It’s an unavoidable fact that the best landscape shots are taken at the beginning and end of the day. During these ‘golden hours’ – just as the sun rises or just before it sets – the light has a lovely warmth to it that looks great on landscapes. In autumn and winter the golden hours are at much more acceptable times of the day, so you could shoot a fabulous sunrise, on the way to work.
Compose yourself
Conveying a three-dimensional scene on to a two-dimensional image is a challenge. But you can help create a depth effect by breaking landscape images down into three sections: foreground, middle and distance. Look at the best landscape shots and you’ll typically see key elements in each one of these, which lead your eye through the frame – the shot below has real foreground interest.
LOOK TO THE HEAVENS
I’d suggest that the most important part of any landscape image is, in fact, the sky. If it’s dull and lifeless, your image will be too. But I’d also go further and say that sometimes the sky can be so dramatic that it’s worth concentrating solely on that. From a bright blue sky with a single cloud, through dramatic stormy clouds, to a golden orange glow at sunrise or sunset – the firmament can look stunning all through the year, so make the most of it!