Landscape photography

[Nerri1029]

This may be a bit off topic, but I was wondering if anyone could explain landscape photography to me. Some people seem to have an "eye" for artistic stuff but I just don't seem to. For me, going to an art gallery is about on par with giving a snake a typewriter.

There is the odd shot that really strikes me and that usually has to do with bold colours or something really neat in the shot. My reaction to 99.9% of landscape shots, however, is "meh." I can spot when there is a technical problem .. bad focus, bad exposure curve etc. and even spot some problem framing (I know this is all 'subjective' but I think it is fair to say that the tail end of someone's car at the edge of a forest panorma counts as a "mistake"). I just don't get what everyone else is ooohing and aaahing about.

So if someone could please point out a few landscapes they find particularly pleasing and maybe indicate why they like them (either from a technical or artistic standpoint) that would be greatly appreciated. I'm curious if I can learn by rote what others seem to just see.

Cheers,
Dave

I find myself facing the same issues with modern art.
Like you there are some pieces I find moving.. but many/most I find void of interest.

to help with your Landscape "issue":

Maybe start with someone people consider one of the best?
Link

 

[skinheaddave]

Ansel Adams was actually the one who got me thinking about this. He is generally considered to be this genius of landscape photography and indeed some of his shots are pretty neat. I appreciate the technical skill required to get the proper exposure and focus across such a huge field (one of the defining features of his shots are that the background, foreground etc. are all in focus and properly exposed). That being said, to me most of his shots just look like desaturated snapshots. They are technically well done but there is nothing in them that I find particularly remarkable in terms of content or composition.

For example: http://theonlinephotographer.typepa...ges/2008/11/26/jeffrey_pine_web_processed.jpg

You can see that none of his highlights are blown out and none of his shadows are crushed. The mountains in the background are in good focus and exposure as well as the tree/rocks in the foreground. The tree is off-centered and sort of half frames the shot and half points. Your eye is naturally drawn across the tree towards the mountains. Being in black and white, the clouds don't detract from the shot as they might very well have if it were colour.

Great. But picture that same shot in colour. It becomes effectively a holiday snap as far as I can tell. It is a sort of neat tree -- but I have lots of pictures of similar trees from my time spent in the SW States. This is the problem I have with landscapes. I have been to some pretty cool places. I can take technically good pictures. I don't really see landscapes as artistic masterpieces, though, which makes it hard for me to make mine into anything more than properly exposed snapshots.

Maybe I should actually read a book on landscapes or something, though. I suspect my analysis of the photography involved is pretty primitive and that may be what is resulting in my shortcommings.

You say that you have issues with modern art, Mike, but how do you do with landscapes?

Cheers,
Dave

 

[tebs]

Couple of pics from my trip to the NW.....

 

[dragonblade71]

For this photo, I was lying on my belly with my elbows digging into the sand.

Shot with a Canon AE1, Canon FD 24mm f2.8 and Fujichrome Sensia slide film.

 

[Tarac]

Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Graveyard Evenings

 

[ShredderEmp]

Is that at Arlington National Cemetery? I went there on a school field trip and it seems familiar.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Nope, just a local cemetery.

 

[advan]

Here's a few from this summer......

Catalina State Park, AZ

Sunset from the Resort at the ATS Conference in Tuscon, AZ

Now and Then Falls, Amnicon Falls State Park, WI

Lake Superior, Cornucopia, WI

Raspberry Island, WI

Meyer Beach, Lake Superior

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI (HDR)

 

[BCscorp]

very nice pics!
I miss the Great Lakes.

 

[ShredderEmp]

When were you in the Apostle Islands? I went there with a group from the Shedd Aquarium and I stayed on Oak Island while the other half stayed on Raspberry Island.

 

[advan]

When were you in the Apostle Islands? I went there with a group from the Shedd Aquarium and I stayed on Oak Island while the other half stayed on Raspberry Island.

We were there June 14th-16th, it was a lot of fun!

 

[ShredderEmp]

Ah. We went in July. Very awesome place. I caught an Orconectes virilis with my bare hands while diving.

 

[Venom]

Looking West into the Catskill Mountains in New York. --Taken in March.

 

[Venom]

Country road in upstate Michigan, in September.

 

[Jebbles]

I'm pretty amateur, looking forward to taking some fall photos.

Was taken at Bluffers Park, ON.

Probably my favorite photo. Was also taken at Bluffers Park, ON.

Really like this one. You can probably guess where this is, since the CN tower gives it all away.

Basically all my landscape-like photos, sorry the first two are so large.
Everyone takes such lovely photos. It's so awesome, and almost unbelievable that some places even exist, because they seem so pretty.

 

[advan]

Lake O'Dowd

 

[Travis K]

Chad,

That^ shot is WOW! Give me the details on it please.

 

[advan]

Chad,

That^ shot is WOW! Give me the details on it please.

Thanks Travis!

Shot with Nikon D7100, Tokina 11-16mm @ 16mm, F22 with circular polarizer. It is 7 exposures merged into one(HDR). Shutter Speeds(if I remember correctly); 1/20, 1/10, 1/5, 1/2, 2s, 5s, 10s.

 

[advan]

Minneapolis, Minnesota

(D7100, 35mm 1.8G, F16, SS: 9.3s, ISO 100)