Soft Colours (10)

Requirement

At least 3 photographs

Purpose         

To explore the impact on mood which using soft colours has in landscape images

Technical learning

• Muted colours create their own mood
• Fog or mist are nautral softeners of colour
• Water as a reflective surface does the same
• Location can provide a small range of colours,  e.g. autumn leaves, clay quarry

Exercise instructions

Shoot at least 3 scenes where the colour range is neutralised, i.e. the ranges of hues is so small that the image has a colour cast.  Each picture should be different. Do not use filters.

Images and Review

Road by the golf course in fog, Weybridge

Fog
The fog muted the colours of the trees, grass
and the road running through the course 

Seagull launches on semi-frozen lake, Bushy Park

Water reflection
The contrast between the gull and its reflection in
the lake shows how water tones down
colours. The overcast conditions
add to the effect.

Dawn at Sanxenxo, Galicia

Light
Early dawn light created a blue colour cast
over the sky, town and water

Colour Themes (9)

Requirement

3 photographs

Purpose                      

To explore various relationships between natural colours in landscapes

Technical learning

• Colour is always there in landscapes
• Analysing any subject into the main parts of form and colour is an important ingredient in producing balanced images
•  3 choices with colour (a) treat it as incidental, (b) work in black and white or (c) make it central
• If you want to emphasise shapes, brightness, contrast or tones, then treat colour as incidental or, probably even more effective, work in monochrome 
• If you want colour to create a strong physical and emotional response, make it central to your composition
• 4 colour relationships to consider, each of which can yield an endless permutations

Monochromatic

• Colours have the same hue but vary from dark (shade), medium to light (tint) values of brightness. 
• Adds contrast

Analogous 

• Colours lie next to each other in the colour wheel (e.g. yellow and red of similar tones). 
• Pleasing, low contrast harmony

 Complementary 

• Colours lie opposite to each other in the colour wheel (e.g. green with red, blue with orange, violet with yellow). 
• Often, most effective to use a smaller amount of one of the colours as an accent. 
• However, these colours have different brightness, from the darkest (violet) to the lightest (yellow). 
• The relative brightness levels of these 6 colours are: yellow 9, orange 8, red 6, green 6, blue 4, violet 3. 
• Consequently, perfect balance requires the following proportions of complementary colours (Red: Green – 1:1, Orange: Blue – 1:2; Yellow: Violet – 1:3)
• Strong contrast - conveys energy, vigour, excitement. 

Split complementary

• Consist of 3 colours, 2 one step either side of the complement’s analogous colours (e.g. red with blue-green with yellow-green). 
• Low contrast beauty with contrast of the opposite colour, especially if this is used as an accent

Exercise instructions

Produce one good example of each of:

• the largest range of greens in one view
• the largest range of colour contrast
• one isolated colour against a contrasting background.

How you frame the shot is important to the success of the image. All colours should be natural. The challenge is to find locations that fit the requirements of the project.

Images and Review

Evaluate the effectiveness of each shot.


Farm at Hirzel, Switzerland

Greens
Colour combination creates a pleasing harmony
between the various shades of green. The image also has 
contrasts between the textures of the farmland and lines
that engage the eye.

Egetswil, Switzerland

Colour contrast
Yellow of spring rapeseed blossom contrasts
with the blue of the sky and the green of the
background forest. 

Poppy in field, Wiltshire (near A303)

Isolated colour against contrasting background
Poppy gives a complementary colour accent to
the surrounding grasses. Cropped 2:1 to increase
the tension in the frame, forcing the eye to move
more energetically in the space

Use of Perspective (8)

Requirement
None specifically - shoot examples or find ones from other photographers


Purpose

To explore the different ways in which composition can create perspective and so add depth to an image, drawing the eye from foreground into the frame

Technical learning

• Perspective is the means by which the 3 dimensions of a physical scene are expressed into the 2 of an image (closing one eye gives a preview of this effect)
• Perspective draws the eye from the foreground into the frame, adding depth. This can have a powerful effect
• You can control perspective/ depth in several ways

      Linear perspective and other diagonal lines

• Parallel lines in the physical world (e.g. straight road towards the horizon) become  converging lines towards a vanishing point in 2 dimensions of the photograph
• All diagonal lines - not just linear perspective (e.g. long shadows) - add depth as well as visual tension and a sense of movement
• Viewpoint determines the degree of convergence. When the camera is level (e.g. a long road, line of trees), high viewpoints strengthen diagonals, low ones flatten them. 
• The reverse is true if the camera points upwards (e.g. the sides of a tall building converging towards the sky when shot from below)
• The human brain usually accepts horizontal perspective (believable impossibility), e.g. the long road, more readily than a vertical one, e.g. the tall building (unbelievable impossibility).

