Chris Gatcum - Landscape Photography: Four Seasons

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INTRODUCTION

Spring is the first season of the year and, for many photographersboth novices and the more experiencedit marks the ideal opportunity to get out in the landscape. Capturing the essence of a season is all about exploring the changes in the landscape that occur at particular times of the year, but the start of spring is one of the most challengingand often subduedseasons for landscape photography. Unlike the snow-covered landscapes of winter, the brash colors of fall, or even the harsh sun of the summer months, the signifiers of spring can be far less obvious, requiring you to approach your photography of the landscape in a slightly different way.

At the start of the season, trees remain bare and the ground is often wornwhere plowed fields have yet to see crops creeping out through the soil, or as a result of winters bitter hand. The result is that the broader landscape in early spring can be less attractive than it is at other times of the yeartheres no snow, no leaves of any color on deciduous trees, and what were once grassy meadows or crop-yielding fields can be little more than brown earth.

However, this all changes as the season develops, with new shoots reaching out above the soil and buds developing on tree branches to refresh the landscape. From a distance this new life may not always be immediately obvious, which makes getting closer to the land all the more important for your photography if you want to capture springs subtleties. Of course, as time moves on, buds are replaced with leaves, and many plants come into flowerespecially later in the season. At this point, vibrant colors return to the landscape, with the seasons fresh growth providing myriad creative opportunities, whether its using flowers to add a splash of color or foreground detail, or turning your lens away from the wider landscape to focus on a much smaller, but no less significant, area.

As with any season, preparation is key, and the camera gear that you carry will (largely) reflect what you hope to achieve with your photography. With this in mind, the opening chapters to this volume provides a guide to the essential equipment and skills you need for successful landscape photographs, as well as the options you should consider if you want to expand your creative repertoire.

ESSENTIALS

CAMERAS

When shooting on film was the only option for landscape photographers, bigger was always considered to be better. Large-format cameras loaded with sheet film provided the ultimate quality, followed by medium-format models and roll film, but, for most enthusiasts, a 35mm SLR was the most realistically affordable solution. With the advent of digital, this is no longer the case, and DSLR (or digital SLR) cameras are now considered the tool of choice by most landscape photographers. However, advances in digital camera technology have meant that there is now a wide range of suitable cameras, and a DSLR is no longer the only option for your year-round landscape kit bag.

Large sensor sizes, interchangeable lenses, and sophisticated exposure and metering modes mean that DSLRs remain the tool of choice for professional and enthusiast landscape photographers alike. Full-frame sensor models are generally considered the best option, with their physically larger sensors capable of recording less noise, finer detail, and a higher dynamic range than cameras with smaller-sized (APS-C or FourThirds) sensors. However, even the lowest priced, entry-level DSLR can be perfect for producing great landscape photographs.

Access to a wide range of lenses/focal lengths.

High-resolution sensors.

Full range of manual controls and Raw file capture.

Weight: DSLRs are larger and heavier than compact cameras.

Cost: Not only to buy, but the additional cost of lenses and other accessories.

Before 2009, cameras fell broadly into two categories: single-lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses (DSLRs), and fixed-lens cameras that used an electronic viewfinder or the rear LCD screen to compose the image (bridge cameras and compact cameras). However, this changed when Olympus launched its Pen E-P1. This was a camera that looked like a high-end compact and relied on its rear LCD for composing images, but also used interchangeable lenses, a DSLR-sized sensor, and boasted a level of control previously reserved for DSLR cameras. Since then, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony have all launched variations on this theme, with both compact and SLR-styled models providing a smaller and lighterbut no less versatilealternative to the traditional DSLR.