Travel and Scenic Photography

Travel and Scenic Photography 101

When you’re driving through the mountains somewhere, and you notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to the left to avoid a branch with his Rebel 2000 camera in the act of focusing, you’ve met me. I do this because, to me, a trip isn’t fulfilling unless I’ve preserved that beauty for posterity. I’d like to share some of the techniques that make scenic photography such a wonderful artform - simple, yet elegant.

First off, equipment. As much as the cheapo disposable camera beckons, get real. These cameras have fisheye lenses which I call “spam” lenses. They cram everything in, with equal blurriness and boringness. Good photos are sharp, unless you use blur for artistic effect. Sharp comes from an adjustable lens. It can be a fixed lens or a zoom, but it must focus specially for each picture. Fixed lenses are limiting for scenic pictures, where to frame the shot you may need to move long distances. Imagine using a fixed lens on the Washington Monument, when you’re half a block away! Zooms get my vote, even though they often don’t have as wide an aperture, which limits their capabilities in low light situations.

Practically speaking, an SLR is the absolute best. They are lightweight, and can be used with top quality lenses. Film SLRs tend to be less expensive, but have the limitations of film, meaning you have to get it developed and so forth. Digital SLRs are VERY expensive, so for the budget conscious either go with a film SLR or a high quality basic digital camera. With digital, resolution is also a critical factor, so look at the specs before you buy.

OK, we’ve got the camera, emotions are running high, and that’s great, but not too great! Sometimes I find a spot that is so wonderful, I start shooting like a madman, only to be disappointed by the pictures. What happened? Emotions. When you experience a place, there are sounds, aromas and breezes as well as the visuals of the spot. Needless to say, you can’t photograph all of these elements, only the visual. When overwhelmed by the spectacle of a scenic hotspot, we are often overwhelmed by all of these elements.

So what to do? Look through your camera. The viewfinder does not lie (usually). Try to see what you are looking at as the finished picture. Most people perfunctorily take pictures, hoping that somehow the shot will come out great. If you wonder how the pictures came out when you are on the way to the drug store to get them, you’re doing something wrong. At the moment you click the pic, you should know exactly what you will get. (Of course with digital, that’s not a trick!).

Now, I was a tad dishonest in saying that you can’t capture all of the elements of a scene. You can hint at them. For starters, motion. Yes, even in a still picture, there is motion. Something happened before, during and after your picture. In a mountain vista scene, you may find something that hints at motion, whether it be a branch of a tree that has been swaying in the breeze, or a river flowing through the valley below. These add a sense of motion.

Then there’s the “rule of thirds.” When you place the main object of the picture smack-dab in the middle, it is static and boring. Place it one third of the way from either side, and you IMPLY motion. Put the horizon in a landscape photo a third of the way up or down, not across the middle.

Remember, when a person looks at a picture, their eyes move. You want to frame your photo to help that movement. If you can find some lines in the scene, such as a skyline, cloud formation, path through the forest, etcetera, use it interestingly, and with the rule of thirds to draw your viewer’s eyes into the picture.

Avoid “summit syndrome.” You get to the top of Mount Washington and shoot the majestic vista. Great. The pictures come out … boring! How? No PERSPECTIVE. Big vistas will be flat unless you have an object in the foreground, such as a rock or a tree, to give them perspective. Then the eye really grasps how big this scene is. People enjoying the view is a real winner, because the viewer may identify with their emotions, giving the image real impact.

Cheese! Yes, you do have to take the family photos. It’s obligatory. But when you do, make sure that they show the LOCATION of the photo. Otherwise, you might as well do it on your driveway. Frame the scene in context, with landmarks as part of the picture. Find a way to tell as story in the picture, such as little Sara climbing up the rocks by the waterfall.

Finally, any element in the picture that hints at more senses than just the visual will make it remarkable. Actor headshots for example, tell a story about the subject. You can almost hear them saying their next lines. If you photograph a garden, the viewer may experience the aroma of the flowers. A tourist street with an accordion player on the corner may have your amazed friends whistling “Dixie.”

In summation, picture taking on travel is recording the experience in a satisfying way. Use motion, perspective, sensory, storytelling and so forth, to bring your photos to life. Oh, and needless to say, make your job easy and go to great places! See you at the overlook!

Seth Lutnick is a photographer, composer, and performer. He has taken thousands of scenic photos, recorded two albums of original music, and appeared on stage, TV and film. Visit his website - www.getitdone.biz - for more detailed plans on photography, music, health and education, and extensive product links for the resources to fulfill your goals.

