1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 53 4 Shooting Landscapes 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 54 Digital Nature Photography and Adobe Photoshop h, the feeling of looking miles in any direction, not a soul in sight, awestruck by the natural beauty Aaround you. When you get there, you’ll know it—an epiphany, as nature photographers often get. It’s those moments that make it worthwhile. Getting the shot helps, too—something that causes you to beat your chest like a gorilla after you review it on your LCD. Don’t forget, getting there is half the fun—the other half is shooting the scene with your camera (using good techniques, of course!), and then getting home to fin- ish the images off in Photoshop. The memories don’t end there, either; when reviewing my nature photos and all the landscapes I’ve visited, I’m instantly reminded of the moments and the people I’ve traveled with in those special locations. This chapter is all about shooting grand (and maybe some “little” grand) landscapes. It will cover getting there, knowing the light, composing the shot, and fiddling with all those settings on your digital camera. Remember, getting there is half the battle and half the fun, like climbing a mile and a half of rough, rocky terrain to get to Delicate Arch, shown in Figure 4.1. Figure 4.1 Delicate Arch is within Arches National Park, Utah, but getting to this “Holy Grail” of western outdoor photographers is another story. The hike is not for the faint of heart, consist- ing of a mile and a half of steep ascent in rocky terrain, but it is well worth the shot if you get there at the right time. 54 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 55 Chapter 4 Shooting Landscapes Finding Locations and Beating the Crowds One of the great things about being a nature photographer is all of the endless photographic possibilities we have on this Earth of ours. Some of our biggest challenges include picking the spots to photograph, getting there, and knowing the best times to practice our craft. Some of us have more time than others to photograph landscapes, as well as more freedom to travel. Most enthusiasts, however, have day jobs or other responsibil- ities that restrict their travel and photography opportunities. Whether you have all the time (and money) in the world or you are restricted to when you can shoot, some challenges still apply to all of us. I Pick your spot. If you’re going to venture away from home and travel, pick a region that is rich in photo opportunities. You may have been think- ing of a region for a long time, and researching areas is easy now with the aid of the Web, so planning trips is much easier than it was 10 years ago. You can easily book flights and hotel rooms online without having to wait for a travel agent to get into the office the next morning. I Don’t forget the critters. If you’re planning to pri- marily shoot landscape photos on your venture, consider the wildlife that’s present in the region you’ve chosen to shoot and plan for some wildlife shooting (with a digital camera!) while you’re there. As an example, while out shooting in Arches National Park, my group came across deer (see Figure 4.2) while shooting rock forma- tions at sunset. We weren’t there for the wildlife, but we enjoyed 15 minutes of casual shooting when the deer wandered into our area. Be pre- pared for venturing creatures! Figure 4.2 When you are shooting landscapes, be pre- pared at all times for wildlife that may walk through your frame or even behind you. 55 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 56 Digital Nature Photography and Adobe Photoshop 56 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 57 Chapter 4 Shooting Landscapes I Plan your trip. Don’t underestimate the importance of planning trips in detail, especially if you’re venturing out for more than a couple days. Give yourself plenty of time to get there. If you’re going to have to fly across the country, or even out of the country, plan on your first and last days as travel days. In other words, you’re going to be busy getting to an airport or bus station rather than out in the wilderness shooting. Keep some simple rules in mind, such as knowing when it’s deer-hunting season. You don’t want to be out there with those orange-clad gun-toting outdoorsmen (and out- doorswomen) when they’ve been drinking beer for days at a time, they haven’t bathed, and they’re carrying loaded rifles. I like traveling in the off season to avoid the crowds. I don’t think I’d ever plan a trip to Mt. Rushmore, for instance, on Fourth of July weekend. You can’t even get a hotel room within a hundred miles of the park, or really anywhere else. I’d never schedule a Southwest trip in the summer—not only are the parks extremely crowded, but it’s really hot! Early spring and late autumn are prime times to plan your trip— the summer crowds are gone and you might even be able to get close to Mesa Arch in the Canyonlands of Utah. You definitely want to get your shots without 50 tourists trying to capture the sunrise and blocking your view—not fun when you’re trying to get serious work done at yet another “Holy Grail” of the Southwest photo, such as the one shown in Figure 4.3. I Schedule your days. Before departing, you will want to schedule each day’s activities. Trust me on this one. You want to maximize your time at each loca- tion, and the best way to do that is to write a day-by- day itinerary. Take bad weather, travel time, location scouting, meals, and rest (nappy time) into consid- Figure 4.3 Know the optimum times of the year to eration as well. If you’re going to visit the national travel to your target destination. Beat the crowds, and parks—there are more in North America than you you might even be able to get close enough to capture coveted shots, such as Mesa Arch. can ever cover in a lifetime—visit their Web sites to find out where the highlights are. You can also find 57 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 58 Digital Nature Photography and Adobe Photoshop 58 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:02 PM Page 59 Chapter 4 Shooting Landscapes out how long it takes to travel to different parts of the park, and many Web sites offer information about how long typical hikes or driving tours take. Don’t forget to take your shooting times into consideration! That’s what you are there for! For more information on national parks, visit http://nps.gov/parks.html. The Web is full of great resources, and chances are you’ll be able to click through a lot of worthwhile information you can use for scheduling your days ahead of time. I Scout locations. When you hit the ground, try to take some time for scouting good locations. I try to use midday for driving around to find locations, espe- cially on days with poor lighting, such as high-noon bright sun. I log the area and judge what part of day the lighting may be better, such as early morning or late afternoon, when the lighting is more dramatic. Bring a compass with you so you can calculate in what direction the sun will be rising and setting. I Look for the best light. When shooting landscapes and nature, light is everything. Plan and time your shooting for the optimum lighting conditions. If you want to shoot Mesa Arch, you need to arrive before sunrise. I’d recommend an hour before the sun rises—not just to get there on time, but also to get a good spot. It’s a popular place and it gets very crowded, to the point where you may not get a good enough spot to shoot. From my experience, only about 10 photographers can fit into the small area available, and only three of those 10 photographers get a good spot. In addition to scoping out the best sunrise shots, look Figure 4.4 The “magic light” is the time just before for good sunset shots too. On good-weather days, sunrise or the few minutes just after the sun sets over you only have about 15 minutes total of that “magic the horizon. You can get dramatic colors at those times, light”—the time just before the sun rises above the but usually only for a few minutes. horizon, as in the photo shown in Figure 4.4, and 59 1357-ch04 1/28/06 8:03 PM Page 60 Digital Nature Photography and Adobe Photoshop the time when the sun dips below the horizon in the evening. I start shooting before the sun rises and after it begins to set. Light changes by the second, and I always try to be prepared for whatever nature provides. I Have a weather backup plan. At times, all good plans can turn to muck. For shooting nature and landscapes, don’t waste a rainy or stormy day watching Oprah on the TV back at your hotel—get out and shoot the weather! You can add some dramatic shots that you would never get just by tak- ing advantage of what nature gives you.