In the first of a two-part series Marianne Lim and Dylan Toh share six brilliant lighting tips which can boost your landscape photography.
Light is the essence of photography. Every photographer chases it because we hope to capture the play of light upon the scenes we see. Mother Nature can be fickle though, and we can’t always predict what she will give us. So we must learn to control the light; to mould and coax it to portray the landscape as we wish, given the limitations of our chosen tools.
The successful landscape photographer learns to read the light and anticipate what it will do in certain situations. Over the years, and countless experiments, we have built up a repertoire of techniques to help us capture light in almost any landscape setting. Here we want to share some of those approaches.
01 SHOOT INTO THE SUN
Most of the time we don’t want the camera aimed directly at the sun. However, occasionally shooting into the sun can create interesting effects such as back lighting, silhouettes, sun flare or sun stars. Exposing for backlit subjects can be difficult, and it might require at least two exposures – one for the subject (which will be in shadow) and one for the surrounding environment. These can be blended using your software of choice (we use Photoshop) later on. Alternatively, simply expose for the surrounding environment, and allow the subject to become a silhouette. Sun stars are achieved by increasing the f-stop number – narrowing the aperture – but every lens will create a different effect (dependent on the number of diaphragm blades in the lens).
We like to use Canon’s 16-35mm lens at f/22 to create a 14-point sun star by partially obscuring the sun behind a tree or rock. To eliminate the flare caused by the sun, we then take another exposure for the surrounding environment at a wider aperture – for example, f/16 – and cover the sun (which we find is best achieved in live-view mode and using our fingers). The sun star image is then blended into this second exposure. If you wish to keep the flare effect, a second image is unnecessary. Generally speaking, shooting later in the day – when the sun is lower in the sky – will allow more control over where the sun is positioned.
Extra glass, like UV filters, should be removed to keep flare effects to a minimum, if that’s your goal. Polarisers have no effect when you’re shooting straight into the sun, and they may even cause detrimental effects such as uneven colour in the sky. We recommend removing them.
Loch Ard Gorge, Great Ocean Road, Australia. This shot was taken during a summer sunset with the sun partially obscured to produce a sunstar. Three frames were made for dynamic range in the sky, one for water motion, one to reduce flare while covering the sun. Image by Dylan Toh. Canon EOS 5D Mk III, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 II lens, exposures ranging from 1/50s to 0.4s @ f/22 ISO 50. Benro tripod, cable release. Exposure blending done with luminosity masks and manual blending in Adobe Photoshop CC. Colour, local contrast, ‘orton’ effect done in Adobe Photoshop CC.
02 SHOOT WATERFALLS IN BRIGHT LIGHT
Every landscape photographer knows that overcast days are the best times for shooting waterfalls as the light is diffuse and you can avoid high contrast. Cloudy days also allow you to shoot longer exposures, which most photographers use in waterfall images to blur the water flow. We’ve discovered that while all this is true, a photograph of a waterfall with direct sunlight can make for a unique and dynamic image.
If there is direct sunshine on a waterfall, a neutral density (ND) filter will help control the light yet allow a long exposure to be taken. We take one exposure for the waterfall with the filter, then remove it and take another exposure for the waterfall surroundings. We can then blend these images during editing. An ND filter may not always be needed, but usually at least two exposures are required. With bright light there also tends to be more noticeable glare on surrounding rocks and foliage.
Use a polariser, which reduces or eliminates glare, then take a second exposure with the polarising effect turned off if you want a reflection of the waterfall in the splash pool.
Upper Butte Creek Falls, Oregon, USA. This waterfall is located 20km from the small town of Scotts Mills along a rough dirt road. Taken in late morning with rays of sunlight streaming over the waterfall and its spray. Image by Dylan Toh. Canon EOS 5D Mk III, 16-35mm f/2.8 II lens, 3 exposures 1s, 3s, 6s @ f/16 ISO 50. Benro tripod, cable release. Exposure blending done with luminosity masks in Adobe Photoshop CC. Colour, local contrast, ‘orton’ effect done in Adobe Photoshop CC.
Punchbowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA. Taken two hours after dawn with light streaming above the falls catching the waterfall spray. Image by Dylan Toh. Canon EOS 5D Mk III, 70-200mm f/2.8 II lens. Five exposures from 0.3s to 5s @ f/16 ISO 50. Benro tripod, cable release, circular polariser. Exposure blending done with luminosity masks in Adobe Photoshop CC. Colour, local contrast adjustments in Adobe Photoshop CC.
03 LIGHTING FOR CANYONS AND GORGES
Canyons and gorges can be tough environments to work in, and tricky to photograph. We’ve found the best times to shoot these environments are early to mid-morning, and mid- to late-afternoon, when the sun is not shining from directly overhead into the canyon itself. To capture the vibrant colours of the cliffs, bright sunshine is also required, which means those sunny days are perfect for shooting in the ravines. Overcast days tend to lower the intensity of the colours and this can result in flat images which lack contrast.
The best lighting situations occur when the sun lights up only one side of the gorge and is reflected on to the other side. This gives a glow to the walls, and any water pools will also reflect the colour. We look for reflected blue sky and trees in moving water to give an abstract palette of blue, green, red and gold colours.
A polariser is extremely handy when shooting in this situation, as it helps enhance natural rock colours, while at the same time working to reduce unwanted glare. Elements of the scene which depend on reflected light are best photographed without any polarising effect.
We find that we often take two exposures of the same scene and twist the polariser for best effect in the separate exposures, which are later blended in editing. Very often there are times where, in the immediate vicinity, gorge walls are giving off the reflected light, but in the distance a gorge wall is in full sunlight. This creates a very high-contrast scene and requires more than one exposure to avoid either blowing out the highlights or underexposing the dark areas.
In our experience graduated neutral density (GND) filters are not so useful as there is often no distinct horizon line in gorges. The filter we most use is the polariser, though in some instances we also use an ND filter.
Next week we will look at how to shoot great images in forests, the challenges of capturing dramatic seascapes, and why – despite the difficulties – shooting at night can add ‘wow’ factor to your outdoor images.
Regans Pool, Karijini NP, WA. This location is only accessible via a tour. Two exposures were taken to enhance reflections and colours on the rocks on either side of water. Image by Marianne Lim. Blended in Photoshop. Canon EOS 6D, 17-40mm f/4L lens, 2s @ f/16, ISO 400. Benro tripod, timer function. Contrast and colour adjustments after blending. Curves and dodge and burn functions in Adobe Photoshop CC.