-

Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF Nikkor Zoom Lens
Includes Nikon 18-135 Zoom Lens / Auto and Manual Focus and Exposure Modes / CompactFlash Memory Card Slot / Video HDMI and USB outputs TTL full-aperture exposure metering Integrated Dust Reduction System with self-cleaning ultrasonic sensor unit minimizes degradation of image quality due to dust particles Two LiveView shooting modes, Hand-held or Tripod is perfect when shooting in a studio, remote situations or from challenging angles Picture Control settings give photographers dramatically advanced color control with 4 preset options - Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome, as well as 9 customizable settings Rugged magnesium-alloy construction and durable shutter mechanism Edit Delete Function - - Card format, All photographs delete, Selected photographs delete Sensitivity - ISO 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV HDMI 1.3 - Composite A/V - USB connectivity ports Text Input - Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text Lens Mount - Nikon F Mount with AF coupling and AF contacts Built-in Speedlight - Manual pop-up with button release Unit Dimensions (W x H x D) - Approx. 5.8 x 4.5 x 2.9 in. (147 x 114 x 74 mm); Weight - Approx. 1.82 lbs. (825 g) without battery Supplied Accessories* - EN-EL3e Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-18a Quick Charger, UC-E4 USB Cable, EG-D100 Video Cable, AN-D300 Strap, BM-8 LCD monitor cover, Body cap, DK-5 Eyepiece Cap, DK-23 Rubber Eyecup, Software Suite CD-ROM; *May vary
Price: $2,285.00
Customer Review: Excellent value for the $$$!
I had this camera and the D3 on order ever since they were annouced, with my luck the D300 came in first! I just picked it up today! Although I need the D3’s full frame more! However, it is an excellent camera for the $$, I only paid $1800+ tax, mind you I spend a lot at my dealer over the years! I owned and still own a couple of Nikons, so for me it was a very easy transition, and finally Nikon has a good comprehensive manual to go wth the camera ifyou need any help. Also, for the first time the Capture NX is included - sort of: Ok I had to download it, and insert the product key, regardless this is a good step by Nikon, and it was about time!! The focusing screen is much better designed now, and if you get the MD-D10 multi-power battery pack for the built in motor drive, it will be faster than my D2X and also has a lot bigger buffer up to 100 shoots for jpg, vs only 35 on my D2X, and with the right adapter BL-3 it will take the same high capacity battery as my D2X uses! The only drawback is that nobody has the BL-3 adapter in STOCK! As for image quality, it is excellent even at higher ISO, I tested the D300 at 400, 800 and 1600 ISO, unlike the D2X which is only good up to 320 or maybe 400 before some noise is noticable and gets worse very fast after that as ISO is increased. (I am not talking about for 4×6″ prints or just looking on the monitor but for 11×14″prints and up!!) I highly recommend this camera, it is better than my more expensive D2X or D2Xs, performance and price wise!!! In fact you could buy 2 DX300s for the cost of one D2Xs! Finally Nikon has a winner!
Customer Review: Excellent Camera, Lots of features, great image quality
I have used this camera for only a few days and am very satisfied and enthusiastic. Nikon has made an excellent product. I won’t bother writing about the various technical features. Those are already amply detailed in the camera description. Here are a few first impressions that I have of the camera: You can change ISO very quickly and it goes up to 3200. Very useful. There are many playback features such as zooming in close on an image and navigating around in it. A big improvement over previous models. The new playback screen is much bigger and has an awesome resolution. You can live preview on it. Very cool! There are several focus options, including the 51 point focus. You can press help on any menu item and it will explain what that item is clearly and easy to read. The menu is easy to navigate and easy to use. The 421 page User’s Manual may seem daunting at first, but it’s very clearly written and has several ways to cross-reference what you are looking for The camera is comfortable to hold, has a solid feel and all of the controls are within easy reach. Shooting mode, ISO and most other controls can be easily changed without going into the menu. All the above are features, but the most important benefit is excellent and sharp images. If you would like to see some samples, email me and I will send you a link so you can check them out. I am very satisfied and I am glad I bought this camera. I may add to this review as I use this camera more. I just wanted to write a review to express how satisfied I am.

NIKON 123 Equivalent Camera battery
BatteryValues.com is your one-stop-shop online for replacement batteries, home and car chargers, home and car AC/DC adapters, and all your battery accessories requirements.
List Price: $12.95
Amazon Price: $5.57