Intro to Landscape Photography

Time Codes:
0:30 Why landscape comes after Still Life
1:30 Pre-Planning
3:05 Power of landscapes
6:25 What we can learn
10:43 Planning and effort
11:51 Hit and miss
14:10 What gear do you have?
17:57 No correct focal length
20:12 Ansel Adams
24:19 View camera
27:45 Zone system
29:25 David Muench
31:21 Peter Lik
32:41 So much great work out there
37:24 Altering images
42:40 Apps for planning
45:51 Assignment

Assignment:
Find two landscapes that speak to you and write 2-4 sentences on each one describing why those images are successful. Start scouting for a landscape location to shoot. Be mindful of private property and all posted restrictions.

In this unit we’re going to be discussing how to direct your viewer’s attention using framing and leading lines. Furthermore we’ll discuss the angle of view and how the angle of light can add drama to your image.

Time Codes:
:25 Direct attention
2:11 Foreground, Middle, Background
4:10 Leading Lines
9:45 Dramatic sky
10:55 Heavy and light tones
14:42 Angle of light
17:55 Sunrise vs. Sunset
21:35 Low angles
23:38 High angles
26:18 Assignment

Assignment:
Shoot 3 versions of a landscape location of your choice. Shoot 1 high angle, 1 normal and 1 low angle. If all three angles aren’t possible at the same location you can change it up. Be safe and observe all posted signs and private property boundaries.

In this unit we’ll discuss some of the details of capturing a sunrise and sunset and what to look for in your composition.

Time Codes:
:23 Sunset intro
1:10 Sunrise/Sunset phases
5:26 Image examples
15:09 Metering
18:45 Histogram
24:35 Metering demo
26:59 Raw processing and dynamic range demo
28:33 Tone curve
31:22 Auto mode
32:26 Assignment

Assignment:
Shoot a bracket of 3 images of a sunset. Shoot one that is -2EV, one that is 0EV and one that is -2EV. Examine the exposure differences and see which one is best. Submit your best shot.

In this unit we’re going to discuss some basics of astrophotography. When the light level is low you will need to adjust your exposure settings accordingly. Cameras have some technical limitations in that they have a maximum aperture and ISO. The aperture cannot be opened any further than what the lens’ design will allow. The camera body will also have a maximum ISO with which it can operate. And that maximum is not usually very pretty as it will produce very dramatically visible digital noise in the image. Usually the usable maximum ISO will 2 stops lower than the maximum, and even that will exhibit a lot of ugly “artifacts” (blocky colors and ugly sandpaper-like texture). Enjoy this lesson as we talk about photographing the stars, the Milky Way Galaxy, car headlights, city glow and much more.

For a helpful page on reading a bit more about the visibility of the Milky Way check out this resource: https://darksitefinder.com/when-is-milky-way-season/.

Timecodes:
0:30 Lowlight challenges and surprises
4:50 Camera support
6:49 Self timer
7:20 My first low light photo
9:00 My first color low light photo
10:33 Cityscapes
15:16 Malcolm Webb
15:55 Light trails
18:50 Light pollution
23:08 Milky Way Galaxy
25:30 RAW file
26:05 500 rule
28:45 RAW processing software
30:15 Luminar 4
40:18 Experimentation
42:23 Assignment

Assignment:
Shoot 2 images in low light. Composition and situation are up to you! Be prepared with camera support to shoot a long exposure. Submit your samples in the quiz.

In this unit we’ll discuss several aspects of digital black and white photography. We’ll talk about several photographers who effectively use black and white in their art. We’ll talk about processing your black and white images using raw processing software and using film simulation or a monochrome effect to preview your image in black and white.

Time Codes:
0:30 The fundamentals of b/w
1:15 “Tones” rather than colors
3:33 A matter of taste
5:30 Historical examples
10:25 High contrast “oscillation effect”
11:56 Contemporary examples
15:40 Digital simulation and filter modes
20:15 Portraits
21:15 Auto conversion vs custom conversion
22:30 Raw processing in Lightroom
26:55 Raw processing in Luminar 4
30:40 Assignment

Assignment: Shoot and process 3 black and white images. 1 landscape, 1 portrait and 1 abstract.

A special interview episode with urban landscape and street photographer Malcolm Webb.Malcolm is a graphic designer and photographer living in New York City. As a graphic designer by trade he's attracted to and inspired by the geometry, lights and color of the big city. Recently he was approached by legendary camera maker Hasselblad to take one of their cameras for a test drive to see how it worked for someone with his style. We talk about his motivations, his method of working and what inspired him to get started. We also talk about being self critical and why an artist creates work: Is it for yourself or for social standing? Check Malcolm out at http://malcolmwebbbydesign.com​ and on Instagram at http://instagram.com/dubsbydesign/​ or @dubsbydesign.