Anyone who follows my blog knows that I am not really a landscape photographer. I like to see the man made element in my work, and in front of me when I am taking photos. That doesn’t mean that I can’t take landscape images, just that it is not my subject of choice. Quite a few years ago I went away with a friend to the Grampians, for those that don’t know, the Grampians are a National Park and very mountainous. During this weekend away I was supposed to be getting photos, we drove around and around, but I didn’t get any photos because I didn’t want to photograph anything. I thought it was beautiful, but was not the type of subject that I really wanted to photograph.
There are times when you don’t have a choice and you just have to do it. I was asked recently to take some photos of areas that had been affected by the bushfires that Victoria experienced. The areas that were mostly devastated by the fires were National Parklands in the states upper North West. I was taken to a couple of different areas by different people and shown around where the fires went.
Taking photographs of these areas, you would think, would be easy, but with any type of landscape photography your photos can become boring before you know it. I know that I have seen areas in front of me and thought they would make fantastic images, but when I take the image and then see it afterwards, well, they are often boring. So how do I take those images of the vista so that they are more interesting?
I can only tell you what I do, and people tell me my images are okay, so I must be doing something right. I do try and follow the rule of thirds, not always, but I think that the “rules” of photography are possibly more important in landscape photography than any other type. When I am teaching and we get to landscape photography, that is what I tell them. I teach them the rule of thirds and seeing if you can place objects on those thirds lines. It does make images more appealing in this case, and something I really try to follow.
Another thing I tell my students is to look for a point of interest, or a point of focus. Something that will attract the viewer to look at your images. If there is nothing in the image to focus on then their eyes will move around, not settle and quickly move out.
If we looked at one of the worlds best ever landscape photographers, Ansel Adams, I think you would find that in all his images there is one thing that he photographs and then everything around it just supports it. For example, I just saw a photo by him of Snake River, the river is the star of the image, and the river takes you to the mountain in the background, but it is the river that is the point of interest, and its job is to grab your attention and then help you get more involved in the image.
Photographing the landscape is not something new for me, I’ve done it before and will do it again, but it isn’t my preferred sort of photography. I tried to follow the rules when I was photographing the devastation by the fires. I hope I was successful.
Following up on When Does it Belong to Me.
A few people asked if I would follow up on this topic, and I have been sending emails and trying to get more details about certain places. I have already spoken about Parks Victoria and what they ask for when you photograph parks run by them. I thought I would try some places in the city. I sent an email to the State Library of Victoria, and have had to send a follow up email. I also sent an email to the Block Arcade, one of Melbourne’s most photographed places. Again, nothing came back, so have sent them another email.
I sent an email to the National Trust of Victoria and received an email back a few days ago. It was as I thought.
Members of the public and amateur photographers are welcome to take photos, where photography is permitted, and use those images for there private use. Private use would cover, I would have thought, use on your blogs, facebook, etc. It does not cover selling the images at all.
If you are a professional photographer and want to take photos for commercial purposes, or so you can sell the photos, then you need to contact them and make sure you pay the appropriate fees for this. As I was told, they are a private enterprise and they make their money from fees and the fees are used to maintain these sites. I don’t think this is unreasonable and neither should you. My husband gave me a great analogy, how would you feel if someone came into your home, took photos and then sold them for a lot of money and gave you nothing? I know I wouldn’t be happy with that. If you are making money from them, then it isn’t unreasonable for them to expect you to pay them some.
If I find out anymore information from the other places I will see if I can let you know. However, if you are interested in taking photos at any of the National Trust sites then you need to talk to Jo Beshara, the commercial photography co-ordinator, and you can reach her by calling 03 9656 9815.
[…] Today’s post on Photographers.com.au is about how I find doing landscape photography when it isn’t something that I normally do. I have written the post on how I do it, or how I approach it. It would be great if you could take a look, the post is Photographing the Landscape When It Really Isn’t Your Thing. […]
I agree that having a point of focus helps to keep shots from being boring. – however a lot of (quality) landscape work is dependent on timing – having the luxury of time to wait for nature to set the scene. Yes there is still a measure of photographic skill involved, but you are at the mercy of all things lining up in the time you have available.
Good points Robert, you are so much more a better landscape photographer than me, so I think you have a much better idea than me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Your photos are beautiful. And I love the sign. :)
Thank you Jackie, I saw the photo when we were driving in, and I had to go back and take a photo, it was too good not too.
Nice information. I have been trying to capture the beauty of Alaska as I explore it but my landscape pictures usually do not come out as nice as I would like.
