Digital Camera World » UK landscapes

Behind The Image: David Clapp’s battle for autumn colours in the Lake District

jmeyer — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:00:18 +0000

In his latest post, guest blogger and professional photographer David Clapp recounts his ongoing struggles with the weather when trying to shoot autumn colours in the Lake District. Read his story and landscape photography tips below.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm f/4L IS @ 200mm, f/8 for 1/20sec

The best things come to those who wait… or do they?

I have been up in the Lake District for the past week, trying to make the best of the autumnal conditions, but its not been going according to plan.

The autumn colours have been rather out of sync. The beeches have turned first, then the oaks, but the larches haven’t gone yellow at all, in fact they are all rather military green.

With such strange colour palettes to cope with, the last thing you need is poor weather… for days on end… but sadly this is the problems that the landscape photographer has to deal with.

This image represents half an hours decent work in three days. Most of the time has been spent watching rain run down the car window, or sitting in tea rooms.

Then it would all come together, fleeting moments of strange side lighting blasting the landscape with beautiful light, leaving me running around trying desperately to make the most of it. By today the damage has been done.

With 70% of the leaves on the floor, as gales and heavy rain battered have battered the Lakes, the opportunities are now few and far between.

This beautiful oak is an example of why we do all this running around. When trees like this, with such character and colour are caught is side light, the photography can be utterly sublime. Just a few seconds is all it takes and when it all comes together, the sense of accomplishment can be something very special.

Processing – this is a relatively straight image. There is a little darkening to the land beneath, to concentrate attention to the centre of the frame, but the impending doom from above is very real. Within ten minutes, I was sitting in the car being pummelled with sleet.

The clarity slider pays dividends in Lightroom, as did some gentle cloning. I removed a sheep scratching his bum on the fence, which didnt really add anything for us anyway!

The colour is very real, with nothing added except a little contrast. Light is the essence of great photography, a point worth remembering.

I have also been trialling out a new Canon EOS 5D Mark III, and what a camera it is. Such superb low noise, great colour and excellent feel to the images.

10 best places to photograph in the Lake District

samanthacliffe — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 08:00:47 +0000

Peter Ahern of Apparition Photography lists his top ten places to photograph in the Lake District, England.

The Lake District is the most visited National Park in England and Wales and is a haven for photographers. It offers an array of opportunities and a diverse range of photographic subjects in a relatively small area.

It is easy when pursuing a keen interest in photography to gravitate to one or two genres but there’s no place better than the Lake District for climbing out of such a rut. The beauty and tranquillity is ideal for sharpening the perspective and opening the mind of even the most habitual of photographers. One of the major benefits of shooting a diverse range of subjects is the way in which it challenges our skills and this is where the Lake District excels.

Below are my top 10 places to photograph in the Lake District:

1. Landscapes at Loweswater

Located in the North Western Lake District, Loweswater is one of three basins in a chain including Crummock Water and Buttermere. Loweswater is accessible from all sides but the most promising shots come from the south western forested footpath, offering vistas across the water towards distant fells – ideal for wide angle lenses.

2. Architecture at Hawkshead Village

Dating back to 1200AD, this Norse settlement offers quaint picturesque village architecture. There are opportunities to isolate details in the architecture using a prime lens or zoom. Alternatively, from the medieval church grounds use a wide angle lens to capture the whole village below with surrounding fells providing the backdrop.

3. Wildlife at Grizedale Forest

The Grizedale Forest offers the most diverse range of wildlife photography of any location in the Lake District. The 25km²forest, located east of Coniston Water plays host to red squirrels, red deer, roe deer, red kite (recently reintroduced to the area), buzzards and barn owls. On a smaller scale there are butterflies and dragonflies and a whole host of insects. Significant research before your shoot is recommended, as are a range of lenses from macro to telephotos.

4. Waterfall at Aira Force

Aira Force provides a beautiful opportunity to practice your water blurring skills. With a polarizing filter and/or your ND grads (along with a slow shutter speed) you will be presented with an array of compositions. Arrive early to avoid the masses but don’t worry about the weather too much as the surrounding trees protect the subject from most of the elements.

5. People at Keswick

Of course, it’s not always possible (or desirable) to avoid the masses. Keswick offers a wonderful range of people to capture in candid portraits. Locals and tourists busy themselves with a range of activities and you’ll find that walking around the town presents many photographic opportunities.

6. Woodlands at Whinlatter Forest

Although Whinlatter Forest offers a similar environment to Grizedale Forest, I find it a more desirable place for forest scenes. Whinlatter offers a variety of tree species, log piles, and winding paths, which are sure to keep you inspired all year round.

7. Ancient History at Castlerigg Stone Circle

This prehistoric monument is awe inspiring and makes for wonderful foreground interest in the best landscape images. The 38 stones sit peacefully in front of a backdrop which contains some of the Lake District’s most impressive mountains, including Blencathra and Skiddaw. A wide angle lens is a must.

8. Sunrise/Sunsets at Ullswater

Ullswater is quite unique in that it offers fantastic sunrise and sunset shots from many different locations. It is accessible from most sides (by road on its north western shore and footpath on its south eastern shore) and due to its shape and orientation you will find that whatever the time of year, the sun will line up nicely for at least one location along the banks. Use sunrise/sunset charts in conjunction with an OS Map to calculate the best place for the time of year and don’t forget your ND grad filters.

