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World Press Photo cancels 2020 Photo Contest award show, festival due to COVID-19 concerns
The World Press Photo Foundation has announced it is canceling its awards show and festival, originally planned to take place in Amsterdam from April 16–18, due to COVID-19 (the coronavirus).

The decision comes after following the assessments of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and coming to the conclusion that World Press Photo ‘can not hold events where international guests are invited to join local participants in a mass gathering.’ Due to ‘on-going uncertainty about the scale of the COVID-19 virus,’ World Press Photo has decided to altogether cancel the event rather than postpone it until later in the year.

Despite the two events being cancelled, the show will go on. The winners of the 2020 Photo Contest and the 2020 Digital Storytelling Contest will still be announced on April 16, 2020, and shared online for the world to view. The nominees will also continue to be shown as part of World Press Photo’s worldwide exhibition tour, with the next exhibition set for a showing at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam on April 18, 2020.

To see the nominees for the 2020 World Press Photo awards, visit our previous gallery.

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World Press Photo Foundation cancels the Awards Show and Festival because of COVID-19

We have decided, after intense deliberations, that the global situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, requires us to cancel the World Press Photo Awards Show 2020 and the World Press Photo Festival 2020, due to be held in Amsterdam on 16-18 April.

We are devastated that we will not be holding two of our major events that honor and showcase this year’s contest winners in person. Both events have become pivotal occasions for the visual journalism community to come together and we are all going to miss this moment.

We were well advanced with the planning for these events and to bring that to a stop is not an easy decision. Combined with the on-going uncertainty about the scale of the COVID-19 virus, this means it is not possible for us to postpone the events until later in the year.

However, the safety of our community, staff and society outweighs all other considerations.

We have been following the assessments of trustworthy sources such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and they report that in the coming weeks there is a moderate to high risk of more countries reporting more cases and clusters. ‘Social distancing’ is the way the risk of the COVID-19 virus is being managed, and we have concluded we can not hold events where international guests are invited to join local participants in a mass gathering.

The winners of the 2020 Photo Contest and the 2020 Digital Storytelling Contest – including the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year and the three other major awards – will be announced on the evening of 16 April 2020 (under embargo until 22:00 CET) and presented to our global audience through a wide range of online and media channels.

We will be working hard to give those winners the recognition they deserve. The nominees for those awards can be seen now at worldpressphoto.org, the worldwide exhibition tour continues, and we are also looking forward to finding new ways of fulfilling our mission: connecting the world to the stories that matter.

Important dates
- 16 April 2020 22:00 CET: 2020 Contests winners announced
- 18 April 2020: World Press Photo Exhibition 2020 starts its worldwide tour at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. See all confirmed exhibition locations at worldpressphoto.org/calendar. More locations are added regularly.
Connecting the world to the stories that matter.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
March 13, 2020
DPReview TV: With new firmware, Nikon Z6 and Z7 autofocus gets closer to 3D AF tracking
Editor’s note: We have updated our reviews of both the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7, including scoring, to reflect both cameras’ performance using the new firmware.

Nikon recently announced firmware update 3.0 for its Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras. Most notably, it includes AF system improvements that designed to replicate Nikon’s class-leading 3D-tracking mode for DSLRs. We put it to the test to see how well it works.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
- Introduction
- The new tracking interface
- Animal-detect autofocus
- Eye detect performance
- Other improvements
- Conclusion
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
March 12, 2020
Video: Ferrari sports cars, Formula 1 cars captured on-track with a Super 8 cameras from the 1960s

Nick Shirrell, a motorsport filmmaker known for using old school film cameras to capture auto races, recently received an invitation from Ferrari to travel to Italy and film a race using 50-year-old Super 8 cameras with 8mm film. The result is a 10-minute video featuring a retro production style and classic voiceover narration that recently went viral on the /r/Formula1 subreddit.

