There is no easy guide that tells you how to shoot beautiful images and if there were it would likely be too long and boring. The truth is most successful landscape photographers are self taught. There is always the option of going to a fancy school to have photography teachers school you about light and composition and the history of photography but you would likely be in debt to the point where you could not shoot your way out.
Photography is best learned by practicing in the field and without the guidance of another as you may learn to be too much like that person. The key is to be organic in your efforts and how you compose your images. Here is another obvious fact about landscape photography in that most landscape photographers are generally outdoor enthusiasts such as hikers campers river guides etc. Ansel Adams was the resident photographer at Yosemite Park if I remember right. Ansel also did not attend a formal photography school however he was surrounded by opportunity at an early age and continued that journey through his life. I believe if you wrote a list of the top ten landscape photographers it would list a bunch of self taught photographers. That does not mean I am against going to school for photography as I think those that study marketing and portraiture would best benefit from such formal training.
Landscape photography requires a lot of exposure to nature being observant of light and slowing down to see it’s beauty. I think if you are reading this blog chances are you see the beauty in nature otherwise you would not be reading about it. Some of you are professional or amateur photographers or just people who enjoy photography but either way you have an appreciation for nature. I remember when I first became truly aware of my surroundings and it was wonderful as I looked around at the clouds and the trees and I appreciated them like never before. I am very glad I have this appreciation because before I think I was too focused on technology, texting, planning or whatever else can enter your mind when there is time. I now stop along hikes and look at a a beautiful scene and think about how that would look while looking down the lens of my camera. I then hold my hand up and create a square that I can view the scene with it’s just something that happens when you get the photo bug. So more than education and skill I would say is the need to be aware of your surroundings. The skill and education will come as you attempt to take pictures of the scenery that captures your attention. When I first started shooting I remember seeing what I wanted to capture but then when I got the film developed I thought my camera must be broken because that is not what I saw. The camera was not broken but instead the little timer in my head that is supposed to tell me when to stop the exposure or it will become terribly over-exposed. Yes that is right I am an over-exposurer (not a word but It needs to be) and others are under-exposurers. This is why we have light meters or better yet if you are a digital photographer than you have that little timer built into your camera and that is not a concern. But it was the many tries and errors and picking up my film at the local lab only to walk over to the light box and see a clear strip of film. Then sneaking out the door knowing that the person who just rang me up for my film is probably thinking wow he is paying money to have his over-exposed clear film processed. Embarrassing yes but did it teach me how to shoot yes because I kept trying until I started to understand how light works and that I needed to learn more.
There is a great deal of importance in the light and composition but again that comes with being aware of your surroundings as you can see if it is beautiful outside. You are able to detect that magical light as the sun is setting or rising just the same. A really good way to educate yourself without spending a ton of money on education is by viewing as many works as you can by various photographers. They will have different styles but you can pick-up on what makes them good images and it often leads to that awareness of a special moment and having the ability to walk by a scene and have a vision to capture a small section of your surroundings. I love Charles Cramer’s work for that ability to find beauty within simple small areas. He shows you that it does not have to be a vast scene to be beautiful backdrop.
There are a few things that I use to educate myself for free and some that I pay a small fee for. The best educational tool I have found has been Lynda’s which is an online education portal basically like going to an online school only it costs about $400 a year give or take, instead of $10,000 plus. You can also go to youtube where there are great people sharing free videos on how to photograph or how to photo-shop images etc. One of my favorite tutorials on youtube is title called “you suck at Photoshop”. The creator is hilarious and he teaches you how to use Photoshop while entertaining you. Lynda’s also has instructional videos on Photoshop as well as all other software and how to use digital cameras so it basically gives you a portal to everything. I have been using it to learn how to build websites. I will put some links to Lynda’s so you can access there site and I can make a little doe that will most likely be given back to Lynda to continue having a membership. I wish this was the old days when you could actually make money off ads but I think that was when I was in high-school and I didn’t care about money.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask as I would be happy to assist with helping you grow or helping myself grow from your insight. It is important for me to network with photographers and those who appreciate it not only for my business but also for my personal growth that is accomplished from both teaching others and learning from others every day. The link below to Lynda.com is where I learn a lot of my website languages to assist me with developing my websites but it is also used for photography techniques. I am also an affiliate with Lynda’s so I get a commission when someone clicks on that and purchases a subscription. In saying that I cannot think of a better way to spend your money as they have tons of updated content from great teachers and the files to follow along. So whether you are a amateur photographer or web developer Lynda’s is a good place to learn. Shoot me an email if you have any questions about it or if you have a place you think I could benefit from.
Have you ever been into a Landscape Photography Gallery before? You know, the ones that make you go “are those back lit?” whether it was Peter Lik, Thomas Mangelesen, Ken Duncan or one of the many other talented photographers, one thing probably stood out. The vibrant colors that seem to glow within the image are pleasing to say the least. Sure the images themselves are amazing but what makes them seem out of the ordinary is the luster and glow of the print. This movement in the photography world and playing with lights started back in the days when Thomas Kinkade Galleries were popping up all across the country.
Having worked for a Thomas Kinkade Gallery just after the peak of his fame I remember how funny performing my job was at times. I would bring people into the viewing room and lower the lights and raise them in an automated manner, expecting the gasps from the overwhelmed Kinkade fans. “oooooo, aaahhhhhh, wooooow” (or something like that) If you were one of the fans I presented to you might have to laugh at how simple my job was. The first twenty times I saw it, I too was amazed. I was professional light controller, nobody could use that light switch like me so the sales were big. It was new and exciting and the effect the light had on the canvas was very impressive.
