Landscape Tips from Mark Voce
5 Tips For Photographing The Coast
Photographing on the coast has always been on my list of favourites however some photographers can struggle to make great photos in this environment. In this post I will run through 5 if my top tips that I concentrate on while exploring the coast and that have helped me to make strong, dramatic coastal photos.
1. Foreground interest
The key thing to a successful coastal photo is a strong foreground, it gives the photograph a base and a starting point for the viewers eye. Many of the photos I see of the coast are just taken from head height and contain either no foreground or a bland one. For me foreground interest at the coast is quite often rocks, boulders and pebbles but you can also look for patterns in the sand like ripples left by the receding tide, it can be man-made elements like posts, piers, jetties, ropes and even lobster pots or anything else you may find.
In the photo above I used the boulder and the rock platform as my foreground and balanced this with Bamburgh castle in the background. I took the shot with a 50mm lens that preserved the visual relationship between the boulder and the castle keeping it realistic to the human eye.
2. Use long exposures
Another one of my favourite techniques when photographing the coast is to use a long exposure. A long exposure typically from 30 seconds to many minutes blurs the sea often turning it into mist and creates wonderful patterns in the sky as clouds pass over head. When photographing at the coast this effect creates a wonderful relationship between the bold static elements like man-made structures and rocks and the soft fluid ephemeral elements.
In the example below I used a wide angle lens and fitted B+W 10 stop ND filter to reduce the exposure down to around a minute, there is no change in the rocks in the foreground as they remain stationary throughout the shot however the sea and clouds are always moving and are recorded as a blur – creating a pleasing effect that is a step away from what can be observed with the human eye.
3. Use lead in lines
By using lead in lines you can guide the viewer in the heart of your picture, this can be a bold man-made line like the jetty in the photo below taken at Flamborough, or it could be a natural line of rocks. Whether natural or man-made you are looking for a linear line that works almost as an arrow pointed the viewer into the centre of the frame.
In the photo below the jetty and the metal rail appear to guide the viewer out to sea between the cliffs. Using a wide angle lens can allow you to create a more powerful composition and include more of the foreground interest, the photo below was shot with a focal length of 18mm which allowed me to get low to the ground and include as much of the jetty as possible.
4. Create a simple composition
Sometimes rather than looking for complex patterns and foreground interest I may chose to create a very simply composition, in the photo below I was drawn to the lone white rock with the incoming tide lapping around it. When creating simple compositions I look for symmetry and will often place my interest in the middle of the frame. I used a long exposure of 30 seconds to reduce the water to a blur which also created the streaks in the clouds that echo the foreground rock and the symmetry in the photo.
This photo was taken with a wide angle lens but you can create simple compositions with any length of lens, just remember to look for symmetry and patterns in the shot. Using a longer lens can allow you to pick out simple elements, patterns and layers in the shot, so something else worth trying.
5. Look for details
There is often a lot more at the coast than just the sea in the distance, try looking at the ground for patterns created in rocks and pebbles. You can often create abstract shots that only focus on a very small area within the landscape, in the below photo I noticed the patterns and layers in the slate when setting up another shot. By using a telephoto lens and getting close to the ground I was able to concentrate on a small area perhaps half a 30cm across – a miniature coastal landscape.
Well that’s it, my top 5 tips to photographing the coast, I hope you find these useful and spend more time photographing our wonderful coastline
Photographing on the coast has always been on my list of favourites however some photographers can struggle to make great photos in this environment. In this post I will run through 5 if my top tips that I concentrate on while exploring the coast and that have helped me to make strong, dramatic coastal photos.
1. Foreground interest
The key thing to a successful coastal photo is a strong foreground, it gives the photograph a base and a starting point for the viewers eye. Many of the photos I see of the coast are just taken from head height and contain either no foreground or a bland one. For me foreground interest at the coast is quite often rocks, boulders and pebbles but you can also look for patterns in the sand like ripples left by the receding tide, it can be man-made elements like posts, piers, jetties, ropes and even lobster pots or anything else you may find.
In the photo above I used the boulder and the rock platform as my foreground and balanced this with Bamburgh castle in the background. I took the shot with a 50mm lens that preserved the visual relationship between the boulder and the castle keeping it realistic to the human eye.
2. Use long exposures
Another one of my favourite techniques when photographing the coast is to use a long exposure. A long exposure typically from 30 seconds to many minutes blurs the sea often turning it into mist and creates wonderful patterns in the sky as clouds pass over head. When photographing at the coast this effect creates a wonderful relationship between the bold static elements like man-made structures and rocks and the soft fluid ephemeral elements.