There is so much involved, and it seems that possibly landscape photography is perhaps the hardest to do. Thanks Tammie
Hello Leanne, you deserve some credit for writing this article. You’ve highlighted something important here and something relevant to all styles of photography and all types of photographers, if you will. In all walks of life people specialise for many reasons, they are good at something, they enjoy their speciality, they don’t enjoy the alternative and ad infinitum. Should photography be the exception to the rule? I hope not. Perhaps when we pick up the camera we may think that we should take the camera everywhere and point that lens at everything. I would argue against this idea. Each style of photography requires different skill and mind sets and if a particular style doesn’t suit then maybe we should put our hand up (as you have) and say “x” isn’t my thing but I’ll show you what is. I think you’ve seen some of my WilCamera work and you might agree with me that I would probably make the worst portrait photographer that ever existed. I’ve been asked time and time again to “do weddings” and time and time again I’ve refused telling the happy couple that it’s not really my thing. So after reading this short article of yours I feel I’m in good company. I do hope you don’t mind me adding a snippet of my thoughts here. Cheers, Kevin.
Thank you Kevin, and no I don’t mind at all you adding your thoughts here. I agree with what you said. I think we tend to specialise and learn what is needed for that specialisation.
Nice. For me natural light is most important when I take my photos (BTW I am not a professional photographer). I have experimented with the amount of sunlight peeking through on cloudy days. Clouds (besides prominent features) bring depth to the photo as well.
Thank you Anarette, sounds really interesting with how you take photos, I have played with that a little, very little.
Leanne, I’d say landscape photography is a different interest, for you create your photos (portraits) and landscape is about something entirely different. Yes, I agree, I think the rules are a bit more important there. I couldn’t take a half-way decent portrait or building photo if you paid me!
I think you are so right Robert, it is very different, as all genres in photography and they all have their own ways of doing things. I don’t think I will be doing a lot of landscapes. Thank you Robert.
I always look to ansel adams for my landscape inspiration. When he photographed landscapes he wanted to translate onto film exactly what he saw before him. Of course, he had the lovely Yellowstone park to work with (such an advantage!) I, for one, have a strong point in landscape photography, whereas portraits are more difficult. It’s not to say I wouldn’t do one or the other, I just feel more natural at landscapes. I think every photographer has their own niche that can best be represented by their personality. For instance, a people person would probably enjoy portrait photography and a more introverted person may enjoy the quietness and solitude that landscape photography can bring.
Some great points and ideas Emily, it is very different for each photographer. Thank you.
If someone comes into your home they cannot take photographs and sell them without your permission; otherwise you can sue them. If they take photographs from the street that may be another matter. National Parks are publicly owned and I consider it quite inappropriate and probably legally dubious (in the absence of specific legislation) for them to charge for photographs.
Possibly they are really concerned with commercial photographers who may use the images for advertising campaigns rather than fine art photographers who may sell a few prints but even so.
Landscape photography probably is “my thing” as much as anything else. I think it is very important to get to the right place at the right time for the right light but potentially you can get good photographs almost anywhere at any time and bad weather can be good; it’s just that what you take may have to change. I don’t believe in thinking in terms of rule of thirds or other compositional rules myself, I think it’s just a case of seeing the final result as a whole when you take it. A useful exercise that takes you away from the rules is to go out with a large format view camera, compose upside down and back-to-front on the ground glass screen and then look at it in abstract term to adjust the composition.
Where we like it or not they are the rules, unfortunately, I do think that I agree with when it comes to public spaces like out parks, we pay for them in our taxes, but we are restricted. I suggest you take that up with them.
As I stated I am not a landscape photographer, but I think when people are learning they should learn those rules and stick with them until they start finding their own way. I know when I am photographing architecture I don’t follow any rules, I do what I think looks best.
Thanks Murray.
A lot of landscape photography is visualization of how something without bounds will translate into something bounded . . . practice.
There are certain rules one can follow, but like everything else, if one wants to actually achieve something distinctly personal, one has to develop their own “vision”.
It applies to all topics of photography, practice.
BUT . . . if one is stuck . . . yeah, rule of thirds, although I tend to crop my way into it.
Also, finding unique things about the landscape to connect with people who might view the final product. These days one, as always, one has to be mindful of “how” something will be viewed. You might imagine it being viewed on a 30″ screen, but it might also be a 4″ phone screen. The photos will look much different on those two devices.
