Hello, dear readers! My name is Yuri Turyanitsa and I am an amateur photographer. They even say that I have several very good photographs... You know, I’m glad about this, because having several very good photographs is still better than fifty good ones and much better than gigabytes
mediocre. This, in fact, is the first thought that deserves attention. It doesn’t belong to me, but I completely agree with it. So what can help us get those best photos? This is what I will try to think about with you in this article.

In general, you can talk and argue about photography as much as you like. But let theorists who suffer from insomnia do this. We'll look at a few practical issues which we encounter most often.
I would like to note, however, that everything stated below is my personal view of things, based on my own experience, and is not the ultimate truth.

So, I am often asked - “what was this filmed with” and “how was it filmed”? At one time, I tried many different lenses, just like the hero of the famous fable “About the Cat and Photography.” Then everything somehow disappeared by itself. Therefore, may Leika and Hasselblad forgive me, in creative landscape photography, if there is no specific commercial task, technique doesn't matter to me. Almost everyone can shoot. After all, “landscape is a state of mind.”

And the most best camera- this is the one that is in your hands at this moment, and the best lens is the one installed on it. Therefore, the time you are going to spend reading forums where “whale haters” tell each other various tales in search of “the best”
glass for”, it is better to spend it somewhere in a park or outside the city, closer to Mother Nature - our spiritual inspirer.
And technology is just a tool in the hands of a photographer.
I’m frankly sorry for the photographs, the main advantage of which lies in the lens with which they were taken... Of course, this does not mean at all that you need to completely abandon experimentation with technology, you just shouldn’t attach too much importance to it of great importance and expect immediate effect
ffect - the “masterpiece” button on the camera has not yet been invented.

Since a lot has been written about the features and necessity of using this or that photographic equipment in landscape photography, take at least the previous articles in this section of the magazine, I will not dwell on this too much. I will only say that in this moment For my creativity, I use an old Nikon D300 with a universal Nikkor 18-200 VR, a Nikkor 55-300 VR telephoto and a Nikkor 12-24/4 wide lens.

As well as a tripod, a set of neutral gray gradient filters of different densities, a circular polarizer and a cable release. Here I would like to note that the only lens for which I had absolutely no complaints was the Nikkor 12–24/4 (as well as the Nikon D300 itself). This is probably my favorite lens; most of the most successful photographs were taken with it. Although I don’t rule out that it was only because he was on camera at that moment...

It is impossible not to pay attention to the practical component of the shooting process itself. I would like to dwell on this in more detail. So, it’s better to take all serious shots with a tripod... Except, of course, for walking lightly, when overweight can significantly reduce the pleasure of the walk itself (I’m talking about myself). But as it often happens, on such walks, when you least expect it, you come across some very interesting shots. So just buy a lighter tripod.

If you still don’t have a tripod at hand, you can increase the ISO value, fix the camera more securely in your hands (in the gunner’s position) or simply turn on the image stabilizer (it’s still a good thing, I tell you). When shooting without a stabilizer, you need to use the so-called safe shutter speed, which is determined by dividing one by the focal length at which you are shooting. That is, if the focal length is 100 mm, the shutter speed should not be more than 1/100 of a second.

When using a tripod, I turn off the lens image stabilizer, if any. I use a cable release to release the shutter. You can also use the self-timer mode, but in some cases, for example, when shooting a scene with different exposures and dynamic clouds, the delay
even 2 seconds will lead to a significant displacement of these same clouds, which in turn can cause difficulties in subsequent processing. Of course, unless such a shift is part of the intended plot.

I set the camera in aperture priority mode, less often in manual mode. I usually close my aperture down to 11 to achieve maximum depth of field across the entire frame, which is so important in classic landscape photography. This moment, by the way, explains why the lens aperture is here
doesn't play as well decisive role. I use value 8 less often, for example, when shooting at long focal lengths, when every fraction of a second of exposure threatens to result in “blurring” and a ruined frame as a result. In general, I use a varied range of these same focal lengths, and it depends on the specific scene and task being photographed - whether it is a view from a mountain peak, or a lonely tree on a distant hill.

I focus at about 1/3 of the depth of the scene or on the main subject that I am shooting. I choose focus by central point. I focus where I intended, turn off autofocus, compose the frame without changing the focal length of the lens, and finally fix the camera on a tripod.

