Lush landscape lighting
Mike Harris uses planning and patience to boost his chances of capturing stunning landscape lighting
Plan for perfect illumination in photos
There are plenty of techniques out there to help improve your landscape photography, but ultimately a good landscape hinges on three things: subject, composition and light. We have complete control over the first two, but the latter is what can quickly send even the most promising shoot into disarray.
Planning is a key factor when it comes to getting perfect lighting. Keeping an eye on the Met Office website or using a weather app is a good place to start, but what can you do to improve your chances of capturing stunning light when you’re out in the field? You wait and wait… and wait some more.
People who don’t take photographs might assume a good landscape is down to being in the right place at the right time, and while that’s partially true, you also make your own luck. In this month’s Apprentice (page 6) outdoor pro Ross Hoddinott reckons you should wait around even if light conditions are ideal, because they could always get better. Our image of the lone tree at Rydal Water is a prime example.
The key to this photo is how the light frames and separates the tree from the busy background. Without it, the subject would get lost in the busy melee of colours on the far side of the lake. Weather reports promised intermittent bursts of sunshine, and with the sun behind and slightly to our right, we knew we had a good chance of experiencing ideal lighting conditions. All we had to do was bide our time.