Where to start?

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dancook

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I've got the gear, but no idea.. - ok not completely no idea, but if I have too many variables and not enough structure I'm not going to get anything done - getting up early in the morning to explore light is going to be tough in itself.

I live in Hampshire, on the Surrey border near Guildford.

The first thing that springs to mind is to head to the mount (hill overlooking Guilford) one morning and see how the light plays upon Guildford as the sun rises.

How does everyone else plan their landscapes? go for walks and note down interesting views? research online?

I'm aware of the Sun/Moon trajectory applications, however I think I need more to watch light more before I understand what might work best.
 
I use the following to plan a shoot:

Google streetview
Flickr - see what sort of angles other people have found, gives you an idea of what you've got to work with
The Photographer's Ephemeris - check sunrise and sunset times and angles
Bing maps - you can set it to show OS maps, which in turn show contour lines, ideal for mapping hills

A couple of things I find really useful:

1) Satnav in the car, when you're out and about and see a location with potential for a revisit store it as a favourite place, I use the prefix photo to keep them all together, then a short description, one for example is stored as Photo Rannoch Moor Parking rough surface
2) A GPS logger on my bag, if I am walking and find a location I take a quick snap as a reminder, geotag it and then can research it for future with the snap as an aide memoire on what the location has to offer.
 
Google maps to work out the approximate angle of the sun and emphemris to fine tune it.

Light is everything. The conditions will make or break it. Have a read of this

http://www.sftphotography.co.uk/elan-valley-landscape-photography/

And my other blogs. You want some cloud cover, not completely overcast like the 1st few. No cloud cover and your images can look stark, have a look at how different a season can make a much taken image change

http://www.sftphotography.co.uk/loch-lomond-inveruglus-jetty-seasons/
 
picked a good time of year to learn. The light is lovely and casts long shadows almost all day, not to mention foliage turning orange.

I personally plan by checking weather forecasts to check cloud cover (very hit and miss however), I use a sun calc app that overlays the suns movement over a map helping you plan specific time of day so the sun is on your shoulder if you want to use a polariser for instance, I use a grad calc app and I use a depth of field app but tbh I tend to stick to f8 and know how far I need to focus for hyperfocal distance now without checking that.

You have a mighty fine lens to get you started too!
 
Good advice already, particularly about The Photographer's Ephemeris and the OS map overlay on Bing Maps. The detail on OS map makes them very useful for spotting potentially good areas, however, most of my landscapes are taken in areas that I have walked a lot and know well. For new areas I use TPE and OS maps. The Photographer's Ephemeris now, in addition to sun and moon rising and setting times and directions, shows the direction of the sun at the time you access it, which can be useful if you want a shot at a different time of the day.

Planning and timing are pretty much essential for all photography but possibly even more so for landscapes. For sunrises and sunsets get to your chosen place well before the time as often the best shots are before (and sometime after) the event.

In my view sunrise and sunset photos are those take at or around the time of rise or set, not necessarily of the rising or setting sun. There can be some wonderful light 90 or 180 degrees away from the sun.

If you are taking the rise or set the dynamic range is likely to be very large so graduated ND filters are useful.

When you have done everything you can then just wait, sometimes in the cold, for the weather to turn and give you nothing at all - such is the joy of landscape photography.

At least as the year progresses there is no need to get up early for the sunrise, but places can then be busier.

Dave
 
oROSSo said:
picked a good time of year to learn. The light is lovely and casts long shadows almost all day, not to mention foliage turning orange.

I personally plan by checking weather forecasts to check cloud cover (very hit and miss however), I use a sun calc app that overlays the suns movement over a map helping you plan specific time of day so the sun is on your shoulder if you want to use a polariser for instance, I use a grad calc app and I use a depth of field app but tbh I tend to stick to f8 and know how far I need to focus for hyperfocal distance now without checking that.

You have a mighty fine lens to get you started too!
Click to expand...

The colours for sure are nice, and the best light accessible without having to stay up very late or get up unusually early. I do as you do, except less scientifically, I just look and can tell roughly what grad to use. High end bodies give a live view histogram which is great, as you can see how far right you can push it before the blinkies appear. I do a similar thing, but tend to stop down a little more, just to be safe.

Best thing the OP can do is just get out there on a decent day, shoot away from the sun unless its before sunrise, sunrise, sunset or after sunset and see what they like
 
ST4 said:
The colours for sure are nice, and the best light accessible without having to stay up very late or get up unusually early. I do as you do, except less scientifically, I just look and can tell roughly what grad to use. High end bodies give a live view histogram which is great, as you can see how far right you can push it before the blinkies appear. I do a similar thing, but tend to stop down a little more, just to be safe.

