Knowing How to Wait Is an Essential Quality for a Photographer

In the previous article, I described the first step in preparing to take a landscape photograph. Once I have written all the necessary data in my log, I begin the second stage of my process: waiting.

A photo that required days waiting for the best weather conditions: a swampy area near Royan in Charente-Maritime.

It may take a day or a week for all the weather conditions to be exactly right. Every day, I check local weather sites that have very accurate data. I only use the most accurate forecasts because I need to know exactly what the weather will be doing every hour. Finally, the day arrives. I get to the site about 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time to put up my equipment. I install my tripods, and I each choose a different lens so that I will get different perspectives on the scene. I set up the remote trigger.

I have several different options to use in taking pictures. I can use HDR, panoramic, or just regular picture mode. Which one I choose depends on the scene, and especially the lighting. Taking photographs of landscapes requires a lot of technical skill, since the lighting changes very quickly. I have to be able to choose the right tool in a couple of seconds: for example to be able to go from a panoramic photograph to an HDR one without asking any questions. It is during these very exciting moments that I realize how important basic skills, like being able to navigate the camera quickly, are.

Once I start the photo session, I have between 15 and 45 minutes to get the pictures I need. How much time I have depends on the season. In the spring and summer, the sun rises and sets very quickly and I do not have much time. During the fall and the winter, it moves more slowly and I have more time. I vary the parameters of the camera, such as shutter speed and aperture size, to produce exactly the effect I want. I may also change the framing and composition of my shots. But I are still in the few square yards that I chose when I reconnoitered the site. I cannot change my location now. I need to take all the pictures I need now. I will not come back unless there is a technical problem. Time is of the essence right now. I have to get everything right the first time.

When the light has changed to the point where the features of the landscape no longer stand out in relief against the background, I stop. It is time to open a thermos of tea and start enjoying the beauty of the landscape. In general, during the shoot, my eyes are glued to the viewfinders. I am not focused on enjoying the beauty around me, because I am busy trying to capture it. I am completely absorbed in the work. Once I have packed my gear to leave the place, I start to enjoy the view.

The third and last step in my process takes place in the office in front of my computer. I sort, select and process the pictures that I am going to use for my project. I always use a calibrated screen, because it most faithfully portrays the exposure, lighting, and coloring of the images. The laptop that I use when I travel only serves to organize my photos. I do not correct and retouch them during a trip. This step, like the others, is crucial. I will crop the pictures if necessary, adjust the exposure, and bring out some of the colors. I adjust the details, because they are what makes the photo. I keep the mood of the original photograph but I highlight the elements that fit with my vision to always seek beautiful lights and colors.

Once the processing is complete, I have one or more pictures that are ready to be used in a book, an article, an exhibition, or simply sold online. This third step concludes the technical part of my profession. Next I have to market my pictures. But that is another topic that is beyond the scope of this article.

I have described the steps I follow to make a great landscape photo. Are they the same as the ones I use for wildlife and underwater photography? This is what I will see in the next article.

A photo that required days waiting for the best weather conditions: a swampy area near Royan in Charente-Maritime.

Learn How to Recognize the Field for Creating Interesting Photos

Anyone can pick a ripe fruit from a tree. But how many people can actually plant the tree in the right place, wait for it to mature, prune and fertilize it so that it will give delicious fruit? It is the same way with photography. Anyone can press a button and take a picture of a landscape, but how many people know how to prepare their subject and change that nice picture to a really great one?

A photo that required days of preparation and recognition: a village in Haute-Saintonge in the fog in winter.

Today, taking a picture of a landscape is very simple. The technology embedded in digital cameras is so powerful that anyone using one can to take sharp, correctly exposed pictures.

This action, which often lasts only a few hundredths of a second, can be repeated indefinitely, producing results that can satisfy many photographers. But are these pictures good? That is another question. 90% of the time, the answer is no. Creating a good, or a great, landscape photo requires a number of steps. I have a process that I use for every project.

The first step is setting up the photo. Before I do anything else, I have to find a subject. This may seem fairly trivial, but in reality it is an art in and of itself. There is no absolute set of rules for what makes a good landscape picture, but I have guidelines that I apply. A landscape photograph must be original, evocative. It may contain elements created by humans or be made up solely of natural elements. In either case, the photograph must have a meaning. When choosing the scene I want to photograph, I imagine what the caption for the resulting photograph might be. I come up with a story for it. If I find no inspiration in the scene, I leave it.

Once I have found the subject, I find the best time of day to photograph it. It could be in the morning or the evening. These are the two times when I prefer to work. The lighting sets the mood for the whole scene. It must be well chosen. I study the topology of the field and find out where it would be best to set up my tripods. I decide what the foreground and background will be. They must be consistent with the aspects of the scene that I want to portray. They must be in good condition; I avoid fallen trees or damaged plants, faded flowers, garbage, etc. I analyze the scene to find out how the colors harmonize. I also avoid incongruous elements which would distract from the subject. For instance, I sometimes drop or postpone an idea I have for a photo because there is a crane or a water tower badly placed in the landscape.

Once I have analyzed the landscape, I note the important points using a compass. I also take the GPS coordinates. Last, I made a mark on the ground to tell me where I should set up my tripod when I come back.

Once back at the office or at the hotel, I use special software that tells me the ephemeris. I enter the GPS coordinates and it shows the sunrise and sunset times. I record all the data in a log.

Now, that everything is planned, I am ready to take the picture. I will explain that in the next article.