Lead Feature
Shoot awesome landscapes by reading the skies
Light is a landscape photographer’s greatest asset and also our greatest challenge. It transforms landscapes from the ordinary, often not even provoking a second glance, to a fantastic display. In an instant it can make us want to reach for our camera in the hope of capturing that elusive, once-in-a-lifetime shot we’ve been waiting for – whether it’s a potential competition winner, top score in the local camera club or simply for your personal satisfaction!
This article explores the factors which give rise to differing lighting conditions, the type of lighting you may experience, and the technical skills and creative understanding you’ll need to go home with great images. We see many images captured in different lighting conditions, whether it’s dawn or dusk, the golden or blue hours, in our weird, wonderful and unpredictable weather, or simply something unexpected but beautiful taken while out for a stroll.
You’ll also see that photographing natural light is linked to the weather; it’s referenced in most aspects of this article. The first section is about developing some understanding of the weather and the effect it can have on lighting.
Importantly, don’t just see photography as ‘going to somewhere to shoot some images’. When working with natural light, some of the most striking and unusual shots are caught by chance; the secret is just to be out there with your camera, often in the most unlikely of conditions!
LIGHT AND WEATHER
As we all know, the biggest factor in the kind of light we get for landscape photography is the weather; we therefore tend to spend a lot of time watching weather forecasts, either longer range or at short notice, while planning a shoot. Understanding the relationship between weather and light for landscape photography will hopefully lead to fewer aborted journeys and a better chance of getting the images you’re looking for, particularly if you’re travelling to a specific destination.
A brief understanding of meteorology, weather patterns, and their likely effect on lighting conditions can be an important tool if you want to increase your chances of getting a certain type of lighting in photographs. However, throughout the article, you’ll see that I use words like ‘generally’ and ‘usually’; the weather constantly surprises and comes up with effects that have the habit of contradicting convention and theory! So here goes, my very brief guide to weather forecasting…
A brief guide to weather forecasting
Do you want a still, misty effect, a dramatic stormy effect, a bright clear day or a great sunrise/sunset? Then an understanding of wind direction and source, cyclonic or anti-cyclonic weather patterns, and climate behaviour will increase your chances of success in these cases.
Fundamentally, weather patterns are cyclonic (low-pressure weather systems), or anticyclonic (high-pressure weather systems). Cyclonic weather generally results in changeable weather, high winds, rain or showers with potential for dramatic light, while anticyclonic weather often results in light winds and flat light, but can be effective for reflections or mists, for example. We tend to think as cyclonic weather being largely spring and
autumn, and anti-cyclonic weather more associated with summer and to some extent winter; but this is, of course, something of a generalization.
The wispy high-level clouds associated with high-pressure weather systems are often best photographed early in the day; a wonderful misty landscape can very quickly turn into a haze. However, cyclonic weather conditions can lead to evocative lighting at any time of day; often at their best in the afternoon, as convective cloud and showers start to build up.
The effect of clouds on photographs
People often think of landscape pictures as either having clouds in them or not – i.e. the need to have clouds to add interest in photographs. But clouds have a much more fundamental part to play in creating light and shadow, directing light, dictating clarity and much more. Clouds come in many types; some creating mood and atmosphere, others creating a flat light, often difficult to deal with. This is an article in itself but, in brief, it pays to have some knowledge of the different cloud types and their effect on light character and quality.
Light and the seasons
The quality of the light changes markedly from one season to the next. These effects are generally
Clouds have a much more fundamental part to play in creating light and shadow, directing light, dictating clarity and much more
most noticeable when the sun is low in the sky. Winter light is cool and low in intensity, due to the low strength of the sun and can often be more effective in the middle of the day. When spring blossoms, the light can have an increasing intensity and clarity that you will rarely see during the other seasons. As summer approaches this intensity tends to fade into a softer and warmer light, which rarely has the same drama of spring. But the summer light changes rapidly from August onwards: look on a clear day in September and see how much sharper and clearer it is than in June! September to autumn has a warm colour and can produce lighting effects with some striking sunrises/sunsets.