DPReview spoke with Shirrell to ask about his experience with Ferrari and the gear he used to capture the race, as well as the events that led up to this moment. The project wouldn’t have been possible without support from Reddit, according to Shirrell, who explained that his first Super 8 race video went viral on the /r/cars subreddit, resulting in articles from publications like Jalopnik and, eventually, a private message from Ferrari.

Following the initial video, Shirrell filmed an IndyCar video at Road America, which likewise was popular on Reddit and with automotive media. He explains:

‘Not long after the IndyCar video went viral, I got DM’d on my Instagram by Ferrari asking if I’d like to talk to them about doing some filming. Little did I know the phone call that would follow would be an invitation to Italy to make the great film released this week! Ferrari was amazing to work with and they made it clear they wanted no hand in the creative process or in the final content, they only wanted to enable me to create something amazing and give me the opportunity to do what I do with these films.’

Shirrell used a variety of gear to capture the race, including three Super8 cameras: a 1966 Canon 814, 1968 Canon 1218 and a 1971 Beaulieu 4008 ZM2 with Kodak Vision3 50D and 200T motion picture film stock. These models were joined by a RadioShack-brand Realistic 14-1029 handheld mini-cassette recorder featuring a Smith-Victor supercardiod condenser shotgun microphone.

Shirrell said his narrator Alan Baxter used a modern microphone to record the voiceover, which was later edited using software. As well, he relied on the natural lighting available at the filming locations. Shirrell explained:

‘For post-processing the voiceover audio, I use EQ and distortion filters within Adobe Premiere Pro to mimic the sound of an older microphone recording onto tape as accurately as I can. For ambient track sounds of V10s, Challenge cars, etc recorded onto mini-cassettes the old fashioned way I didn’t have to add any filtering.’

As for processing the film, he said:

‘I do develop my own 35mm and medium format still photos with C-41, E-6, and black and white chemicals, but for a professional project like for Ferrari I didn’t trust myself to not ruin the film on my first ever attempt at developing 8mm. 8mm is challenging to develop because it’s 50 feet long and very small and fiddly compared to a roll of 35mm or 120 film that is 4-6 feet in length.’

This isn’t the end for Shirrell, who has plans for other projects involving his retro equipment:

‘For what I want to shoot next, I’d love the opportunity to film Formula 1 if the opportunity presents itself, but I also have ideas for shooting drag racing, rally, and other motorsports.’

Shirrell’s work can be found on his YouTube account and on Instagram.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

March 12, 2020
NAB Show cancelled due to COVID-19, but alternative options are being considered

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President and CEO Gordon Smith has confirmed the NAB Show has been called off, at least for the time being, due to ongoing concerns surrounding COVID-19 (the coronavirus).

In the announcement shared on the NAB Show website, Smith says:

‘In the interest of addressing the health and safety concerns of our stakeholders and in consultation with partners throughout the media and entertainment industry, we have decided not to move forward with NAB Show in April. We are currently considering a number of potential alternatives to create the best possible experience for our community.’

Later on in the post, Smith notes NAB is ‘still weighing the best potential path forward’ and is ‘committed to exploring all possible alternatives.’

The five-day event was set to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada starting April 18, 2020. In addition to CP+ and The Photography Show being canceled or postponed, Adobe, AJA and Nikon all confirmed they wouldn’t be attending the NAB Show, putting a damper on the already doubtful event.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

March 12, 2020
2 Important Skills All Photographers Need

The post 2 Important Skills All Photographers Need appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Do you know what are two of the most important skills all photographers need? Since photographers don’t usually apply for jobs with a traditional CV, we’re not really used to thinking about things like soft skills. Yet, we really should.

As a photographer, you are very conscious of technical skills and you ‘sell’ them to the client. But what about soft skills? Usually, everything falls into the creative category, but learning to recognize individual soft skills can help you to improve as a photographer and grow your list of clients.

