Expert Photography Tips

Landscape Photography – Continue to Improve Your Landscape Photography Skills

By Jamie Paterson

We’ve all read the websites that tell us to use certain techniques to improve our landscape and seascape photography skills, or to post process our photos in a special way and nearly all of these suggestions are extremely valid ones but once you understand the basics there is one extremely quick and easy way to improve your photography and that is to head outside and just start taking photos.

Sounds too simple? Well it’s true, there is nothing like practise and lots of it to quickly boost and enhance your skills. The other rationale behind this idea is that the more you are out shooting the greater chance you have of capturing that ‘magic’ light that no one else has managed to capture before. We’ve all heard the term that practise makes perfect and whilst I’m not claiming to be perfect I’ve certainly found that the more I’m outside shooting the more I’m thinking about shooting and the better I get.

When I first started out I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t capturing any decent landscape photographs in six months I’d managed to capture maybe three sellable photos. Finally it dawned on me after talking to some pros that I just wasn’t getting out there enough firstly to improve my skills and secondly to improve my chances at capturing a great photo.

I quickly learnt that I had to be more obsessive about getting out there so I went from taking photos once every two to three weeks to living and breathing landscape photography and spending up to 10hrs a week taking photos. An amazing thing happened my photography improved out of site and my portfolio expanded extremely quickly to the point that I had a collection of photos that I was extremely proud of.

So, to make quick improvements in your photography and to quickly expand your portfolio, become obsessive and get outside and start taking great landscape photographs.

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By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lance_Carr]Lance Carr

This doesn’t really apply of course if you’re taking shots of inanimate objects. A tree is not likely to get offended if you shoot it at a moment when its branches look forlorn and sad – but a person might.

For example, you’re prowling the backstreets of some Third World city, or even your own, trying to capture a mood of desolation or estrangement – don’t ask me why, but people like shooting this kind of thing – and you get an old woman in your viewfinder who has obviously seen better days. Nevertheless, there’s a certain grace in her pose, and a nobility in her expression, so you shoot.

Later you can zap the pix in Photoshop, give it a good color balance and your friends will admire it. You get that pleasure for your efforts – but what did your model get?

Back when I was first taking photos I caught sight of a one legged man on a crutch hobbling towards me along a city street. It was a striking image, so being a god with a Nikon I brazenly stepped out and took it. The subject got very upset – and I immediately saw his point: who wants to be immortalized looking your worst?

When I returned to the darkroom I threw the negative out and made a vow not to do that again. Should I have asked his permission first? That would not have solved the situation and he most certainly would have said no. The point was, why was I taking that shot in the first place? If I’d thought about it I would have taken a shot from the back and at least spared his feelings.

Sometimes you take a candid snap and the value of the shot is that the person is unaware of your interest. These pictures can be great and the effect would be spoiled by going up and announcing your intention beforehand. However, what you can do is once you’ve got your shot, approach the subject, let them know you’d like to take a photo and do the best job you can of taking a flattering picture of the person. They may never see it, but here, as in many things – it’s the thought that counts.

Another variation, especially if you’re in that same Third World country where the locals have probably been photographed every which way by thousands of tourists, is to carry some small denomination notes or coins in your pocket, and politely offer payment for the modeling work. This is usually appreciated and it’s good for your conscience.

Some other examples:  one time I did my own personal photo essay on a school. It wasn’t practical to offer every student and teacher a print but I cut a CD of the best shots and presented it to the principal.

Another time, I shot a dog class and made some small prints of the ten best shots and gave them to the trainer to pass out at the next class.

All this comes under the heading of good manners, and good manners are always appreciated. Furthermore if you want or need to return and re-shoot, you’ll find yourself welcomed not resisted.

Try it.

Lance is an ex-patriot Australian living in Taiwan running a business consulting company. His grasp of the Chinese language ranges from poor to laughable and in most circumstances his actual use of the Chinese language results in laughter. [http://www.my-photography-tips.com/]Photography Tips [http://www.my-photography-tips.com/candid-photography.html]Candid Photography

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