering in West Sussex becomes the eleventh winner of the overall title: Landscape Photographer of the Year. The judges chose Benjamin’s image from thousands of entries celebrating the richly diverse landscape of the UK.

Winning the top prize of £10,000, Benjamin was attracted by the ambiguity of the scene:

“As well as its minimal simplicity, I particularly like the indeterminate scale of the image. The double S-curve could be two metres long or two thousand… It was actually about twenty.”

Charlie Waite, one of Britain’s leading landscape photographers and founder of the Awards spoke about the winning image:

“Benjamin’s image has a hypnotic and contemplative quality that acts as an antidote to turbulent times. When at the coast, we often just stand and gaze out to sea and seem to gain some kind of spiritual well-being from doing so. This image suggests the same emotional experience and the composition leads the eye on to infinite calm.”

From flower fields and land patterns to romantic castles and historic bridges, the winning photographs in the ‘Take a view – Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards’ not only display the talent of their creators but also inspire visitors to explore and discover the wonders of the British countryside.

The Young Landscape Photographer of the Year title has been awarded to Andrew Bulloch, whose image of an urban skatepark set against a backdrop of the Northern Lights shows a meeting of the man-made world with one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena.

For the third year, the Awards are being held in association with VisitBritain and the GREAT campaign to showcase the diversity of amazing moments and experiences that can be only be had on a trip across Britain. The VisitBritain ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ Award was offered for the photograph judged to best capture the spirit of the campaign. The winning image, by Graham Niven, of an early morning boat trip on Loch Garten in the Cairngorms is taken from a viewpoint that allows the viewer to feel involved and part of the ‘amazing moment.’

VisitBritain/VisitEngland Chief Executive, Sally Balcombe said:

“As Graham’s spectacular image shows, Britain’s diverse and stunning scenery offers a visual feast in which the viewer can imagine themselves at the centre of the experience. It is a fantastic example of how images stir our emotions and fire our imaginations, motivating and inspiring us to explore new locations and landscapes.”

Congratulations also go to the winners of this year’s other Special Awards. The Network Rail ‘Lines in the Landscape’ Award was won by Jon Martin for his view of a train crossing Barmouth Viaduct over the River Mawddach in North Wales (right) and ‘Poppies in a field of linseed’ by Julian Eales, won The Sunday Times Magazine Award. Will Milner wins the Adobe Prize for his photograph of Durdle Door at night, Mark Cornick receives the Fujifilm Print Prize for his architectural view of a London building and Rachael Talibart’s seascape at Birling Gap in East Sussex is awarded the LEE Filters Prize.

The exhibition of winning entries will again be held on the Balcony at Britain’s busiest station, London Waterloo, giving thousands of visitors the chance to see the very best of the British countryside in the very heart of the capital. Opening on Monday, November 20th, the exhibition is hosted by Network Rail and will run for twelve weeks, closing on February 4th, 2018, before heading off on a tour of selected stations countrywide. Admission is free.

All the winning and commended photographs from the competition can be found in the Awards book ‘Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 11’ by AA Publishing, which is available now.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized