Planning Landscape Photography
I’ve recently begun creating YouTube videos, which I am tentatively calling “In the Field” as they follow me during a day or trip out with my camera as I try and get some good images.
The first video is available now and you can watch it here and while you’re there if you could subscribe to my channel that would be greatly appreciated!
Now this first video as you might be able to gather from the thumbnail and description did not got to plan.
The conditions I wanted for the images I had in my head just did not materialise. I could blame the weather forecasts and the location I chose, but what really happened was I blamed myself for not getting what I wanted.
Especially considering it was going to be my first YouTube video on my channel, I was thoroughly disappointed about what happened that day.
This week, however, my biggest inspiration for starting my YouTube channel, Thomas Heaton, released a video that really hit home about the planning for landscape photography.
What he describes is exactly what I’ve been struggling with and his advice really made me stop and think.
You can watch the video below, and then keep reading…
My Experiences
Exactly as Tom says, my expectations for the images that I was after meant that I was thoroughly disappointed in myself and the location.
I became blinkered to the inspiration and landscapes around me because my attention was concentrated on capturing an image that was not happening.
I was frustrated, midge bitten and entirely grumpy!
I tried to go to a second location in my video but where I went was not working either for the type of image I wanted to capture and, as I say in my own video, I decided to pull the plug and go home.
I spent several hours wandering around in the drizzly, wet, humid, sticky and thoroughly midgey forests near to my home and I felt like it was my fault for not taking any pictures. And to a certain extent, that’s true!
I let my expectations for the morning override the magnificence of the location around me. I’m sure if it had been any other morning, I would’ve managed to get an image that I was happy with, but because I was hoping for these amazing conditions to create my video that when they did not materialise I was just so downtrodden I gave up.
With the failure of that morning sticking in my throat, I decided to go out again the very next day, I did the same motions of planning.
I looked at weather forecasts, tried to predict how the weather and light will behave, pick a location which I thought would work with those conditions and even began to choose some compositions in my head.
But when I woke up that morning and looked out of the window the conditions were not what I was expecting! They were more like what I wanted the day before!
So, my previous day’s plan was back on, I went up to where I was the day before expecting to go into the forest and get the misty conditions that I desired.
But on the way I was confronted by some dramatic light and fog conditions and I never even made it into the forest. Instead I managed to capture some epic landscape images that I am truly proud of.
The best part was that I had no expectations for these conditions and images. I never even dreamed of these compositions but it was lucky that I managed to get them. You can see the video of this morning soon (I’ll edit this post and include a link!)
The images like this one below were the result of that majestic morning!
So, What did I learn from this?
When Tom released that video and I watched it, it was like it was directed at me and my experiences.
The morning that I had no expectations of the images that I was going to capture was the morning that I managed to capture some epic images!
With that in mind, I’m going to try and follow that advice. Plan less and be open to what is in front of you.
Don’t have preconceived images in mind when heading out for a day of landscape photography and you will probably be happier with any resulting images that you capture, than if you had an image in mind and the conditions you wanted failed to materialise.
I am going to in the future just pick a few walks to take in general areas and head out.
I’m going to look for inspiration but not ideas.
I think this will help my photography improve, and will help on guided photography days when we are not going to be able to plan everything down to a tee and will need to work with the conditions that we have. Moreover, I think it will help with my mental health, as when I’m faced with disappointing, frustrating conditions it definitely affects my mood and motivation. A point that we all struggle with as photographers.
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Written by Daniel Long
Daniel Long created DRL Photography as a place to showcase his work as a photographer. Daniel has learnt a lot about photography and wishes to impart this knowledge with you, although the world is an ever changing place and he always says “you can never learn everything.” So as he makes his way, he continues to learn knew techniques, skills and information about photography. He focuses on Landscape and Wildlife photography and Daniel has a special focus on Scotland, his home away from home. As well as writing about photography and taking pictures out in the field, Daniel offers guided photography days so he can share his knowledge and locations in an effort to give his clients the best opportunities possible. Have a browse around this website to see his images, guided experiences and articles about photography. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact.