But the weather can always surprise us. Remember that if you go out with your camera you’ll get pictures; if you don’t, you won’t!
SHOOT FOR DRAMATIC LIGHT
This is undoubtedly my favourite kind of lighting, often shot under dark skies with just a brief shaft of light transforming the scene. The great thing about this kind of light is that it’s totally unpredictable; you never know what’s going to happen next. Too much planning can be a mistake; what I often do is to look at a map, find a hill and walk. Sometimes I’ll just drive around looking for high viewpoints; it doesn’t have to anywhere ‘special’ or known; the light will make the picture!
Choose your day
Most of my ‘dramatic light’ shots are taken against the light. This means that wherever the sun is, it’s in the half of the sky in front of me, rather than behind. You’ll find that the light coming from between clouds is more striking, has greater contrast and has far more clarity. This isn’t an absolute rule; I have taken a few of my favourites with the light behind me, but they’re in a minority! In addition, in windy conditions, the light generally changes more rapidly, although a veil of low, dark cloud in still air with the sun behind it can work perfectly for lighting up a mountain range.
Wait for your moment
Changeable weather often produces high winds and, as a result, rapidly changing light. Moments can be fleeting, the light hitting the perfect spot at the perfect time, but only for a second or two. If you’re chasing the light, you’re almost certainly too late. You’d better off finding a spot which looks to have some potential, setting your camera up, sitting down with a flask of coffee and waiting!
FROM THE GOLDEN HOUR TO THE BLUE HOUR
This is the period when the light changes most rapidly at the beginning or end of the day. In the space of an hour or two our landscape is transformed from darkness to daylight (or vice versa). Light colour changes, shadows lengthen and light intensity drops, or increases, rapidly. It’s often the most exciting period for photographers and remains difficult to predict with accuracy. Meaning it is, therefore, equally full of surprises for photographers. Typically, the light is effective in lighting up a subject or landscape in the half hour or
so before the sun approaches the horizon and then as it drops lower, the focus may change towards the sun itself being a key feature of the composition. Please note that for simplicity, reference here is made to light to dark at dusk – obviously reverse the description for dawn light!
Typically, a potential variety of colours are replaced with a single hue. In particular, mist can tend to exacerbate this, spreading light and colour evenly throughout the image.
The golden hour
The golden hour is well known to landscape photographers, producing long shadows and golden light on the subject that can intensify as the sun gets closer to the horizon. Typically, it’s recognized as the hour after sunrise and the opposite before sunset. The effect tends to be strongest in spring and autumn, where the sun has strength and the air is clear enough to give great light clarity.
The great thing about this kind of light is that it’s totally unpredictable; you never know what’s going to happen next
But a mistake that photographers often make is to limit themselves to shooting solely in the golden hour. Many of the lighting effects illustrated here rely on the sun having higher elevation to send light into the scene.
Capture the perfect sunrise or sunset
We tend to have a preconceived notion of a ‘great sunset’; it’s often a deep red sky filled with intense colours. However, your perception of this and your ‘perfect image’, may be very personal and different. I’d probably describe sunsets in terms of three types: amazing colour in the sky; the sun itself, perhaps lighting up clouds from below or appearing as a red ball above the horizon; the afterglow after the sun has finally gone down.
If you get lucky you might get all in one session as the light changes, but you might have a specific
image in mind. If so, it’s best to have some idea what to expect before you actually go out. Personally, I prefer the ‘go out and see what happens’ approach to things, and adapt your subject matter and shooting style accordingly to this.
The blue hour
This is the period after the sun goes down below the horizon, but just before it gets dark. You’ll notice that the light rapidly changes from a golden glow to a distinctly blue hue, emphasized further in the photographic imagery you’ll find. During this rather short period of time, you’ll find that natural light is gradually replaced with the soft glow of artificial lighting. This can make it ideal for afterglow colours in the sky, (perhaps using water to reflect the colours) or mixed lighting situations with a mix of artificial and natural light.