In the example below I used a wide angle lens and fitted B+W 10 stop ND filter to reduce the exposure down to around a minute, there is no change in the rocks in the foreground as they remain stationary throughout the shot however the sea and clouds are always moving and are recorded as a blur – creating a pleasing effect that is a step away from what can be observed with the human eye.
3. Use lead in lines
By using lead in lines you can guide the viewer in the heart of your picture, this can be a bold man-made line like the jetty in the photo below taken at Flamborough, or it could be a natural line of rocks. Whether natural or man-made you are looking for a linear line that works almost as an arrow pointed the viewer into the centre of the frame.
In the photo below the jetty and the metal rail appear to guide the viewer out to sea between the cliffs. Using a wide angle lens can allow you to create a more powerful composition and include more of the foreground interest, the photo below was shot with a focal length of 18mm which allowed me to get low to the ground and include as much of the jetty as possible.
4. Create a simple composition
Sometimes rather than looking for complex patterns and foreground interest I may chose to create a very simply composition, in the photo below I was drawn to the lone white rock with the incoming tide lapping around it. When creating simple compositions I look for symmetry and will often place my interest in the middle of the frame. I used a long exposure of 30 seconds to reduce the water to a blur which also created the streaks in the clouds that echo the foreground rock and the symmetry in the photo.
This photo was taken with a wide angle lens but you can create simple compositions with any length of lens, just remember to look for symmetry and patterns in the shot. Using a longer lens can allow you to pick out simple elements, patterns and layers in the shot, so something else worth trying.
5. Look for details
There is often a lot more at the coast than just the sea in the distance, try looking at the ground for patterns created in rocks and pebbles. You can often create abstract shots that only focus on a very small area within the landscape, in the below photo I noticed the patterns and layers in the slate when setting up another shot. By using a telephoto lens and getting close to the ground I was able to concentrate on a small area perhaps half a 30cm across – a miniature coastal landscape.
Well that’s it, my top 5 tips to photographing the coast, I hope you find these useful and spend more time photographing our wonderful coastlines.
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Below I have run through 5 of my favourite compositional techniques that are always floating around my head when I am setting up a shot.
Tip 1. Use lead in lines to guide the eye through the shot.
Lead in lines can be simple straight lines that pull the viewers eye into the centre of the shot helping to create depth. In the example below the two edges of the concrete walkway lead the viewers eyes toward the marker post on the horizon.
Lead in lines don’t always have to be simple straight line, you can use natural lines and elements in the landscape, to allow the viewer to mentally walk through the shot. In the example below the eye follows the flow of water to the left edge of the frame before being pulled back towards the distant castle.
Tip 2. Use shapes to create layers and depth within the picture.
Triangle almost act as arrows pointing the viewer around the photograph, using a combination of triangle can add depth and keep the viewer exploring the photo.
Simple rectangles can be used to create layers in a photography.
Tip 3. Use the corners of the frame
The corner of the frame can be a great place to start lead in lines from and helps to use all the space in the photograph. In the example below I have started the edge of the jetty in lower corner and used it natural curve to guide the viewers eye into the centre of the shot.
Tip 4. Make elements reach across the frame.
I see a lot of photos that I feel are a little flat, many photographers tend to shoot either along an element or have it across the frame however placing the element at an angle running away from the viewer and across the frame can make a very pleasing composition as in the shot below of the Humber Bridge.
Tip 5. Don’t be afraid of putting things in the middle.
There is a rule in photography that says don’t put your main object in the centre of the frame, I’ve never been a fan of rules in design and certainly don’t like this one. Personally if you have a strong element in your photograph put it right smack bank wallop in the middle.
Those are my top 5 tips, I hope you find them usefu
5 Tips For Photographing The Coast
Photographing on the coast has always been on my list of favourites however some photographers can struggle to make great photos in this environment. In this post I will run through 5 if my top tips that I concentrate on while exploring the coast and that have helped me to make strong, dramatic coastal photos.
1. Foreground interest
The key thing to a successful coastal photo is a strong foreground, it gives the photograph a base and a starting point for the viewers eye. Many of the photos I see of the coast are just taken from head height and contain either no foreground or a bland one. For me foreground interest at the coast is quite often rocks, boulders and pebbles but you can also look for patterns in the sand like ripples left by the receding tide, it can be man-made elements like posts, piers, jetties, ropes and even lobster pots or anything else you may find.