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are a list of personal competencies or attributes that impact the way you do your job. Because they come from a personal level, they are not necessarily job-specific. However, some are more important than others for each professional profile. Two important skills all photographers need are resourcefulness and flexibility.

A streak of bad luck during the shoot, or a slip of memory that made you forget some equipment, can happen to anyone. This is where soft skills kick in – how do you solve the problem? I’ll give you two examples where simple things can go wrong, and why these are important skills all photographers need.

Example 1: a broken tripod

You have a photoshoot where the composition was laid out considering a high point of view looking down on the subject. Unfortunately, the quick-release plate of the tripod brakes, what would you do? Problem-solving may lead you to change the settings to do the photo handheld, but sometimes you can’t.

Let’s explore some other ways to deal with it.

Resourcefulness

It means that you’re able to face a difficult and unexpected situation by using any resource you have at hand. In this case, you’ll need to find a steady support for your camera. Look around and find any stable thing that you can use considering the height you need to reach. You can use your equipment cases, or some boxes for example.

Next, think about the angle you need to give your camera and find something malleable to put on top of the boxes. Most photographers have a sandbag to put weight on the tripod, you can use that. Otherwise, you can find a cushion, a bag of sugar, or anything you can find. This would potentially solve your problem with resourcefulness.

Flexibility

If there weren’t any resources available to solve the problem, or not in an acceptable way, then you need flexibility. This means that you have the ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. For example, being open to change the aesthetics of the image by rearranging the composition and reframing it.

1/125 f8 ISO 200

If you’re working with still life, products or food, you can even place the camera on the same surface as the subject. If it’s a portrait or a landscape, try placing your camera on the tripod without having to angle it.

Example 2: no flash trigger

A wireless flash trigger is a device that allows your camera to communicate with your flash so you can fire it in sync. Usually, it’s two pieces of equipment – the transmitter and the receiver. If you forget one of the pieces, run out of batteries, or it breaks, what can you do to trigger the flash?

Resourcefulness

Even if your set-up involves several flashes, you can use most speed lights and strobes in slave mode. This means that you only need to fire one flash and the others will react to it. So, which flash can fore without extra devices or cables? The one from your camera (if your camera has an onboard flash).

Normally, you don’t want to use that flash to illuminate your scene, as it tends to be quite unflattering, but you can use it to trigger your other lights. Using a piece of cardboard, or a small box, block the front (and at least one of the sides) of the flash so that it won’t spill any light into your scene.

Leave open one side so that the light triggers the slave flashes.

Flexibility

Another possible solution is to fire the flash manually. In order to do this, you’ll need a longer shutter speed so you can react and fire it on time.

1,6 sec f8 ISO 200

The last time I faced something like this, I started processing whatever I had shot before the trigger broke, this way the client didn’t feel we were just waiting around doing nothing and I used the time productively. If not, you’ll need to be open to reschedule or run to buy a new trigger (or batteries, depending on what happened). In any case, flexibility is key.

Conclusion

As you can see, soft skills are small things that you probably already have but never considered an extra asset. The important thing about identifying your soft skills is that you can improve on them.

Also, now that you know them, don’t be shy about letting your clients know about it. In the end, they want a photographer that gets the job done, no matter what. This is why resourcefulness and flexibility are important skills all photographers need.

Have you faced any scenarios where you had to think quick on your feet to get the job done? Share with us in the comments!

The post 2 Important Skills All Photographers Need appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Digital Photography School

March 11, 2020
How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together

The post How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Capture One Pro is a RAW processor with incredible performance and functionality, but it doesn’t completely replace Photoshop.

In order to get the most out of your RAW file, you might want to do as much of your post-processing as possible in Capture One (COP). However, you’ll still need Photoshop for retouching.

COP offers fantastic color management and adjustment tools, but Photoshop allows you to work on the individual pixels in a file via cleaning techniques, cloning, and layers. Photoshop also allows you to create composites.