Best thing the OP can do is just get out there on a decent day, shoot away from the sun unless its before sunrise, sunrise, sunset or after sunset and see what they like
Click to expand...
seem to be a bit later this year though. Planning on heading to Gibson's cave on Sunday weather permitting but had to wait a couple of weeks later than usual waiting for the turn
 
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dancook said:
thanks for advice all, I will digest it slowly :D




Nice, I can see if I photograph into guildford from this point
http://suncalc.net/#/51.2308,-0.5929,14/2014.10.14/07:15

the sun will be to my right, perhaps be too far behind guildford from my pov.. but unless I get out there I'm not certain how this will look. :) Dusk might be better though..
Click to expand...
You'll still have lovely light by 9am and the sun will be on your right shoulder, meaning you can use a polariser to its full effect if you have one, further boosting tones.
 
oROSSo said:
You'll still have lovely light by 9am and the sun will be on your right shoulder, meaning you can use a polariser to its full effect if you have one, further boosting tones.
Click to expand...

Good to know, my Lee Landscape CPL is in the post to me.
 
oROSSo said:
want one of them suckas
Click to expand...

last birthday, November, my wife got me the Lee big stopper, and I bought the filter kit and some grads then :)

She's actually buying me a polariser for this birthday, but it's a 52mm drop in one for my 200mm lens.
 
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dancook said:
last birthday, November, my wife got me the Lee big stopper, and I bought the filter kit and some grads then :)

She's actually buying me a polariser for this birthday, but it's a 52mm drop in one for my 200mm lens.
Click to expand...
be careful with that zeiss 21mm and polarisers, with the standard lee polariser it causes uneven skies, I dunno what the new thinner one will be like mind.
 
oROSSo said:
be careful with that zeiss 21mm and polarisers, with the standard lee polariser it causes uneven skies, I dunno what the new thinner one will be like mind.
Click to expand...

ST4 said:
Its too wide a lens really for a polarising filter I would have thought
Click to expand...

I believe it will still be fine for grass, leaves, water and vertical shots
 
dancook said:
I believe it will still be fine for grass, leaves, water and vertical shots
Click to expand...
oh yer, I used it for foliage. As I say, the new one is thinner and they say it can be used with lenses as wide as 17mm but I'm not sure if they're referring to vignetting at that wide.
 
oROSSo said:
oh yer, I used it for foliage. As I say, the new one is thinner and they say it can be used with lenses as wide as 17mm but I'm not sure if they're referring to vignetting at that wide.
Click to expand...

Yes I believe it's vignetting - a video suggested the landscape one can be used on top of two other filters without vignetting
 
Dan

Mark's tips are pretty comprehensive and I agree with others that part of it is just getting out and shooting. I've had some great help from people on here where I have found a location (usually by a photo that has been posted) then asked about access etc.

If I'm out and about I make a note then plan when I can go back and look at weather/tide locations etc. Some shots will be great in winter but poor in summer due to foliage. Others will really depend on the sunrise/set angles and others will require the sun and the tides to be aligned!

I have now created my own google maps which has lots of photography locations on it with notes, albeit many of them are in Yorkshire :) It gives me inspiration when planning a day out and jogs the moemory of great locations yet to be explored etc.

Sometimes I will just google away for a certain location, find a few images and drop lucky that it is someone's blog or there is more detail on the web page.

PS You'll have to let me know what the Lee CPL is like - I've not pressed the 'order' button yet!
 
Dan

I am not an expert by any means but I look out for places whilst I am driving around and remember to go back and have a walk around at the desired times, I am always on the look out for lone trees, hay bales, corn fields, lakes, etc

I would go and have a look around the following areas near you:

Devils Dyke, Newlands Corner, Pitch Hill, Leith Hill, Winterfold, Holmbury Hill, River Wey as a start, even when travelling you may see something that takes your fancy.

If you fancy a buddy, let us know :-)
 
markmullen said:
I use the following to plan a shoot:

Google streetview
Flickr - see what sort of angles other people have found, gives you an idea of what you've got to work with
The Photographer's Ephemeris - check sunrise and sunset times and angles
Bing maps - you can set it to show OS maps, which in turn show contour lines, ideal for mapping hills

A couple of things I find really useful:

1) Satnav in the car, when you're out and about and see a location with potential for a revisit store it as a favourite place, I use the prefix photo to keep them all together, then a short description, one for example is stored as Photo Rannoch Moor Parking rough surface
2) A GPS logger on my bag, if I am walking and find a location I take a quick snap as a reminder, geotag it and then can research it for future with the snap as an aide memoire on what the location has to offer.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I see TPE is for the iOS - I'll get an iPad Air 2 when it comes out (hopefully announced thursday) and use that :) the more reasons to buy it the better
 
I find it's good to balance out planned shoots/shots with some gentle exploration. Some of my better shots are the ones where I've rocked up to somewhere unknown and gone for a wander to see what I can find. Often in places you know you're not as aware of what's around you, or you're not looking at things as new, which is good for getting ideas. If you don't get any good shots then you've still had a good walk and scouted a location for potential future shots.
 