I usually use matrix metering, over the entire field of the frame. After releasing the shutter, I view the photo in the “Light” mode. If necessary, I adjust the exposure to avoid these flares. If the difference in scene brightness, such as between the sky and the ground, is too great,
I use a gradient filter or take several frames - with the correct exposure for the sky and the ground for further combination in the editor. In this case, it is advisable to disable autofocus after first focusing in the desired place. You can also use the camera's auto bracketing feature to capture a scene with different exposures.

This function is preferable, especially if you have a flimsy tripod, as it eliminates the possibility of the camera moving when changing settings, which, in turn, can create certain difficulties when combining frames later.
When shooting, I set white balance (WH) manually. First, I evaluate the result in the camera’s Live View mode or take a few test shots. I do this because I also shoot in JPEG (if you shoot only in RAW, you don’t have to worry about this too much).

Lately I've been playing around with Kelvins. I set the temperature at which I like the look of the picture best. I constantly monitor this, when the scene lighting changes, I make corrections to the white balance. The numbers can vary up to 9000–10000 Kelvin at sunset.

In most cases, I set the ISO value to the minimum; on my camera it’s 200. I don’t make any adjustments to contrast, brightness, or color correction, I just slightly turn up the sharpness in the camera settings to +4. I shoot in maximum resolution, in RAW+JPEG format. Although it takes more space, but very often I like the camera’s JPEG so much that I don’t see the need to do anything global with it, except maybe add a little brightness and contrast. And RAW remains like this, just in case.

Photo 1. “The Road to Autumn...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/25c, f/16, 24mm,
ISO‑200, BB - auto.

Panoramas... You can write a separate article about them... Although I’ll be honest, I don’t see much point in shooting a panorama in 6 horizontal rows of 24 vertical frames. Well, unless we are faced with the task of printing, for example, photo wallpaper in high quality measuring 10x10 meters. For everything else, what fits in my wide-angle lens is usually enough for me. So I shoot panoramas mainly in 2-3 horizontal
frame or a maximum of 6 vertical. I do this when necessary or when I’m too lazy to change lenses, most often in limited space or when a gorgeous view doesn’t fit into the frame and I want to capture even more. For example, I shot a panorama while standing on the top of a mountain range. The resulting frame is in the photograph shown below. JPEG cameras and my favorite focal length is 12-24.

Photo 2. “Sunset over Borzhava...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/8c, f/11, 12mm,
ISO‑200, BB - 9090K. Gradient filter ND4.
Panorama of 3 horizontal frames.

A lot has also been written about exactly how to shoot panoramas correctly. You can easily find this information on the Internet, so let me not take up your precious time, dear reader, with my judgments on this matter - I will not add anything new here.
Moreover, in Lately I gravitate more towards one, but capacious frame. Let me just say that to stitch together panoramas, I still recommend using several programs, since the results of their work often differ and what was poorly stitched in one program can be easily
turn out to be another. I myself use PTGui and PhotoShop programs for this.

Well, now that we know about the “best lens” and have an idea of ​​what needs to be done during shooting, we can talk about one more stage creative process- about “debriefing” and so-called post-processing. I'll digress right away. Sometimes you hear about “distorting reality” and “too much Photoshop”... It turns out strange! Removing a pimple from a model's face is considered normal, but adding richness to the weed is a crime. Of course, when we're talking about about filming wildlife for a geographical journal, there are certain limitations. In all other cases, I am for complete freedom in creativity. Let the result justify the means. After all, if you look at it this way, even the outstanding black and white photographs of Ansel Adams can be called to some extent a distortion of reality - most people see the world still in color. But let's leave the demagogy to the philosophers of photography and continue.