The process of using Photoshop and Capture One together has been automated since version 10, just like it is between Lightroom and Photoshop.

Instead of having to manually open an exported file into Photoshop and then reimport it back into the Catalog or Session, your file can quickly and easily make a “round-trip”, starting in Capture One.

How do Capture One Pro and Photoshop differ?

There is a lot of conversation around which program is better – Capture One or Photoshop? But there’s not much point in comparing the two programs in this way because they’re very different. They’re meant to do different things, as Lightroom and Photoshop are also meant to do different things.

Photoshop is the standard for image manipulation across various disciplines, such as graphic design, graphic art, and, of course, photography. It’s a powerful program for retouching, composting, creating website mockups, and adding effects to images.

On the other hand, Capture One is a RAW editor and asset management tool, such as Lightroom and Camera RAW. It is made by Phase One, manufacturers of medium format cameras.

Because Photoshop and Capture One have their strengths in different areas, you’ll get the most functionality out of using them together. Some photographers and retouchers prefer to focus on Photoshop alone, which is certainly a viable choice. However, there are benefits to using Capture One as an additional software program. It has powerful masking, layer, and color tools.

One of these benefits of using Capture One is the advanced tethering capabilities that the software offers.

If you’re a studio photographer, or otherwise find shooting tethered to a computer indispensable to your workflow, you’ll find Capture One outstanding in this regard.

It allows you to use Live View, artwork overlays, and also offers stability and lightning speed. Capture One technology uses direct access to the camera, which enables Live View and advanced controls. Other tethering programs copy files such as camera proprietary programs save the captures to an SD card and call it “tethered capture.” However, it’s actually a “file copy.”

The steps for using Capture One and Photoshop together

Your photo can make a “round trip” in Capture One and Photoshop.

You can open the image in Photoshop via Capture One, retouch it, and then send it back to Capture One. Lightroom and Photoshop work in tandem the same way.

With Capture One, you can finalize your image within the program and send it to an external editor, like Photoshop.

Capture One is an asset manager, so you’ll probably want to put it back alongside your original file in the Catalog or Session where it’s stored.

You can then refine it further, or create Variants (like Virtual Copies) in black & white, color grading, etc. if you choose.

To initiate the round-trip process, follow these steps:

1. Start with the Basic Tab:

Right-click on the image itself or on the thumbnail. This will initiate a dropdown menu. Choose >Edit With. This will bring up a Dialog Box.

Do not choose >Open With. This function is just for opening up the image in another program, while >Edit With will create a new file and place it next to the RAW file.

If you don’t see Photoshop as an option in the dropdown, just click on >Other and navigate to Photoshop in your applications and click on it.

In the Dialog box, choose >PSD and your desired bit depth – 8-bit or 16-bit.

Choose the desired color profile – sRGB for web use only, or Adobe RGB.

Choose 100% for Scale to the image is full-sized.

2. Under the Adjustment Tab:

Choose to ignore crop, if desired.

Add additional sharpening if you want to do so at this stage.

3. Under the Metadata tab:

Check off any metadata parameters you want included in the file.

Click on >Edit Variants. The image will open up in Photoshop.

“Edit Variants” refers to a single file, instead of batch processing.

Once your image is open in Photoshop, do your retouching as you normally would.

When you’re ready to take your image back into Capture One, close the file and hit >Save.

Note that Maximize Compatibility must be checked to work properly.

Now when you go back to Capture One, you’ll see your PSD file in the filmstrip.

From here, you can make new variants, which work similarly to Lightroom Virtual Copies. You can convert your image to black & white or make variations with different color grading, such as warmer or cooler shadows. This can be handy for showing a client some variations on your work to find out what they would prefer.

Conclusion

Users of Lightroom are often hesitant about making the switch to Capture One or other RAW processors outside of the Adobe suite because of the learning curve associated with a new piece of software. They also worry about having to alter a workflow they may have spent years refining.