    Focal length

• Wide angle lenses increase perspective, by rendering as a diagonal more of any straight line moving towards the horizon 
• Telephoto lenses flatten perspective

     Relative scale 

• Same or similar objects becoming successively smaller gives the impression of receding into the distance 
• Placement in frame: we tend to assume that objects in the lower part of the frame lie in the foreground
• Overlap of objects: we assume that the outline of one object that overlaps another is closer to us

  

    Tone

• Atmospheric haze acts as a filter, reducing contrast in the distant part of the scene and lightening their tone. The more pronounced this effect, the greater the sense of depth. 
• Telephoto lenses tend to show more aerial perspective than wide angle one. 
• Light tones appear to advance, whilst dark one recede. A light object will stand forward against a dark background, with a strong sense of depth.

     Colour 

• Warm colours advance, cool ones recede. So, a red or orange subject against a blue or green background will create depth by optical illusion
• The more intense the foreground colour, the greater the effect

     Sharpness

• Sharpness suggests closeness. You can use it to add depth
• You can vary depth of field in 3 ways: distance to subject (closeness reduces), focal length of lens (telephoto reduces), aperture (wider reduces0

Images and Review


Waterfalls at Wald, Switzerland

Linear perspective
Converging of the river bank towards the horizon creates perspective.
Capturing the curvature of the river bank increases the effect by appearing
to bring the vanishing point instead the image.

Farm, Kilchberg, Switzerland

Diagonals
Rows of potatoes in front of farm house buildings adds depth
as well as leading the eye towards them

Furka Pass, Switzerland

Focal length
Use of a wide angle lens to capture the valley
below the Furka Pass with the river running
towards the town and the road winding
up the mountain side

Lake at Kerenzenberg, Switzerland

Tone
The colour of the hills on the other side of the lake are less
vibrant to the eye than those on this side.
Slight haze over the water adds to this effect.

Mountains seen from Lake Zurich during late evening storm

ToneExtreme example, almost unreal of the mountains
appearing as shades of blue: green,
shot with a telephoto lens and cropped 3 : 1

Zollikon after rain shower

Tone
The image is progressively loses its colours into the distance
where low lying cloud increases this effect.
Again shot with a telephoto lens and cropped 3:1

Spring flowers at Hirzel, Switzerland

Colour
The yellow of spring flowers on the meadows advances
compared with the greens and then blues of the
background fields and mountains

Daffodils at Corfe, Somerset

Sharpness
The daffodil in the foreground is sharp to separate it from
all of the others in the background. 

Figures in Landscape (7)

Requirement

2 to 3 photographs

Purpose

To explore the role which figures play in the landscape

Technical learning

• The human form exerts an influence on nearly all images out of proportion to its size in the frame
• Consequently, in landscapes you need to consider carefully the role played by human presence in 3 ways
• First, the effect on image balance
• Second, the impact on the focus of attention - by reference to relative size, contrast and position in the frame (what is your subject? Is it the landscape or the human figure? If the latter, the image is arguably a portrait – but who cares if the image has something worth saying?)
• Third, the benefit of adding a yardstick of scale to the rest of the scene

Exercise instructions

Find a scene with human presence. Shoot images that explore the role of the human figure in a landscape composition: i.e. 

• balance
• focus of attention (size, contrast and position in the frame) 
• benchmark for scale

Be aware that ideal positioning of human interest in a landscape can be a matter of chance. Be patient, vary your viewpoint, use a friend. However, move on if the prospect of placing your human figure where you want it, looks unlikely. Put your finger over the human figure image and decide how its absence affects the picture. 

Images and Review

Early morning beach walker at Sidmouth, Devon

Figure as focus of attention.
Placing the walker in the bottom right
catches the eye, encouraging it to follow the full sweep
of the misty coastline. Image cropped 2:1 to increase
this effect (as well as remove part of a featureless sky).
However, the dull expanse of shingle is unsatisfactory (c 33%
of space). Nevertheless,  the 'finger test' shows that the walker
helps draw the eye away from shingle. 

Figures at the side of the Wallensee

Figures to show scale
The 2 figures on the shore of the lake show the
scale of the mountains in the background as well
as providing foreground interest. The use of
vertical framing adds to the sense of scale (although
reduces the panoramic effect)

Man walking his dogs at the beach, Burnham-on-Sea

Figures to provide balance
The man and his dogs balance each other on the wall
which divides the frame as well as providing
a stable base on which to construct the image

Framing the View differently (5/6)

Requirement

5 photographs

Purpose

• To make active choice on the role of the foreground in composing landscapes
• In doing this, to experiment with changing (a) viewpoint (b) proximity to subject and/or (c) focal length of lens

Technical learning

• The more the foreground plays a role in composition, the more options you create
• Some landscapes are simple to compose because the view is fixed – most of the subject lies on the middle to background, especially if shot from a high point. The key choice is the relationship of land to sky.
• However, the presence of features (rocks, trees, buildings, etc) in landscape opens us more choice in composition. Unlike studio portraits, these features are fixed. However, by varying (a) viewpoint (b) proximity to subject and/or (c) focal length of lens, you can significantly change composition
• Landscapes are often complex and untidy in the whole. In composing an image, always be alert to the photographers role in organizing these elements into a meaningful and compelling image 
• Consider in this ordering process: (a) balance of elements, (b) division of the frame, (c) use of perspective, (d) exploitation of graphic elements (lines, shapes, patterns) and (e) depth

Exercise instructions

Find a scene that has a distant view, foreground interest and the ability to move to different viewpoints (so that you have choices on the relationship between picture elements). Walk round the range of viewpoints shooting different compositions of the scene.