So, you returned home with gigabytes of footage. Experienced photographers advise waiting for a while, letting the material brew, so to speak. I completely agree, although I myself don’t always have enough patience. Usually the selection procedure is as follows - when I like the JPEG of a camera, I use it. If I’m not satisfied or the case is difficult (but interesting) or requires significant improvement, I work with a RAW file.
I don't have any specific sequential scheme for processing photographs. For example, Scott Kelby has such a scheme - the “Magnificent Seven” system, which he describes in the book of the same name. The thing is that Scott is a commercial photographer, he simply must get the predicted result. I am a creative person, moreover, I am free in my creativity and I never know in advance what the result will be. I do not remember or write down the sequence of my actions. Every time it turns out like the first time for me. This is what attracts creativity. Freedom of choice and unpredictability of the result - there is always a certain mystery. Ultimately, a lot also depends on the spiritual state and inspiration at one time or another. “Landscape is beauty, and beauty is a spiritual category.” This happens to me too. You sit and sit, move the sliders - but it doesn’t work. And then suddenly how it goes! In one breath, without stopping, as if someone is telling you what to do, where to press. Miracles, and that’s all!

Photo 3. “Gold on grey...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 18–200 VR. 1/320c, f/8, 70mm,
ISO‑200, BB - 6250K, Photoshop.

To work with the material, I use PhotoShop CS 5 (there are newer versions, but this one absolutely suits me) and Camera Raw. By processing it in an editor, you can turn a good photo into a very good one, a very good photo into an outstanding one. But no editor will make a mediocre
The photography is outstanding. An editor is not a panacea, but just one of the tools. The main thing is to get it initially nice shot. Good photo does not require any special techniques, any global intervention.

I would like to draw attention to several important, in my opinion, points. I would recommend anyone who is interested in landscape photography, due to the specifics of this genre, to master the technique of combining frames with different exposures. I do this manually in PhotoShop using masks.
This way you can completely control the process and get desired result better than using software. I would recommend the method of creating masks from the Red, Green and Blue channels in RGB mode or the Lightness channel in Lab mode. The practice of this method is well described by Sergei Ershov. In addition, all this can be used when working with one image. We process the frame on separate layers to achieve the desired result.
effect first for the ground, then for the sky, and then we combine these layers using masks. It is important not to forget about tonal perspective during the processing process.

I would also like to draw your attention to a very useful, in my opinion, plugin for PhotoShop - Color Efex Pro, with which I adjust color, contrast, and create various lighting accents. This plugin includes quite a few different filters with a variety of settings. As a rule, I use the Landscape tab - Polarization, Skylight Filter, Pro Contrast. In the Portrait tab - Tonal Contrast, Glamor Glow, Darken/Lighten Center. You can try the rest too.

I apply these filters on separate layers, then gradually develop them through masks, revealing those parts of the resulting image that I need, until the result is something that suits me - I try to make it bright, colorful and at the same time as natural as possible. In most cases, the final image, to one degree or another, includes the results of these filters - the sky is processed by one filter, the ground by another, the tree in the foreground by a third, etc. That is, we get a “combined” image. image.

To sharpen full-size images, as well as when reducing images for the Web, I use and recommend the method described by Pavel Kosenko in his “Intelligent Sharpening” series.
So, when we have sorted out a little the technical side of the fascinating process called “landscape photography”, I would like to talk about one more thing, in my opinion, the most important aspect- what and when to shoot. Probably everyone has heard about the so-called “regime” time -
the optimal time for shooting landscapes (and not only), when you can “catch” the most interesting light. It was not by chance that I used the word “catch”. For me, landscape photography is comparable to fishing. Often on a hot summer day, you can see children on the river, who, in between swims, pull high-flying boats from the water. The catch is still good enough for a murka for lunch. More experienced fishermen go to the river early in the morning for the evening and night bite. Very seasoned fishermen can explore the river for weeks in search of the habitat of a river predator - catfish or pike perch, study its hunting grounds, snags under which it hides, feed it, and only then begin, not even fishing, but hunting for the river giant. Just as a fisherman, having laid out his gear, is waiting for a bite, so a photographer, having mounted his camera on a tripod, is waiting for interesting light.

It was not by chance that I used the word “light”. I consider interesting, unusual light to be the key to a successful shot in the first place. With good light, it almost doesn't matter what you shoot - you can shoot anything and get good results. If we add to this an interesting plot and technically competent shooting, we can get a truly outstanding shot. A photographer must be able to wait. An example of such an expectation is the photograph below.

Photo 4. “Autumn Rhapsody...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 55–300 VR. 1/200c, f/11, 300mm,
ISO‑200, BB - Sunny.