A strong characteristic of the blue hour is diminishing detail in shadows. The sun leaves some ambient light in the sky, while shadow or land areas get increasingly darker. If working with mixed lighting I find that there’s an optimum time where the balance between natural and artificial light is perfect. This doesn’t last long so it’s best to be prepared and have an idea of what you want.
I prefer the ‘go out and see what happens’ approach to things, and adapt your subject matter and shooting style accordingly
SPECIAL LIGHTING
As usual, the weather plays a key part in this; producing those special moments with that impressive ‘wow’ factor. The possibilities are endless, but it’s fair to say that not many great shots are take under a dull cloudless blue sky!
Get out there and practise
The only secret to this is being out there with your camera at the ready. It doesn’t matter whether you’re walking in the hills or simply out in your car. It may be lightning strikes, snowstorms, unusual cloud formations, the landform creating unusual lighting, rainbows or anything that catches your eye. You just need to get yourself out there consistently with your camera to understand how these conditions effect lighting.
The beauty of mist
Mist produces muted, but uniform, colours and even lighting. It simplifies images by hiding detail and is ideal for picking out strong, simple forms. It typically happens in high-pressure, still weather and can range from a blanket of fog to subtle, wispy, hazes floating on water, mist settled in a valley weaving in and out of fields and trees, to cloud inversions sitting on mountaintops. The list is endless and the secret, of course, is to get up early!
I find that many of my mist shots are against the light after the sun has risen; the backlit effect can be beautiful! However, be aware that very quickly the mist can lift and turn to haze with unmanageable sunlight beaming straight into the camera.
Capture a rainbow
There are a few things to remember with rainbows: the light is always behind you, so your image will lack shadows in the sunlight and will appear flat. For that reason, rainbow shots often lack the drama that you can see with the naked eye. You’ll also need to be careful not get your shadow in the shot (I’ve cloned out my shadow on more than one occasion). Finally, the arc of the rainbow changes depending on the height of the sun in the sky.
The lower the sun, the higher the arc of the rainbow.
‘DIFFICULT’ LIGHTING
We often think of either clear blue skies or flat light as being ‘difficult’ for landscape photography. However, try seeing them as an opportunity for a different style of image. In other words, adapt your shooting style to the conditions you have on the day.
Use backlighting on cloudless days
It’s easy to think of cloudless skies as being difficult for landscape photography. However, more simple shots against the light can often be effective with those stronger shadows, creating striking perspective shots, starburst effects of the sun, great colour saturation and contrast in your photographs. Many of my landscapes use some form of backlighting; directing the camera towards the light and creating contrast with the subject or landscape lit from behind.
Make the most of cloudy days
Don’t forget that cloudy days are great for colour saturation and shadow detail. Many subjects and genres of photography are therefore strongly suited to overcast days. You’ll also find that many
The possibilities are endless, but it’s fair to say that not many of them are under a dull cloudless blue sky!
Try getting somewhere, perhaps a location that you’ve never been to before. Get there with a completely open mind and see what happens
black-and-white shots are on cloudy days; this is because you get strong colour, shadow detail and tonal variation.
The dreaded ‘flat white’ sky
We all know this sky; it’s like a huge softbox that spreads the sunlight out into a huge, unmanageable sheet of white which doesn’t go anywhere! More often
than not, if I’m out in those conditions, I’ll exclude the sky and concentrate on simple compositions of form, pattern and colour. It can also be used for ‘minimalist’ style shots where, as with a plain blue sky, you see the white sky as a plain white element of an image composed from forms of light and dark.
In summary
I’ve shown you a range of image examples in different light conditions, and hopefully inspired you to try a few ideas. Try not to get into the mindset of too much planning and limit your photography to getting to a destination. Try getting somewhere, perhaps a location that you’ve never been to before. Get there with a completely open mind and see what happens. You may surprise yourself and come up with something completely unexpected. If you don’t, not to worry, there’s always another day and another opportunity!