The art sold itself really. At the time around the years 1999-2001 excitement was still present for the unique artwork. The light would play nicely with the various tones in the paintings which would cause the images to seem alive in a sense. The main selling point was the glowing, warm feeling that viewers experienced when seeing how light played with different colors. This same method would catapult yet another artist into stardom. And so I became a professional light controller for Peter Lik for many years to follow. Later I would overlook and train many light controllers, I was the Megatron of Lutron. Obviously there was more to the job then controlling light but I am over-emphasizing the importance of presentation. It turns out that most of the professional grade photography paper out there today can be pretty amazing when shown at different light levels. This is not just for show though because when you have art like this in your home your environment is transformed especially when your images are well lit.
What I wanted to express to all of you is that you don’t have to be a professional photographer to achieve these results, and I urge you, at the very least to create a masterpiece of your own. There are many professional labs out there and one that I am particularly fond of is West Coast Imaging. They have the professional grade papers and the means to assist you as much as you desire. They are able to edit your images, adjust colors and assist you in creating your future conversation piece at your next dinner party.
“Is that a Peter Lik, or better yet a Bartram above your fireplace?” nope, that baby is mine.
You get the picture… literally. I am not giving you this advice because I want you to stop buying the works from professional photographers. I think it is good for everyone to experience taking a photograph they are proud of and then go through the creative process of producing a gallery quality print.
I have spoke to many aspiring photographers who are doctors, athletes, engineers, waiters and just about everyone else on the planet about photography. It turns out that at one time or another each of them has taken a fantastic shot and you can tell they hold that shot as a proud achievement. A great deal of photography collectors are aspiring photographers themselves. There are a lot of people who say they are not good photographers or not artistic but I am not sure I believe that because usually it’s just never having tried with the proper equipment and proper presentation. I want you to showcase that shot in your home and share it with others. It’s truly a great feeling to share your work with friends as it allows you to express yourself artistically. When someone tells me they like one of my images I just want to give it to them but then I think about the cost and how that would not be the best business plan.
The first step in this process is to find that special shot, or two. An important step for professional photographers is to edit their images and narrow it down to the best of the best. I would not try to take on too many as the process of creating a gallery quality print is not cheap and can be time consuming, just ask David Fokos. David Fokos only produces on average about 3 images a year that will be offered to collectors and it is his full time job. He does all of his own editing however, and is very particular with how his images are post processed and the end result. His images are breath-taking and something to strive for but maybe we don’t have to raise our expectations that high.
The second step is to get the image in the highest quality digital format you can. I would advise on getting expert advice from the likes of Jeff Gandy or any of the other staff members of West Coast Imaging. I mention them a lot because that’s who I often use to print my images, and I trust them.
Once you have the file you will need to edit, or have a professional edit the image at the lab. Avoid dust spots which are common if you had to scan from film to digital. Remove all other imperfections because once you enlarge the image its going to show all of those imperfections on a larger scale. The lab can also advice you on how large you can print your image based on its quality and size.
next chose the paper and again this is personal preference but I do prefer fuji super-gloss as do most of my clients. I remember talking a customer into a matted print rather then the super-gloss which would cut down on glare from natural light. That did not go very well and this customer would stress the importance of the luminosity that super-gloss adds to the experience. I agree and myself prefer the glossy well lit images that are on my walls. In saying that if you are a black and white photographer a matted paper choice may be more appropriate.
Once this is all decided you can get a test print created. This will allow you to see it before you go big. If all the above sounds overwhelming West Coast has a service called Exhibition Prints where they pretty much do everything for you. Which is awesome.
I hope this helps some of you get started on printing your photography, but it is only a small blog and there is so many various ways to go about it. I encourage you to ask questions by posting them and I will be happy to give you my input. Perhaps some of the pros who frequent the site will chime in as well. Comments require an email but it won’t be used for anything except to insure I don’t get tons of spam.
Update 3/8/2011: Peter Lik limited edition book listed on Ebay here should be interesting to see if it will have any takers.
I have been considering whether or not I will ever produce a landscape photography book to sell and I can’t really make up my mind. I own a limited edition Spirit of America book by Peter Lik which has long since been sold out due to it’s popularity. I thought I might see what sort of value it has these days and potentially sell it. I am in the market for a new camera, light-meter, lens, etc. Anyone have any idea what this sells for these days? I see that his prints are selling for tons of money but since the book has sold out there is not much talk of it, so that brings me to the dilemma of whether a photography book is important or not to photography collectors. If anyone has any input on this, or if you are interested in the book let me know. His book is pretty cool because it has a nice photography print on the inside page which he has signed and the book is limited to 2500 copies. I should also mention that I have a number one print of a limited edition photograph of lightning that he took when he was first opening his Vegas gallery. Please leave a comment if you have any input on books and if interested in acquiring the book simply contact me through the gallery website: www.bartramgallery.com
Adams’ “Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park,” a iconic black and white image of Yosemite National Park sold for $722,500 dollars. It now becomes the highest price tag of any Ansel Adams image taking over the top seat from “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico,” which had sold for $609,600 in 2006.
This shows the increasing value that collectible landscape photography brings to the art world, especially the nostalgic works of Ansel Adams.
black & white photos
nature photo gallery
panoramic photos
wave photo gallery