The slopes with fences and the lonely tree seemed quite interesting to me. The sun that morning periodically broke through the heavy clouds with lonely rays, creating bizarre spots of light on the nearby hills. I composed the shot, set the settings and waited, hoping that the ray of light would fall on this lonely tree. While waiting, I took a few shots before the light was finally in the spot I wanted.

In post-production, I darkened the shadow areas a bit to bring out the contrast and make the whole scene more expressive.
Here is another example where interesting light formed the basis of the subject of a photograph.

Photo 5. “Sun on the slopes...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 18–200 VR. 1/80c, f/11, 112mm,
ISO - 640, BB - auto.

Various natural phenomena, for example fog. There is even an expression - without fog there is no landscape. Especially when the bright morning sun breaks through the fog...

Photo 6. “Morning sun...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/640c, f/16, 17mm,
ISO‑200, BB - auto.

Aperture priority, exposure compensation -1. But this does not mean that good shots are obtained only at dawn or sunset, in the evening or in the morning. It's interesting when the weather changes. It’s interesting when people or animals come into the frame.

Photo 7. “Transcarpathian sketch...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/500c, f/11, 12mm,
ISO‑200, BB - Cloudy.

Aperture priority, exposure compensation -1. And, of course, what could be more interesting for a landscape photographer than autumn?

Photo 8. “Through the autumn forest...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/125c, f/4.5, 24mm,
ISO - 400, BB - Cloudy. Photoshop.

When composing your shot, try to follow generally accepted guidelines. Use diagonals. Include in the frame roads, paths, streams, fences, relief bends, vegetation boundaries, mountain slopes, etc. - lines that will guide the viewer's eye through the photograph.

Photo 9. “Border for autumn...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/100c, f/5, 24mm, ISO -
400, BB - Cloudy, -6. Photoshop.

Include objects in the frame that will attract the viewer’s attention - houses, stones, lonely trees, etc. and place them at the points of the “golden” ratio. Create accents by highlighting and emphasizing key objects with light and color.
Try to get deep shadows. There are shadows - there is volume.

Photo 10. “Hut...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 12–24/4. 1/200c, f/7.1, 15mm,
ISO - 200, BB - auto.

Don't include unnecessary things in the frame. A wide-angle lens, of course, is a good thing, but it’s not necessary to shoot everything that fits in a 12mm frame. Try to find the most capacious and interesting areas.

Photo 11. “Sunny Island...”
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 35/1.8. 1/250c, f/8, 35mm, ISO -
200, BB - Cloudy.

Aperture priority, exposure compensation +1. They say that the best shot is a random shot. In my practice, I have found confirmation of this more than once. They also say that the best shots will always be taken close to home. Love yours motherland, look for the beauty nearby, in the simple things that surround us.

Well, dear readers, that’s basically all I wanted to talk about today. The photographs presented in this article as illustrations may differ to some extent from the trends presented, because they were taken in different time, when I didn’t even know about many things. Which actually once again proves the advantage of practice over theory. So shoot for your health! I would be very glad if I helped someone learn something useful. If not, I will be doubly glad, it means you know more than me...

Good luck to everyone!

Sincerely yours, Yuri Turyanitsa (Duru).
Email: [email protected]

The famous American photographer Ansel Adams, who became famous throughout the world for his black and white landscape photographs, once said: “ Landscape photography- this is the main test for a photographer and often his main disappointment.” And this is probably pure truth. How often do we notice beautiful view, we believe that all you need to do is simply press the shutter button, capture what you see - and you will get a masterpiece. However, a masterpiece most often does not work out, because for a landscape photographer it is not enough to just be a mirror for nature, he must learn to express himself through the landscape.

Photographer Declan O'Neill shared his 10 secrets for creating expressive landscape photographs.

1. What can you say about the landscape through photography?

It takes time to read and understand the landscape. You just have to stand and watch how the light changes contours and shapes. As the sun moves, forests and rivers are illuminated every minute in a completely new way and sometimes completely transformed. Light creates its own mood and emotion in the landscape. The landscape can be compared to a huge canvas on which light paints its own complex and amazing picture.

In this case, photography is about capturing how light transforms a landscape. Therefore, the decision about what to photograph and what composition to build should be dictated by the question: “Does this photograph say something about the light and landscape?” This simple question helps you reject many unsuccessful and empty compositions and choose the one that is perfect.