Use 3 design principles:

• Simplify composition where possible
• Eliminate distractions
• Use foreground constructively (or exclude altogether)

Images and Review


Virginia Water Lake, Surrey on a misty morning

Scene setting at the edge of the lake. The hazy conditions
enhance the reflections in the water of the walkers

The mini waterfall close up. Aperture stopped down
to minimum the shutter speed to blur the motion
of the water

A swan, middle left of first image, drinks from the flowing water

On the other side another swan preens
in the water sending out ripples as it does so

Reflection of two walkers look at the water's edge

Journey through a ruin on coast of Southern Spain

Entrance to the small wood

First sight of the Tower through the eucalyptus trees

The Tower looking back towards the entrance

Close up of the Tower

Leaving area by a road to the coast

Collage (4)

Requirement

1 photograph

Purpose

To show how to create a panoramic image in post-production

Technical learning

• Editing applications, like Stitcher (RealViz) or Photoshop, enable photographers to create a panoramic shot by combining separately shot overlapping images

Exercise instructions

Find a scene that has panoramic qualities. Set up your camera on a tripod, for consistency of frame across the panorama. Shoot the scene in sections, ensuring that no gaps between one image and its adjacent one. Consider whether you need to adjust the exposure of some of the shots to make this uniform over the panorama.

Images and Review

Los Arqueros, Benahavis, Spain

2 images of a rain shower over the valley from the balcony of an apartment on the hill, stiched by Photomerge from Abobe Bridge in PS 3. 

End Result -Lost the edge of the circular pool (included for
foreground interest). Also it has become distorted in the stiching,
so looking unnatural Learning: include run-off at bottom of
frame as shot to compensate for adjustment in stitching process.

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2

Waterfront, Marbella, Spain

I decided to see how far I could rescue in Photoshop a poor early attempt (2010) at this project using a compact camera. Key problems, solutions and learnings were:

• Problem: shooting in JPEG limits post-production potential due to data content. Solution in PS: none. Learning for future: work in RAW wherever possible
• Problem: the highlights in the sky over the buildings were blown because the meter's averaging exposure of buildings in shade with the sky. Solution in PS: re-colour with a shade taken from the correctly exposed part of the sky. Learning for future:  wait until the light falls onto the buildings, else expose for the highlights.
• Problem: the buildings are in the shade. Solution in PS: lighten selectively. Learning for future: same as previous.

End result - much

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2

3

4

Panorama (3)

Requirement

3 or 4 photographs

Purpose

•  To show the basic horizontal nature of the landscape
• To consider different compositions using frame shapes

Technical learning

• The most common way people look at panoramic scenes (i.e. one with a clear view in all directions) is to scan them horizontally, largely ignoring the foreground and most of the sky
• The appeal of the panoramic image is not only the way its matches many scenes but also, when used well, it conveys a sense of grandeur and expansiveness
• Panoramas are usually most successful when they are large

Exercise instructions

Imagine a strip blocked off at the top and bottom of the frame. Make the imaginary proportions between 2:1 and 3:1. As long as you have the horizon line in view you will find it easy to make satisfactory compositions. In at least 1 image find a natural point of interest and place it to one side of the frame. Crop the image in post-production. Make a small and large version of the panorama and judge which one has most impact.

Images and Review

I used images which had several weaknesses in compoistion when shot in 3:2 and tried to improve them by cropping in 3:1.

Beach at Burnham on Sea

Reduce the exagerrated leading lines of the steps
that distort the image. Result: a more balanced
composition in conveying the length and breadth
of the beach

The Heron Lake in Bushy Park, Kingston at dawn

Reduce the watery sky in the background and the flat expanse of
lake in the foreground. Result: image more tightly focused
on the trees and the edge of the lake 

A winter's morning in Blagdon Hill, Somerset 

Reduce the flat winter sky to a minimum,
remove the foreground hedges that lead the
eye towards the tree, anchor the tree at the
edge of the frame. Result: a cleaner, more balanced
expansive landscape 

Bushy Park, Kingston on a frosty morning

Remove the distraction of the branches (upper left and right),
eliminate the unsatisfactory sky and truncated middle
tree, eliminate the shadows in the foreground. Result: an image
that balances the textures and colours of the gorse with
those of the bare trees

Beach near Malaga, Spain in winter

Get rid of the distracting spur of decking (middle left),
cut down the plain blue sky. Result: Adds breadth to the beach, makes
the figures on the horizon more prominent (but loses
the sense of the large blue sky)

Looking out to the Bristol Channel at Burnham on Sea at high tide

Reduce storm clouds from two- to one-third of image. 
Result: better expresses the length and breadth of beach