Golden Rule of Landscape Photography

[Merlyn]

(Hint) There is a golden rule to good landscape photography which is the first place your really want to start. Consider the time of day in which you shoot. The best times are 15 to 30 minutes before sunrise and about 30 minutes after sunrise and 15 to 30 minutes before sunset. These are the times when you can expect to get the soft light and shadows you need for good quality landscape photos.
Yeah I know that you may have to get out of bed early to do the morning shoot, but photographers have to sometimes make a sacrifice to get that one in a million shot. Remember, the early photographer gets the shot, or is that the early bird gets the worm. Whatever.

[Nicole]

I think that you have to consider what you're trying to accomplish as well as the time of day. I think that if you limit yourself to only these short times in the morning and evening you're really limiting yourself. I personally love seeing the crisp blue skies of a sunny day in landscapes at times. Yes, the early and late shots turn out lovely as well, but some things really stand out in the middle of the day in ways that they wouldn't at other hours :)

[Merlyn]

I think that you have to consider what you're trying to accomplish as well as the time of day. I think that if you limit yourself to only these short times in the morning and evening you're really limiting yourself. I personally love seeing the crisp blue skies of a sunny day in landscapes at times. Yes, the early and late shots turn out lovely as well, but some things really stand out in the middle of the day in ways that they wouldn't at other hours :)

I agree. Maybe I should have started the thread as "A good rule....".:)
A lot of my shots occur during the daytime hours. Like you say, other times may be the only way to get the shot you want of a particular subject. If all photographers tried to accomplish the same act of shooting one particular shot, at a certain time of day, then all photos of that subject might look the same. Wouldn't that be a dull photo world.

[Gromguitar4]

One thing I have nonticecd is that it is a good idea to have that tripod handy in order to get what you want in focus. Depending on where you are and what time (I really like the 15-30 min idea), this helps a lot.

[essjay]

I think you really need to understand how to use the light that is around at the time you are shooting. While the times you describe may be best for certain types of shot, bear in mind that the real harsh light of midday can, on occasion, produce some really interesting shots. Its all about how you use it I guess. Having said that, I'm all for breaking rules ;)

[RainPacket]

Another thing worth remembering is that somewhat overcast days actually generally provide the best light for photographing foliage, because of the quality of the light. This is why most pictures of garden plants are apparently taken on slightly overcast days!

[Mtik]

I agree. Maybe I should have started the thread as "A good rule....".:)
A lot of my shots occur during the daytime hours. Like you say, other times may be the only way to get the shot you want of a particular subject. If all photographers tried to accomplish the same act of shooting one particular shot, at a certain time of day, then all photos of that subject might look the same. Wouldn't that be a dull photo world.

Right. I'm up above 6000'. There's nothing like that deep blue sky in the middle of a clear day. Slap on a polarizer, and it'll make a great pic!

[Merlyn]

Right. I'm up above 6000'. There's nothing like that deep blue sky in the middle of a clear day. Slap on a polarizer, and it'll make a great pic!

You lucky dog, I am below 6000', in the smog and haze. :)

[Floppy]

I live on the edge of the desert and I get some awseome shots around those times. Around here I have found that generally full daylight is too harsh, but sometimes the contrasting shadows around billabongs and such are more pronounced and turn out some great shots

[Rommel]

One thing I am wondering about taking landscape shots right around sunrise and sunset is shadows. With the sun so low in the sky, it seems like taller objects may cast dominating shadows. Are there ways people deal with this (presuming that they do not want these long shadows)? Do you tend to take pictures with the sun to your back at these ours, or to the side? (both in the cases where you want the shadows and in the case you do not)

[SueB]

Sunrise

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilbobwn/278630758/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/102/278630758_41c3dd5223.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="Three Mushrooms at Dawn" /></a>

I used a beanbag and a reflector and had my nose in the dirt! Light was to the side. It is this soft, golden light that is so sought after.

Sunset

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilbobwn/278631499/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/84/278631499_83ca60e988.jpg" width="500" height="357" alt="Village of Peggy's Cove" /></a>

....and again from the side.