2. Learn to get up early!

If I have a choice between sunrise and sunset, I always choose sunrise. I have nothing against sunset photos, but I think it's hard to add something new and original to the thousands of sunset photos I've already seen. Dawn light, on the contrary, always brings surprises! It is very difficult to predict exactly what you will get while you stand and wait in the pre-dawn darkness.

It's a bit like photographing wild animals - because you're equally likely to get the shot you've always wanted or get nothing. Dawn light can be completely different - from smoky pink to warm yellow.

Keep an eye on the weather forecasts - because if you're lucky enough to live in areas with cold nights and clear skies, you can sometimes catch some amazing cloud and haze effects that are sure to clear by the time the rest of the world wakes up.

3. Imperfection is good.

One of the main challenges of landscape photography is that you have to deal with huge dynamic range. At the same time, it becomes very difficult to control the balance of lighting in the frame. ND filters sometimes help, but are often inconvenient or inappropriate for a particular place and time. Sometimes you have to give up shooting altogether because the dynamic range is too large.

You can, of course, use HDR technologies, but they most often give themselves away and can violate the integrity and honesty of the photo. Many photographs can be light balanced when processed on a computer. However, sometimes a photograph benefits from the inability to capture the full dynamic range. Most likely, such a photograph will not be accepted for participation in various competitions, and there will most likely be areas in it from which it will be impossible to isolate at least some details. Perhaps technically the photograph will turn out to be very poor, but a black silhouette against a light background very often attracts attention in an unimaginable way and seems to invite you to take a closer look at yourself. Sometimes you have to give up the opportunity to capture a perfectly lit photo in order to draw attention to the potential of the subject itself.

4. Look back!

It’s so easy to see the winning shot and forget to look around. When watching a sunset or sunrise, people usually point their lenses towards the sun and again take thousands of pictures, millions of which they have already seen from their friends or on the Internet. However, often it is enough just to look back to see something completely new and missed by everyone! After all, instead of photographing the rising or setting sun, you can capture what it illuminates at that moment.

The obvious shot is not always the best one. Learn to look more carefully.

5. Use software for planning.

There are many programs that can help you with outdoor photography. Perhaps one of the most useful of them is The Photographers Ephemeris. In short, it allows you to select any location on the planet - and shows you where the sun will be on any given day at any given time. This way, you can choose the best day and time to shoot in a certain location and choose a specific shooting location with the best lighting. If you're serious about landscape photography, this is a must-have tool.

Another tool that can help you a lot is a terrain map. Nice card will help you predict what the landscape looks like and give you at least some idea of ​​what will fall into your field of vision. Knowing how to understand these detailed topographic maps will help you save a lot of time and not have to drive around looking for that perfect shooting spot!

6. Equipment is not that important.

The best equipment doesn't guarantee you the best photos, any more than the best pen will automatically allow you to write that great novel you've always dreamed of. Equipment is just a device that allows you to convey to others what is in your head. If you have your own opinion and if you have something to say (see point 1) - then you can use anything, from a smartphone to Nikon D800.

Remember that you are the one who builds the composition of your future photo, and the camera just captures it. More megapixels or a faster lens will never help you create a more expressive and full composition.

7. Don't try to "paint" the landscape with your camera.

On the Internet, photographs that have undergone extreme post-processing or were created using ND filters that make water look like smooth silk have become increasingly fashionable lately. Why not let nature express itself naturally? Believe me, she can do this perfectly without using any filters. The same goes for post-processing. If used in moderation, it helps to emphasize the natural beauty of nature, if overdone, we are already beginning to change the landscape and paint it completely different from what it really was.

Real photographs always leave their mark on our consciousness and subconscious. This is why highly photoshopped, idealized images of landscapes often leave us indifferent. They tell a fictional story, not real story. We immediately notice the falseness orange sky and oversaturated grass color. Photographs can be metaphors, but they must be metaphors that appear in the viewer's head, not in the photographer's imagination.

If you still want to convey your vision of what the landscape looked like, perhaps you should try your hand at drawing?