9. Tarns at Langdale

The small scale and manageability of tarns make them wonderful subjects for photography. These ice-scoured basins are abundant in the Lake District, but Langdale offers a high density in a small area. Surrounding Great Langdale River, a 25km² area hosts the tarns Easedale, Loughrigg, Blea and Stickle, all offering their own individual personality and characteristics. The range of photographic opportunities demands a range of lenses.

10. History at Coniston Old Man

Taking the north western route out of Coniston towards the YHA, you will eventually (approximately 2km) reach the disused copper mines. Here you will be rewarded with old iron relics and stone buildings, all of which make fascinating and intriguing subjects. The mines date back approximately 400 years (most active in the 1800′s) and you really will feel immersed in the history.

Visit Apparition Photography.

What your histogram says about your landscapes

jmeyer — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:00:08 +0000

Your digital camera’s histogram, or exposure chart, offers the most reliable indication of exposure, as it illustrates the range of tones in a landscape shot, from dark shadows on the far left through to bright highlights on the far right.

But there’s no ‘perfect’ histogram. Each landscape scene you shoot is made up of a different blend of tones, and the shape of the histogram will reflect this.

A midtone landscape scene, such  as a church surrounded by rolling green hills, is likely to show a histogram that’s humped around the middle  of the scale, whereas trees silhouetted against a bright dawn sky would show a histogram that’s flat through the middle, but which peaks on the left and right (as the scene consists of just dark and light tones).

If the histogram goes beyond the edges of the scale, the picture information is ‘clipped’, and you’ll start to lose detail.

Below we’ve provided several typical landscape scenes that we might shoot here in the UK and how to interpret the reading on your histogram.

Example histograms… and what they mean

The built-in exposure meter has attempted to bring this naturally bright scene closer to the value of midtone grey, so the histogram is bang in the middle

By dialling-in positive Exposure Compensation, the brightness of the scene is restored, and the histogram shifts to the right (bright) end of the scale

Here, the exposure meter has again tried to bring this naturally dark scene closer to the value of midtone grey, so what should be dark is too bright and washed out

By dialling-in negative Exposure Compensation, the scene is restored to its natural darkness, and the histogram shifts closer to the left (dark) end of the scale

10 tips for better coastal landscapes

jmeyer — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:00:12 +0000

Coastal landscapes are some of the most popular subjects to shoot at any time of the year, thanks to their enormous creative potential. Bad weather means added drama, and the endless push of the tide means plenty of opportunity to hone your skills at long exposures.

Below, top landscape photographer Guy Edwardes shares his ten landscape photography tips for shooting watery scenes.

Tip 1: Check the tides

It’s very important to be aware of tidal conditions from a safety point of view, but they’ll also have an impact on your photos. One of the best times to photograph coastal landscapes is during a receding tide, when sandy beaches will be free from footprints and boulders, and pebbles will still be wet and shiny.

Tip 2: Get yourself a tripod and remote release

A good tripod and head are essential when you’re working at the coast. You’ll need one sturdy enough that it won’t be shifted by incoming waves. Shoot via a remote release when using long exposure times, but don’t let it dangle in the water!

Tip 3: Sea Spray

Spray from seawater will cause corrosion to photographic equipment. Protect your camera with a waterproof cover, such as an Op/Tech Rainsleeve, and wash your tripod in fresh water after each shoot. Regularly check the front element of your lens for spray, and clean it using lens fluid and a microfibre cloth.

Tip 4: Explore harbours

Small harbours and fi shing villages provide endless sources of inspiration. Use a telephoto zoom to compose interesting patterns, such as stacks of lobster pots or the refl ections of colourful fishing boats. High tide tends to provide the best opportunities.

Tip 5: Use a wide-angle lens

An extreme wide-angle lens is ideal for capturing sweeping coastal vistas. Try something in the range of 10-24mm with an APS-C sensor or 16-35mm with a full frame sensor. Set your tripod low and use a narrow aperture for best results.

Tip 6: Look for foreground interest

Include foreground interest to provide your shot with a feeling of depth. A nice arrangement of rocks, coastal wildflowers or patterns in the sand can all be used to good effect. Flowing water can also be used to lead the eye into the scene.

Tip 7: Shoot early and late

Make use of low-angled sunlight to enhance the texture of foreground features. The reflected colour of a spectacular sunrise or sunset will add atmosphere and impact to your images, and as light levels drop the resulting long exposures create additional mood.

Tip 8: Use Live View

Zoom in to 10x magnification in Live View and use manual focus to place your point of focus exactly where it needs to be. Hold down the depth of field preview button to view the image at the actual shooting aperture and scroll around using the multi-controller to check for foreground to background sharpness.

Tip 9: Use a neutral density filter

A strong, 3-stop neutral density filter (ND8 or 0.9) will allow you to set long exposure times all day long. Aim for around ½ sec for capturing the movement of waves, and up to 30 seconds to blur the motion of the sea. Shoot when the waves are receding in order to create subtle lines that draw the viewer’s eye into the shot.

Tip 10: Shoot in stormy conditions

Stormy conditions help to create some of the most dramatic images of the coast. Use a telephoto lens to compose crashing waves battering the shoreline from a safe distance. A lens hood will help to prevent too much sea spray from coating your lens. Remain vigilant, as one large wave can easily ruin your day!

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