Understanding light for landscapes
Techniques
22 October 2007 14:55
Dramatic sunlight plays a crucial role in landscape photography. Learn how to read the sky and predict interesting weather conditions and you'll quickly start producing better landscapes.
Generally, the light during the middle of the day (say, 9am to 4pm in summer) is the least inspiring. The harsh white-blue light from the overhead sun makes the landscape appear flat, formless and cold.
For better results, shoot earlier and later in the day when the sun is lower in the sky. With the sun closer to the horizon, it gives a warmer, redder light with longer, more intriguing shadows that help reveal contours in the landscape and brings out natural texture and detail. (This doesn’t have to mean you have to shoot at sunrise or sunset, although both of these times can give the most dramatic light.)
Heavy cloud doesn’t always mean you should head for home. On a windy day, so long as the clouds are moving, it’s worth hanging on. After a cloudy, frustrating day, often the sky can clear for an hour to produce glorious light.
Overcast conditions may not seem inspiring, but you can use such conditions cropped-in detail shots of colourful subjects such as lichen and leaves.
Make the most of the weather forecasts and learn how to predict the conditions. Bad weather is generally followed by good: stormy skies with rainbows and bright sunshine are perfect for picture taking; heavy fog will usually break, with glorious sunshine by mid-morning; rainy days lead can to damp misty mornings – so set your alarm clock.