If this describes you, never fear. As you can see, your images can make the round trip through Capture One and Photoshop just as seamlessly as they do using Lightroom.

And If this is one of the major reasons you’ve been holding off on a change, you may want to download the free 30-day trial to Capture One and test it for yourself. The best RAW processor is the one that is best for your needs.

Have you tried using Photoshop and Capture One together? What are your experiences and thoughts on it? Share them with us in the comments!

The post How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Digital Photography School

March 11, 2020
Several Canon 1D X Mark III users are reporting issues with the OVF freezing in burst mode

A number of Canon 1D X Mark III owners have reported issues with Canon’s flagship DSLR, wherein the camera appears to lock up and fall asleep while shooting in continuous mode.

First reported nearly three weeks ago in the DPReview forums, users have noticed their 1D X Mark III cameras seizing up after a few shots, making the camera unusable for a few seconds until it appears to reset. DPReview reader Hamilton Pytluk made what we believe to be the first mention of the issue when he had the following to say (emphasis his) in the Canon EOS-1D forums:

“My only gripe so far [with the 1D X Mark III] has been what I believe to be a buffer “issue” when shooting through the OVF, which seemingly puts the camera to sleep after taking a series of shots (as few as 5 in my usage) and de-pressing the shutter (if you keep it half-pressed, it’ll stay “awake”). Everything shuts down — I can’t even open the menu — until the write (red) light stops flickering.”

DPReview forum member PrestoPhotographer responded to Pytluk’s post confirming they too were affected by this issue:

‘I have the same issue with the viewfinder ‘sleeping’. Incredibly frustrating when shooting soccer or any fast-moving sport. I’m sending mine back as it’s currently not usable for me. I’ve noticed the card access light going off randomly amongst some other bizarre things as well. I’m set up for an eventual exchange but no clue when they’ll get more stock.’

Pytluk responded with the following YouTube video, showing exactly what both users described: after ten shots in continuous mode, the digital markings on the optical viewfinder (OVF) went blank and shut off until the camera caught back up, at which point the shutter could be released again.

Follow-up posts in the thread confirmed this issue occurred regardless of whether or not a memory card was inside the camera.

We experienced a similar issue with a pre-production camera earlier this year, but have not replicated the problem with two production samples of the EOS-1D X Mark III currently undergoing testing at DPReview. We have contacted Canon for comment and will update this article if we receive a response. If you’ve noticed this issue on your 1D X Mark III unit, leave us a message in the comments below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

March 11, 2020
The Fujifilm X-T4 is a portable, powerful 4K video rig

I recently had an opportunity to shoot a short video while on vacation in New York, so decided to take the X-T4 with me. It’s a pre-production unit but one we’ve been told is close enough to final spec that we can show the video from it, so it seemed like a chance to put in some hours on the camera as we await a fully reviewable model.

I don’t regret that choice. Traveling for four days to a considerably colder city meant my carry-on luggage was already full, so any camera gear I wanted to take needed to fit under the seat in front of me on the plane. I’m 1.85m (6’1″) tall, so I’m already a bit pressed for legroom on US domestic flights, but I was able to fit the camera, a lens, my laptop and an SSD in a small, slim camera bag – everything I need to shoot and edit – and slot it vertically between my feet.

I was able to fit the camera, a lens, my laptop and an SSD under the seat in front of me on the plane

Much as I was impressed by the Panasonic S1H, I couldn’t have fitted it in my bag: not with an appropriately flexible lens. The same is true of the X-T3: adding either a tripod or a gimbal would have meant paying bag fees on my trip.

The camera, lens, mics, filters, SSD and laptop all fitted in a small, under-seat camera bag

In general, the footage lives up to the standard I’ve come to expect from the X-T3: very, very good. I shot the whole video in a combination of Eterna or F-Log, for the higher contrast scenes, safe in the knowledge that I had Fujifilm’s F-Log-to-Eterna LUT saved on my laptop to get a good color match with minimal effort.

