Beginning landscape photography

Introduction

One of the great things about showing my work at exhbition and on the web is that I talk to a lot of other photographers, many of whom are beginners and want to improve their art. I’m often asked “how can I take better photographs?” or “is there a good course/tutor?” or that holy grail question “I want to be a professional photographer, how do I do it?”. I will try to answer the first two questions in this article, and the last about professional photography in a seperate article.

These seem to be common questions, and I too feel the desire to improve all the time, so I thought I would share a few of my more common answers to these questions.

The best answer though, is always the this. Take more photographs and learn to understand and like your own work and it’s style. Just because another photographer does something in one way, doesn’t mean you have to do it too, or give them the right to criticise (or even critique) your work. In fact the opposite is often true, look for ways to make your work your own.

The second answer is that you will need to be prepared to work hard. Very hard, if you want to be a professional.

Sources of knowledge

• Find out if your local college runs any photography courses. I did a City & Guilds in Level 2 in Photography and found it really useful and interesting despite the fact that there was little direct landscape photography content. A degree course can also be interesting and relevant if you want to work as a pro in some areas, but they can be more art theory and discussion than hands on practical. I was really lucky with my course tutor (at South Nottingham College) as he wanted to nurture us, rather than inflict his own or contemporary art theories on us.







(Photograph 2 - One of my first landscape photographs)


• There are many famous photographic courses www.lightandland.co.uk run very good courses, as does www.charliewaite.com and www.leefrost.com from what I have heard from those who have been on them.
• Have a look in the back of Outdoor Photography or other magazines and websites for local tuition. Local photographers can be just as good as the famous tutors, indeed they will possibly have better knowledge of an area, and they may well be cheaper.
• You could try local camera clubs if you want to be with like minded people. Some club members can be very guarded with their knowledge, but I was always lucky to join friendly and nurturing clubs.
• Look through photography books, art books, websites, visit galleries and exhbitions.

If you are looking for critiques of your work (unless there are obvious technical problems) I think you may also be disappointed if you go on courses and I would suggest that any course leader who critiques your work too strongly is not a good tutor! The only person who can really critique your work is you and any tutor who is too strong in even positive criticism is imposing his artistic will on top of your own. A good tutor should open up opportunities, both in terms of locations and in your creativity.

Your own style is important. Just because another photographer you know or a famous photographer takes photographs in a particular style doesn’t mean you have to.

What is on your doorstep?

• Get out a map, look on www.flashearth.com or Google Earth, go for a walk, look in local galleries, ask friends and colleagues about their favourite local viewpoints, look in local interest magazines, go to the library. What opportunities are nearby? Maybe they aren’t the Lake District or Yosemite, but you will have a great time and be improving just by going out and looking and making photographs.
• My advice is to go out and takes lots of photos. Leave it a week and go back to them. Look through them. Which ones do you like? Which ones don’t you like? And then figure out why you like or dislike certain ones? Think about what you learned next time you look through the viewfinder.
• Make prints and lots of them when studying your last day out. Even cheap 6x4s from Boots are fine for this if you don’t have a printer. Lay them all out on a table or the film on a lightbox. Mess with the order and try to find patterns and themes in your work. Can you build these into a series? I am mostly a paperless office, but when it comes to photographs, there is no substitute for laying all your work out and seeing it all together to sort through.

And then, when the big trips come, you will better prepared, less rushed, more knowledgeable, more in tune with your artistic vision.

Ugh, it’s the alarm, what time is it?

Be prepared to get up early or stay out late. Landscape photography is selfish. You can’t sneak it in when out with the family!

Other things

To use the oft quoted Ansel Adams - there is nothing worse than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy concept. What do you want your photograph to say or express. Before even getting your camera out, look around, what do you see? What do you want to make into a photograph. Get that camera on a tripod. Not only will this make your photographs sharper, but it allows you to study the composition through the viewfinder and keep studying it until you are sure, then release the shutter. The first photograph may not be the best, keep studying your subject and your interpretation/composition, do they match?

For landscape photography, unless you want to use large format cameras, there is not a lot of technical information to learn. Mostly it is patience, empathy, style and perseverence waiting for the right light to bring your composition to life.

Read (well look at) lots of photography and art books. Not howto ones (which miss the artistic viewpoint and only teach the mechanics), but look at the work of the masters and photographers whose work you like. What do you like in their work? What do you dislike? Go to galleries and exhibitions. Not just photography, but all art forms, to expand your creative horizons and composition, colour and lighting skills. Heck, you may even enjoy what you see.

Learn to read the weather (and tide tables if you want to work on the coast).

Put on an exhibition. Maybe the local galleries won’t give you a show (although you never know till you try, just remember they are businesses and don’t have time to waste so ask them about their submission guidelines) but local libraries and other public spaces are often keen to show local peoples art work. The experience and confidence you gain will be invaluable and a visit to IKEA will get you some cheap frames and other props to use for a starter event like this.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this article which has outlined a few ways to be a better photographer, whether you are into landscape or other forms of photography. If you have any other suggestions or experiences that have molded your creativity then please let me know.

The next article, So you want to be a professional photographer? - Business Series #3, will introduce you to some of the concepts of being a professional photographer.

You might find the following useful:

• www.mikemcfarlane.co.uk/techniques/view/composition_for_photographers/
• www.mikemcfarlane.co.uk/techniques/view/top_5_photography_gadgets/
• www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/colour_theory.shtml
• www.rawworkflow.com/making_pictures/01/index.html

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