Tuesday’s tip. Taking better landscapes.

                                           lone tree outside Briancon, France.

• Use a tripod:  your landscape photography will benefit from using a tripod.  You will slow down,  work deliberately & consider your composition.  You can choose greater depth of field and use slower shutter speeds too.

                                          Dublin bay, Ireland.

• Depth of field; using a smaller aperture (bigger number) give a greater zone of focus meaning that more of your scene will be sharp and in focus.

Pinnacles and black beach at Vic, Iceland.

• Pay attention to the horizon; make sure its straight & level, you can do this by sight or you can purchase a small hot-shoe mounted spirit level.   Consider where you place it in the frame.  The position of the horizon has a major imp at on the composition.

Lake Thingvellir, Iceland.

• Change your perspective; Before you set up your tripod and camera consider your vantage point.  Is this the best place to photograph your subject from?  Is there a more interesting view-point?  Sometimes all it takes is a small change in position like dropping the camera down low on the ground or maybe walking a little further.

                                         O Dowd’s castle, Easky Co Sligo Ireland.

• Foreground interest;  What you place in the foreground of your photographs makes a big impact on a photograph because they help lead the viewer into the image.

                                         Connemara ponies, Connemara Ireland.

• Use a leading lines.  As above, leading lines help the viewer read the picture better because they lead the eye into the image.

                                         Snaefellnes peninsula, Iceland.

• Think about light; light is the fairy dust of landscape photography!  Think about the direction and the quality of the light.  Low contrast, soft light is best for photography and in general you will find this early in the morning and late in the evening.  Cloudy days are also good as the cloud acts to diffuse the light from the sun.   Working with the golden hours of the day can make a difference too, I use the golden hour application on my Iphone to calculate the golden hour for different locations at different times of year.

                                         Iceberg!

• There is no such thing as bad weather:  Contrary to common belief bad weather is good weather for photography.  It adds drama and mood to your photographs and the light is softer and better for photography.  Next time you see a storm coming or heavy rain, fog or mist grab your gear and head outdoors.  Note; You may want to protect your camera and equipment from the rain.  I find a couple of elastic bands and a shower cap work really well.

                                           Doge’s Palace, Venice.

• Lastly three tips in one; Practice, practice, practice so get out there today!

Would you like to own an original print?  E-mail (bcooneyphotography@me.com) me for further details!