The shoot itself went pretty smoothly, with no temperature concerns (no single clip is longer than 10 minutes but I shot around 30 minutes of footage essentially back-to-back). I remembered to pack the headphone dongle, so was able to monitor the audio, meaning I noticed when interference between the radio mic’s transmitter and receiver threatened to interrupt the interview recording.

With the ability to capture 10-bit footage internally and less need for a tripod or gimbal, the X-T4 ends up being a pretty self-contained video package.

The camera’s stabilization is really rather good, too. There’s none of the ‘grabbiness’ that was apparent the last time I shot with the X-H1, and it was my lack of technique, rather than the camera, that undermined some of the movement in the final video. At least on the pre-production camera, I didn’t see an appreciable improvement in the IS when I switched the ‘Boost’ mode on. Here I’d expect the camera to try more vigorously to maintain the original framing, but I found any difference hard to notice. I’ll try Boost IS again with ‘In-body + Digital IS’ on a future project.

Assessing exposure

One big thing I did notice, though: a camera that shoots video this good really needs better exposure tools. It’s got zebras, to let you interpret when things are clipped or near clipping, but not much more than that. With a bit of fiddling you can set them to check skin tones or a grey card but they can’t be set below 50%, and in F-Log mode your middle grey is supposed to be below 50%. Still, the new F-Log Assist function meant I was able to make a reasonable assessment by ‘eyeing’ the corrected preview, which was hugely useful. Having got used to using waveforms on the GH5S and S1H, I found myself really missing them here.

Similarly, I found myself wanting the ‘shutter angle’ option from those cameras. Having to manually navigate from 1/48 sec shutter speed to 1/120 sec every time I switched from 24p to 60p shooting was an extra step that I wouldn’t have to make on the Panasonics. And an extra opportunity to get something wrong.

I was only shooting video on this occasion, but that dedicated stills/movie switch helps de-clutter the menus, whichever mode you’re using, which made the camera faster to operate.

As I always try to make clear, I’m learning as I go along, and this inevitably means making mistakes. Perhaps the most important lesson I learned on this project was to bring more memory cards than you think you need. I thought a 64GB card would be sufficient for a two minute video, but then decided to shoot the interviews from two different angles, doubling data requirements.

Perhaps the most important lesson I learned on this project was to bring more memory cards than you think you need

It was enough to force me to drop down to use the camera’s 200 mbps Long-GOP compression, rather than the maximum 400 mbps ALL-I mode. Apparently the difference is enough that you can begin to risk macro-blocking compression artifacts in high data scenes (F-Log scenes with finely textured suiting are more data-intensive than I realized).

One of these days I’ll get everything right. One of these days I’ll even remember to capture some ‘room tone’ to plug the gaps in between subjects talking. But for now I’ll keep enjoying the learning journey – a journey on which the X-T4 makes for a supportive traveling companion. I certainly look forward to having it with me on my next trip.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

March 11, 2020
Nikon releases N-Log 3D LUT for its D780 DSLR

Nikon has released an N-Log 3D lookup table (LUT) for use when color grading footage captured with N-Log gamma on its D780 DSLR.

The updated download is version 1.01, an update from version 1.00, which only offered the N-Log 3D LUT for Nikon’s Z6 and Z7 mirrorless camera systems. Version 1.01 includes the original Z6 and Z7 3D LUT files as well as the new cube-format 3D LUT file for the Nikon D780.

Nikon says it’s tested the 3D LUT files in Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Apple Final Cut Pro X and Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 16, but compatibility isn’t limited to those editing programs.

You can find out more information and download the file for macOS and Windows computers on Nikon’s download page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

March 11, 2020
5 Ways to Capture More Diverse Landscape Photos

The post 5 Ways to Capture More Diverse Landscape Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

One of the most challenging things with landscape photography is to capture images that stand out. Planning to get to a destination at the right time is the easy part, and usually requires minimal effort. So when you have arrived at your location, how do you go about capturing more diverse landscape photos?