In the photo above I used the boulder and the rock platform as my foreground and balanced this with Bamburgh castle in the background. I took the shot with a 50mm lens that preserved the visual relationship between the boulder and the castle keeping it realistic to the human eye.
2. Use long exposures
Another one of my favourite techniques when photographing the coast is to use a long exposure. A long exposure typically from 30 seconds to many minutes blurs the sea often turning it into mist and creates wonderful patterns in the sky as clouds pass over head. When photographing at the coast this effect creates a wonderful relationship between the bold static elements like man-made structures and rocks and the soft fluid ephemeral elements.
In the example below I used a wide angle lens and fitted B+W 10 stop ND filter to reduce the exposure down to around a minute, there is no change in the rocks in the foreground as they remain stationary throughout the shot however the sea and clouds are always moving and are recorded as a blur – creating a pleasing effect that is a step away from what can be observed with the human eye.
3. Use lead in lines
By using lead in lines you can guide the viewer in the heart of your picture, this can be a bold man-made line like the jetty in the photo below taken at Flamborough, or it could be a natural line of rocks. Whether natural or man-made you are looking for a linear line that works almost as an arrow pointed the viewer into the centre of the frame.
In the photo below the jetty and the metal rail appear to guide the viewer out to sea between the cliffs. Using a wide angle lens can allow you to create a more powerful composition and include more of the foreground interest, the photo below was shot with a focal length of 18mm which allowed me to get low to the ground and include as much of the jetty as possible.
4. Create a simple composition
Sometimes rather than looking for complex patterns and foreground interest I may chose to create a very simply composition, in the photo below I was drawn to the lone white rock with the incoming tide lapping around it. When creating simple compositions I look for symmetry and will often place my interest in the middle of the frame. I used a long exposure of 30 seconds to reduce the water to a blur which also created the streaks in the clouds that echo the foreground rock and the symmetry in the photo.
This photo was taken with a wide angle lens but you can create simple compositions with any length of lens, just remember to look for symmetry and patterns in the shot. Using a longer lens can allow you to pick out simple elements, patterns and layers in the shot, so something else worth trying.
5. Look for details
There is often a lot more at the coast than just the sea in the distance, try looking at the ground for patterns created in rocks and pebbles. You can often create abstract shots that only focus on a very small area within the landscape, in the below photo I noticed the patterns and layers in the slate when setting up another shot. By using a telephoto lens and getting close to the ground I was able to concentrate on a small area perhaps half a 30cm across – a miniature coastal landscape.
Well that’s it, my top 5 tips to photographing the coast, I hope you find these useful and spend more time photographing our wonderful coastlines.
5 Tips To Improve Composition
There are various rules of composition out there such as the rule of thirds and the 80/20 rule however I try to ignore these rules most of the time as I feel they limit your flexibility, like any rule they can create good results however as they say rules are meant to be broken.Below I have run through 5 of my favourite compositional techniques that are always floating around my head when I am setting up a shot.
Tip 1. Use lead in lines to guide the eye through the shot.
Lead in lines can be simple straight lines that pull the viewers eye into the centre of the shot helping to create depth. In the example below the two edges of the concrete walkway lead the viewers eyes toward the marker post on the horizon.
Lead in lines don’t always have to be simple straight line, you can use natural lines and elements in the landscape, to allow the viewer to mentally walk through the shot. In the example below the eye follows the flow of water to the left edge of the frame before being pulled back towards the distant castle.
Tip 2. Use shapes to create layers and depth within the picture.
Triangle almost act as arrows pointing the viewer around the photograph, using a combination of triangle can add depth and keep the viewer exploring the photo.
Simple rectangles can be used to create layers in a photography.
Tip 3. Use the corners of the frame
The corner of the frame can be a great place to start lead in lines from and helps to use all the space in the photograph. In the example below I have started the edge of the jetty in lower corner and used it natural curve to guide the viewers eye into the centre of the shot.
Tip 4. Make elements reach across the frame.
I see a lot of photos that I feel are a little flat, many photographers tend to shoot either along an element or have it across the frame however placing the element at an angle running away from the viewer and across the frame can make a very pleasing composition as in the shot below of the Humber Bridge.
Tip 5. Don’t be afraid of putting things in the middle.
There is a rule in photography that says don’t put your main object in the centre of the frame, I’ve never been a fan of rules in design and certainly don’t like this one. Personally if you have a strong element in your photograph put it right smack bank wallop in the middle.
Those are my top 5 tips, I hope you find them usefu
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