Atmospheric weather is one of the most essential ingredients in creating a great image — it can make or break a landscape entirely. It’s worth thinking this through before heading out for a landscape shoot. If you want your photo to have a bright, cheerful mood, you’ll need clear, bright weather, and vice versa. “Look before you leap” sums this up perfectly — make good use of a weather forecast beforehand.
Alongside good weather, light is just as essential. Just as the sun is central to life on Earth, light is central to any photoshoot. Depending on the mood you’re after, you can work with bright light or dull light. There are plenty of apps and websites that can help with this — the one I use most is PhotoPills, which explains it all very clearly.
We’ve likely all enjoyed a holiday at some tourist spot at one time or another. Once you’ve booked your tickets and hotel, the next step is usually researching the sights. You might come across guidebooks, ask friends who’ve been before, or simply search online for images that catch your eye. Personally, I tend to use Google Images, 500px, Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest most often — though of course, the list doesn’t end there, so feel free to explore plenty of sites for inspiration.
When you arrive somewhere new, it’s natural to get swept up in the excitement and end up taking far too many photos. Wherever you go and whatever you see ends up on camera, and by the end of the day you’re completely worn out. Instead, try to actually enjoy the place — explore, take in the interesting details, and spend time with the people you’re with. A smartphone snap works perfectly well if you just want a quick photo, regardless of quality. Enjoy the place and get to know it properly.
Golden hour — the period around dawn and dusk when the sun casts its warmest light and longest, softest shadows — is often considered the best time for photography, and that’s true, up to a point. Blue hour is arguably even more dramatic, and particularly effective for urban landscapes, as it brings out artificial lighting that would be far less visible during golden hour. Because the sky isn’t completely dark, you also get better contrast against the warmer city lights, which adds real drama to your shot.
On top of all this, location plays a huge role. If you’re shooting a coastline, keep tides in mind, as they can work against you in certain conditions. Another issue arises with well-known photoshoot locations, where queues can build up — so it’s best to avoid the busiest times of day.