8. Bad weather- it's good weather.

Clouds and rain are not the most inspiring weather, however, they bring with them opportunities much more interesting than any cloudless day. It takes patience and optimism to walk around with a camera in the rain all day, but more often than not, you will be rewarded. If you look around carefully, you will certainly find amazing shots created by clouds and rain!

From 2,604 images submitted by 481 photographers from different parts of our planet, the jury of the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015 competition selected the most breathtaking landscape photographs, which will be published in a special competition photo album. The 2015 International Landscape Photographer of the Year Grand Prize, with a prize fund of $5,000, went to Luke Austin for his fantastic series of black and white photographs. And the stunning black and white work by Luc Tszark was recognized as the best landscape photograph. Be sure to look at these photos, they will undoubtedly make a great impression on you.

15 PHOTOS

1. The best landscape photography of 2015. Author: Luke Tshark. Impressive, isn't it? (Photo: Luke Tscharke).
2. 1st place and the title of Best Landscape Photographer of 2015 went to Luke Austin for this amazing series of black and white photographs. (Photo: Luke Austin)
3. Best landscape photographer 2015 - Luke Austin. (Photo: Luke Austin)
4. 1st place in the 2015 International Landscape Photography Competition went to photographer Luke Austin. (Photo: Luke Austin)
5. 1st place in the 2015 International Landscape Photography Competition went to photographer Luke Austin. (Photo: Luke Austin)
6. 2nd place at the 2015 International Landscape Photography Competition. Photographer: Ricardo da Cunha. (Photo: Ricardo Da Cunha).
7. 2nd place in the 2015 International Landscape Photography Competition. Photographer: Ricardo da Cunha. (Photo: Ricardo Da Cunha).
8. 2nd place at the 2015 International Landscape Photography Competition. Photographer: Ricardo da Cunha. (Photo: Ricardo Da Cunha).
9. 3rd Place International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015 by Warren Keelan. (Photo: Warren Keelan)
10. 3rd place in the 2015 International Landscape Photography Competition. Author: Warren Keelan. (Photo: Warren Keelan)
11. 1st place in the Mist&Fog category (Fog). Author: Gunar Strau. (Photo: Gunar Streu).
12. 1st place in the “Long Exposition” category. Author: Grant Galbraith. (Photo: Grant Galbraith).
13. 1st place in the “Aerial Photography” category. Photographer: Will Dielenberg. (Photo: Grant Galbraith).
15. 1st place in the “Snow and Ice” category. Author: John Martin. (Photo: Jon Martin).

All photographs of this competition noted by the jury members can be viewed on the official website -er.com.

Landscape photography is one of the most popular genres among photographers, with countless competitions and awards.

With the help of the book of the same name and masters of their craft, we will consider 15 components of this genre.

Master of minimalism

Camera Nikon D3X, aperture F/16, shutter speed 30 seconds, ISO 100, ND filter. (Photo by Jonathan Chritchley | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Forest Master

These are the dancing trees in the Spielurda forest in the Netherlands. Sony a7R II camera, F/8 aperture, 1/10 shutter speed, ISO 100. (Photo by Lars Van De Goor | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Wilderness Master

El Capitan State Park, California. Camera Nikon D800, aperture F/18, shutter speed 1/20, ISO 100. (Photo by Marc Adamus | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Reserve Master

The photographer specializes in photographs protected areas, his work has appeared in hundreds of magazines and books and has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world.

The Tatshenshini is a river in southwestern Yukon Territory and northwestern British Columbia. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Camera Nikon F4, aperture F/11, shutter speed 1/60, ISO 50. (Photo by Art Wolfe | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Master of creativity

Beech forest in northern Germany. Camera Nikon D700, aperture F/5.6, shutter speed 0.8 sec, ISO 200. (Photo by Sandra Bartocha | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Mining Master

A photographer with 35 years of experience, who has visited 40 countries and published 7 books.

Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan. Canon 5D Mark III camera, F/10 aperture, 1/100 shutter speed, ISO 100. (Photo by Colin Prior | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Lighting Master

Photographer with 32 years of experience and winner of numerous awards and a participant in BBC wildlife competitions. Camera Canon EOS-1D X, aperture F/7.1, shutter speed 1/200, ISO 100. (Photo by David Noton | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Master of Secluded Places

The photographer is a Hasselblad Master Award winner and our local Photographer of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Canon D800E camera, F/14 aperture, 2 sec shutter speed, ISO 100. (Photo by Hans Strand | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Balance Master

A versatile photographer who drew inspiration from both military and documentary photographers, as well as the work of landscape masters.