[Maverick007]

The time you describe are very good for pictures and I went into Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, England. I have taken some really good shots in the trees and along the river. As dusk arrived and the sun went lower the light was fantastic with deep blue sky tinged with pink clouds.

I started to take pictures with my circular polariser fitted but no matter what apeture or shutter speed was used I had either to much under exposure or a blown out sky. How do you stop the sky from blowing??

[Maverick007]

Sunrise

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilbobwn/278630758/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/102/278630758_41c3dd5223.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="Three Mushrooms at Dawn" /></a>

I used a beanbag and a reflector and had my nose in the dirt! Light was to the side. It is this soft, golden light that is so sought after.

Sunset

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilbobwn/278631499/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/84/278631499_83ca60e988.jpg" width="500" height="357" alt="Village of Peggy's Cove" /></a>

....and again from the side.

Wow,

Great shots.

[Mtik]

One thing I am wondering about taking landscape shots right around sunrise and sunset is shadows. With the sun so low in the sky, it seems like taller objects may cast dominating shadows. Are there ways people deal with this (presuming that they do not want these long shadows)? Do you tend to take pictures with the sun to your back at these ours, or to the side? (both in the cases where you want the shadows and in the case you do not)

You can ditch the shadows by changing your perspective. E.g., if you get down low and shoot up at a house that directly faces the sun, you won't see any shadows. It's also a lot like taking a picture of a person, with a flash, in front of a wall. If they are a few inches from the wall you'll get harsh shadows. If you shoot the other direction ( with your back to the wall ) they probably won't have a sillouette behind them and may even stand out better against the background.

And shadows aren't something to fear either. They can produce great contrast.

-Tim

[Merlyn]

The time you describe are very good for pictures and I went into Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, England. I have taken some really good shots in the trees and along the river. As dusk arrived and the sun went lower the light was fantastic with deep blue sky tinged with pink clouds.

I started to take pictures with my circular polariser fitted but no matter what apeture or shutter speed was used I had either to much under exposure or a blown out sky. How do you stop the sky from blowing??



Filter: Neutral Density Gradient Filter

It will allow you to balance the exposure between the ground and the sky.
The filter is dark at the top and graduates down to transparent at the bottom. The top of the sky is dark and as the sky approaches the ground it becomes lighter. Gel filters are also a choice. This from the film days. An attachment on the end of the lens holds one or several gel(plastic) filters in an assortment of colors.

[ron.richardson]

another great time to take photos is the blue hour(s). it's the 15 minutes or so after the sun goes down. the blues in the sky are fantastic. here's some examples:

this was taken at 5:54pm EST in november:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ron_richardson/307625415/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/118/307625415_a98a977ab7_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="untitled" /></a>

this was taken at 6:33pm EST in january:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ron_richardson/91210532/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/29/91210532_bfa2e8d8aa_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="ship at sunset on the bay" /></a>

my favorite times to shoot are during the golden hours and blue hour... if i wasn't so lazy, i'd shoot more first thing in the morning after the sun comes up.

not really sure why they call them the golden/blue hour when the time period is usually less than a full hour.

[ny156uk]

I agree with the idea that certain times of the day will lend themselves better for photographing landscapes - shadows/good light angle always help, but personally I tend to take photos when out walking and thus don't so much 'choose' the time I take photos.

If you are like me and just carry the camera about on walks here's what I try to do to make my landscape photos fantastic:

[I]Have a foreground/background feature. I find it often adds some more distance to the shot.

Get down low/up high. I can't remember who told me this (maybe the DPS blog) but I find that just kneeling on standing on something really can bring out a new angle/view of what would otherwise be a normal shot

If the sky has a few clouds try to get them in the shot instead of just blue skies. Entirely personal preference but I do like a few clouds in the sky to give it a little more life (especially if you have a lot of sky in the shot)

Some efforts of mine that I quite like...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ny156uk/250573856/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/106/250573856_b5b65975aa.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="A view I once saw" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ny156uk/234076915/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/87/234076915_3345418207.jpg" width="500" height="470" alt="Cornwall" /></a>

[z999]

another time related tip especially if you're shooting a panorama is to wait till the moment the sun is in one of the sides of your photo (only if you shoot the sky too)