Well, there are several ways to represent greater diversity in your landscape images. Read on to discover how to make your landscape photos more interesting.

1. Minimalist scene

1/400 sec at f/11, Canon 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens

The first thing to consider when you are out in nature doing landscape photography is to decide what you are going to capture.

You may decide to photograph the entire view of the beautiful scenery in front of you. However, while executing a wide-angle shot of everything in the scene is a great way to start, why not try simplifying a scene to make it stand out.

Take a moment to think about what is actually appealing about the landscape. Are there any interesting features on show? What elements help to make the landscape look stunning? Is there an attractive outbuilding or a tree, for example?

I find limiting the number of components in a scene helps to convey the spirit of a place more fluently. Try adopting a “less is more approach” and bring certain elements together, such as a visually enticing cloud formation or evocative mist floating over an alluring landscape. The natural light and components within a scene can play an important part in the overall composition and look of your final image.

2. Extract patterns

1/100 sec at f/11, Canon 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens

Have you ever felt your landscape images are overly complicated or lack impact?

Another great technique to capture more diverse landscape photos that depict a location in a better way is to draw out patterns or details within the environment.

One method to do this is to shoot with a long lens from afar and compress the perspective to reduce the sense of space. A long lens helps to focus on capturing a certain part of the landscape, bringing near and far objects closer together and emphasizing shapes and patterns more effectively. An example of this may be to capture an attractive building with a field.

3. Aerial views

When looking to capture diverse landscape photos, a great way to alter the perspective of your shots is to vary your viewpoint. Shooting from a high viewpoint provides a great way to capture scenes from an angle that people may not normally see. This can be a good strategy to photograph something new and develop some creative landscape photography.

Elevated views can help to flatten the perspective of your image as it eliminates distance indicators. You can reduce the amount of sky in your photos and concentrate on creating images with interesting shapes. You can achieve aerial views by walking up to a higher vantage point, or shooting from a plane or hot-air balloon, for example.

1/180 sec at f/11, Canon 5D SR, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens

4. Shoot in overcast conditions

Don’t limit your landscape photography to sunny days or only wait for perfect light to appear, you can achieve diverse landscape photos in all weathers.

Capturing a scene in overcast conditions can lead to particularly striking results. The flat lighting will remove shadows and help to simplify a scene. Also, the reduced contrast will help to provide a simpler and more minimalist composition.

Overcast skies provide beautiful diffused light that can be really appealing for landscape photography.

5. Shoot fleeting light

Working with light can be a great way to capture remarkable images. With the right amount of light and cloud, you can convert a dull scene into a special scene, taking your photos to the next level.

For example, after a storm has passed, interesting light can transform a photo of the landscape into something incredible. This is especially so where the sun paints the land with magical pockets of light.

The precise combination of light, sky, and atmosphere can be blended to create an incomparable beauty within a frame.

1/320 sec at f/8, Canon 5D Mark IV, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens

Following a rain shower, keep a lookout for rainbows, as they provide an extraordinary addition to your pictures and help them to stand out. Remember to ensure your gear is kept dry during any rain too. That way, your camera will work well when capturing these great lighting moments after the rain has stopped.

Conclusion

In summary, you can capture more diverse landscape photos by applying a few important techniques. Go for a minimalist look by focussing on attractive elements within the landscape, and extract patterns by using a long lens to compress the perspective.

Shoot from above, shoot in overcast conditions, and capture momentary light and rainbows for more varied landscape images.

Apply these techniques next time you are out with your camera photographing the landscape and share your pictures with us below.

Do you have any other tips for capturing more diverse landscape photos? Share them with us also.

The post 5 Ways to Capture More Diverse Landscape Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Digital Photography School

March 11, 2020