Sony a7R camera, F/10 aperture, 1/25 shutter speed, ISO 100. (Photo by Joe Cornish | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Master of Mood

Photographer with 14 years of experience, winner of numerous competitions.

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II, aperture F/16, shutter speed 4 sec, ISO 200. (Photo by Mark Bauer | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Night Snapshot Wizard

Camera Nikon D810, aperture F/2.8, shutter speed 30 sec, ISO 800. (Photo by Mikko Lagerstedt | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Simple Shot Wizard

County of Cornwall. Camera Nikon D810, aperture F/11, shutter speed 5 sec, ISO 100. (Photo by Ross Hoddinott | Masters of Landscape Photography):

Photo by Bob West

The very first photograph of the landscape was taken in 1826 by inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niepce. It depicts city rooftops taken from the window of his studio. If we use modern terminology, this is an architectural landscape, one of the varieties of the landscape genre. Since then, landscape has remained one of the most popular genres of photography. The typology of landscapes is varied and often specific. Landscapes include cityscapes and architecture, mountains, seascapes, landscape photographs, and aerial photographs.

Photos for everyone

Amateur photographers enjoy taking pictures of landscapes “as souvenirs.” Professionals consider it difficult, and there are not many professional landscape photographers. Despite the apparent ease of capturing a landscape so that it turns out beautifully, not everyone can do it. Unlike other genres, landscape photography does not have a clearly defined plot, and only the talent of a photographer can breathe life into a finished natural drawing, convey the feeling of the place itself, its spirit.

In addition to artistic landscape, it has a high documentary value, since the depicted objects may disappear over time and only photography will testify to their existence. Documented landscape is important for the work of geographers, geologists, historians or nature conservation services.

Documentary landscape

This can be confirmed by the work of the famous orientalist Alexander Kun. For two years, Kun worked on the creation of the “Turkestan Album”, dedicated to the life and way of life of the Central Asian region. This rare publication exists in only seven copies and consists of four parts: ethnographic, archaeological, historical and trade. The album includes more than 1000 photographs. The work was completed in 1872. The famous critic V.V. Stasov noted that “we were not presented in such systematic completeness<…>no part of our state."

Documentary photography allows you to see the changes that inevitably occur under the influence of time, and this is what specialized landscape photographers work on. For example, by looking at the works of Sergei Proskudin-Gorsky, we can get a complete picture of what places familiar to us looked like during the times of Tsarist Russia.

In 1909, Tsar Nicholas II instructed Sergei Mikhailovich to capture in color photographs Russian Empire for the purpose of documenting the life of the state. Proskudin-Gorsky traveled throughout a significant part of Russia, photographing ancient monasteries, temples, and views of cities. To create color photographs, the master used monochrome photographic plates and a special camera. With this machine it was possible to take three separate images of the same landscape with different filters (blue, green and red). Then the three resulting images were combined into one color one. During the work, several thousand plates were filmed.

The importance of quality photos

In addition to historical and scientific value, documentary photography of landscapes allows us to draw attention to environmental problems. For 20 years, the central theme of the work of the famous American landscape photographer Ansel Adams was the deserted landscapes of the California mountains and deserts. “Photography is a powerful medium of expression and communication, with an endless variety of views, interpretations and executions,” said Ansel Adams. His photographs revolutionized not only art, but also political life America. Thanks to Adams' photographs, the Sierra Nevada mountains were recognized as a unique natural monument and taken under state protection.

Unlike the work of Ansel Adams, Michael Kenn's photographs are characterized by a certain softness of tone. But like Adams' work, his photographs evoke strong emotional responses. Michael creates surprisingly soft, but at the same time poignant shots. As a rule, he takes his photographs at night or in the pre-dawn hours. Diffused light turns the background, usually rich in detail, into an unevenly distributed tonality. Long exposures blur the boundaries of the image, the sky smoothly turns into water, water into stones, and together they form a single whole. His photographs evoke in the viewer a feeling of amazing silence and calm.