Landscape Photos

[GregBu]

I have a hard time making my landscape (or large, long distance) photos "come alive". Sometime when I see other's landscape photos, I'm just like...wow.

Here are a couple of mine, but any suggestions?

 

[LaFoto]

The photos that make you go "wow" have all seen some post processing.
When you photograph across long distances, the haze in the air will show more on your photo than it does to the eyes (they compensate with things your brain knows and adds to the mere eyesight). A filter can help to begin with, and some post processing can help you further by increasing the contrasts (adding shadows - which automatically enhances the colours). A bit of Unsharp Mask can further make your photos become more "wow-y".

 

[Alex_B]

for the first one ... it appears overexposed a bit.

for both:

- avoid hazy/humid air, in particular with long focal lengths. humidity will lead to a lack of contrast/saturation. Not every day/weather is good for the perfect shot. Visit places more than once, stay in a place for hours and wait for the right conditions and light.

- using a polariser can sometimes help increasing mid-tone contrast.

- you can push contrast a bit in processing

 

[LaFoto]

See? There's more in the first photo than meets the eye (or directly met the sensor):

 

[GeneralBenson]

I think it's a huge overstatemen to say that all the picture that make you say 'wow' have been pp'd. Certainly some of them have, and I would agree that most have basic fixes. But to assume that a pictures wowness is based on PP, is a bit much for me.

OP, I think you answer is that you pictures are very static, and because the subjects are pretty boring. I did the same thing for a long time. The biggest thing to learn is the difference between what looks cool in person, and what looks good in a picture; and there's a huge margin between the two. It's pretty hard to take a great landscape picture of a boring landscape. Regardless of how cool that gorge looks in person, in a picture, it's a small piece of blown out sky, then the same colors and textures for the rest of the frame. A lot of it just comes down to the times and days that you go out. But the biggest thing, is to remove your personal attachment to an image/location, and ask yourself, 'would this look good to someone who wasn't here?' I find, like you did, that more often than not, the answer is 'no'. Keep at it, it can be frustrating.

 

[Alex_B]

I think it's a huge overstatemen to say that all the picture that make you say 'wow' have been pp'd. Certainly some of them have, and I would agree that most have basic fixes. But to assume that a pictures wowness is based on PP, is a bit much for me.

All have been processed, and most of them processed in a bit more elaborated way than straight out of the camera JPG.

I agree, that with the right light, it does not need a lot of effort though.

Regardless of how cool that gorge looks in person, in a picture, it's a small piece of blown out sky, then the same colors and textures for the rest of the frame. A lot of it just comes down to the times and days that you go out. But the biggest thing, is to remove your personal attachment to an image/location, and ask yourself, 'would this look good to someone who wasn't here?'

While in principle I agree with that last statement, I disagree that one cannot take interesting images of that gorge. With the right light and maybe a filter and better exposure, it would look way better already. If you then find a perspective/composition which gives it more tension than the current one, then you are there!

Sometimes it is hard to reproduce the wow effect which you had when you were there. Usually it is not simply done by pointing at the scene and shooting the image as you saw it, but you need compositions which include some of the context, but not too much ... it is tricky, but possible.

 

[GregBu]

See? There's more in the first photo than meets the eye (or directly met the sensor):

Thanks LaFoto, that's an amazing difference. I admit, I'm still very much in the stages of not even knowing what I don't know yet. n00b perfectly describes me. Point, click, hope.

As to subject matter, I defy anyone to not be amazed by the Waimea Canyon, but I get your point.

 

[TATTRAT]

I miss kaua'i......

Nothing I can add really that hasn't been touched on, but it was nice to see Kauai, so thanks!

 

[DRATOM]

Every thing that has been said so far about time of day and cant duplicate etc. is 100% right, but you can fix some of the problems for your personal image. You can save images to a point... here is your fist shot with 3 min in PS.... it isnt as good as you saw it in real life but it is better.

That cool poppin crisp image you were talking about is more than just post processing like it was said earlier. Right in the camera saves a lot os Post Processing.




Sorry, I grabbed the wrong image... LaFoto already worked this one

OK did the other.... it may be a little dark, or not quite what your looking for, just did a quickie to show the point

 

[rmh159]

As a rule of thumb I think you want to avoid landscape shots from between 10am - 4pm due to harsh lighting. Ideal times are a 1/2 hour before and after sunrise / sunset. That will help a ton to get soft warm light. You also want to grab a good polarizer and learn to love the thing to the point of being unnatural.