I like the advice about a subject, but it has to be complementary to the landscape, otherwise you’re taking photos of the “point of focus” not of the landscape.
Just my thought on landscape photography. Me? I’m an amateur; don’t know much about anything in particular.
I think you have hit on some great points Disperser, and I would like to thank you for sharing them with us.
Great job, Leanne, as always!
You probably know already that I love everything that you post.
Congratulations!
You and your family take care,
:)
Fabio
Thank you so much Fabio I appreciate the support.
I’m in the category of photograph everything and having no idea what I’m doing. I have to re-read the rule of thirds. I just read that somewhere.
I really like your perspective because it’s good to know I might be able to make my landscapes a lot more interesting. I took a lot of photos of the beach over the weekend. They will go on my blog tomorrow. You’ll recognize a couple that are directly influenced by you! (Piers.) They are the most interesting.
It is kind of fun being an amateur, though. It’s a constant discovery.
Great post.
That is always a good place to start Nia.
Thank you Nia, I can’t wait to see them. I love photos of beaches and piers.
That is so true, it is a constant discovery and as long as you are open to all sorts of things, you will learn many new things, what an adventure you have in front of you.
Thanks.
Hi Leanne,
This is a good article and you’ve made some very important points. Your assignment to photograph the areas affected by the bush fires was more documentary than true landscape photography and perhaps slightly different rules apply. They have to because you really don’t have the time to ‘wait for the light’ which is so much a part of the landscape photography genre.
With a documentary type photograph you’re trying to tell the story so the first point to consider is what is the story is, what it it that you are trying to say with the photographs. Once you know what you want to say, you can start looking for the picture.
When composing the picture, the rule of thirds is a very useful tool but as Emilio (Disperser) pointed out, you can crop to these guides later.
I think once you have your story, the other elements should slot into place. Your pictures in this article told your story for you and that’s what they needed to do.
I hope that helps.
I think you are right about them being documentary, and the story was the fire and what it left behind. I hadn’t thought of that.
Thank you Chillbrook, I really don’t think of myself a landscape photographer, though I have been know to have a go at it at times. Though I usually like to do them with water in it. Oh and yes, it does help.
I would never have thought particularly that landscapes were not your ‘thing’ when I have seen ones that you have taken Leanne ;-)
But having said that, I know how much you love the other genres , and your own style of photography art work more of which you have been exploring and experimenting with this last year .
Reading about other peoples techniques, highs, lows, aims, and dreams is all part of the small photographic journey I find myself on nowadays . Thank you for all that you share it really does make a difference !
No not really my thing, landscape photography, I do must prefer architectural or portrait work. They would have to be where my passion is, but it doesn’t hurt to see what others do and how they work. I enjoy the same Poppytump, thank you.
Thank you, Leanne. I am with you in regard to landscapes – sometimes the vista and beauty is something that is very hard to capture. The “rules” have helped me compose a shot (and with judicious cropping), refined somewhat. Once learned and practised (and understood), it is easier to break the rules. Hopefully your words will help me improve my landscapes.
It can be very hard, I agree about the rules, good to follow when learning, and the once learned understanding when you can break them. Thank you Brett.
Interesting article, Leanne. Thank you. I have the same feelings about landscapes too .
But on the other hand I love your photography, never found your photo’s boring :-)
groetjes, Francina
You are too kind Francina, I don’t put the boring ones up, haha.
Thank you.
A point of interest is needed, and the eye must be directed to it, whether that be via following rule of thirds, use of leading lines or framing through use of trees, foliage, etc. Panoramas look great when you are there, but tend not to translate well into photos without some care, particularly if it is bland middle of the day lighting.
I know exactly what you mean about panoramas, they look good in person, but not in photos. though they can, but you have to do work to them, cropping and such. Thank you Clive for adding your ideas to photographing landscapes.
Hi Leanne, I find you article extraordinary particularly when your website is full of landscape/seascape images. If landscapes are not your preferred subject matter, what is? I don’t seem to be able to find anything else on your site. Confused..
Possibly because when I wrote this I wasn’t doing much landscapes, but in the year or more that I wrote this I have been doing a lot more of them, slowly seem to be doing more than my architectural shots.
Hi all, I am new to this site, loving it already, I love the way you all talk about photography, but I would love to see some photography by members on the subject matter discussed here, so we could all have an input and see each others creativity. I was also wondering if you ever run any photography competitions on this site?
Thanks Donah
Sorry Donah, I’m not sure exactly what is going to happen, but we are hoping to start including more work from some of the members in the future.