There is nothing wrong with using other peoples work as inspiration. I often get ideas from peoples work and then think hmm id shoot it like this.. google earth is also your friend. But all the best planning doesnt lead to a good shoot
 
Hi Mate,
All brillent advice above. Re locations yep lots of walking involved, scouring maps, google earth to research the area. Its quite unbelievable what you find on your doorstep really!

Look at others photographs to get some location ideas. But there is no substitute for a recce of the location which is a pain if you live a way away. I have several places i wanted to shoot and never got there when the conditions are right. For example i was looking at a landmark, did all the prep, worked out the angle and direction of where the sun would be and when, so i could get a sunrise shot, when i got there the whole lot was overgrown by trees!

Dan gave you some good pointers above... I'm just down the road at Basingstoke and coming my way you have the Basingstoke canal (some lovely old brick bridges, reflections etc there) and St Johns castle at the Odiham end. There is the Watercress Line runs from Alton to Alresford and if you catch the Steam trains across the fields in the winter makes a great landscape. Mitcheldever wood down toward Winchester (Bluebells in the season + Beach / Fir woods. Over toward Bracknell you have Virginia Water Park Lakes trees and waterfall.

More later off home now
 
I started by going to Silent Pool on Saturday morning before sunrise.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62198876@N02/sets/72157648888825781/

Driving there I realised I might not be making the best of it in a shaded location like Silent Pool... I thought about the actual Sunrise I could be photographing from a nearby hill...

There was a bit of an overcast where I ended up shooting, but this is what patience is for..
 
I was meaning to give you some feedback on that one Dan something happened and I didn't get round to it so I'll get back to it.
Walked through Syon park near work lunch time and although lots of leaves on the ground but not much colour in the trees apart from green! Some of the young trees had shed there leaves and the high winds had whipped off others. Autumn just don't seem to be the same any more and certainly much later.

I did read up on light, it was a learning curve, I mean it's what we're all playing with isn't it. We are fortunate that with digital medium today gives us the latitude to experiment and learn instantaneously, film was more expensive and slow unless you developed your own. I think things I found most useful was reading about light, learning to critique (that helped me critique my own work) this also means you look at a lot of people's photographs, I found that helps with learning composition. Also if you pick a photo you really like an say 'how did they take that' then try and replicate it, not to copy someone's work but to learn and understand the technique, what works, what doesn't and we're all still learning!

As I said planning a shot, obviously that doesn't always happen because you have things you come across unexpectedly. But for the planned shot at a location, do as much as you can up front. People often visit the same site numerous times to get the shot they want. You might find the light at sunrise doesn't suit the location for some physical reason like the position of trees or suchlike so might be better at sunset or earlier golden hours...

If your a gadget man and you have an Iphone and like your apps take a peep at photopills, google it. It's an all in one app (more or less) and it's clever. I think their working on an android version too.
But any app that gives you hyper focal distances is great, plus your long exposures for NDs, sun position etc is really handy.
Not going to waffle on any more, hope you find some of this cobblers helpful, just get out and take pictures you will always learn something new every time.

BTW you won't have to get up so early for sunrise now as the days draw in;)
Cheers
Steve
 
@69Bonni thanks, I've got an android phone - but I ordered a new ipad which comes tomorrow! For now I've been sticking the lens on 2 metres focussing and f8 - which gives about 1.Xm - infinity, it has the markings on the lens.

I saw a photo of Winkworth from today, lots of different colours I will have to go check it out
 
It's a great app Dan and what they call augmented reality is very clever uses the view from the iPhones camera to give you HF distance, and sun position etc etc. works on my IPad too. Guess that's fine for f8 until you have too go up or down a few stops ;).

Oh yes Winkworth arboretum near Godalming good call, that would be worth a visit!
Good luck and most importantly enjoy!
 
In time you will always be looking at the world through your camera, even when you don't have it with you if you get what I mean. The more you think about photography the more locations you will find when you are out and about, then go back to them when the conditions and light are right.
 
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