It’s summer in the UK - hooray!! We can finally leave the house without our rain jacket, well on some days at least. The temperature is up, the natural world is buzzing with activity, the nights are short and the days are long. What a great time to be a landscape photographer. And it is…..well kinda!
You see, it’s that ‘the days are long’ bit, that can cause some issues for landscape photographers.
During the summer months, the earth has us tilted closer to the sun and because of this our star hangs higher in the sky, leading to the longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. But it is exactly this that poses landscape photographers challenges.
How so? You may ask. Surely, with photography being the capturing of light, longer days and more light means it should be easier to get great photos?
Well in theory, it sounds great, but not all light is the right light.
In landscape photography there are many different types of light which affect your photographs in many different ways. Flat Light, Direct Light, Blue Light, Golden Light, Diffuse Light….these are just some of the terms most landscape photographers know well. All will affect the landscape, and therefor your photograph, in different ways. Affecting colours, tones, saturation, contrast, as well as shadow length, depth, and position.
Direct Light - Whilst the day was somewhat overcast, the light high in the sky still created harsh contrasty shadows in this image. A later or earlier time of the day would have allowed the light to fall off more gradually
Unlike other types of photography, where you maintain some control over your light by utilising flash, reflectors or movement of your subject; landscape photography relies on one light source….that big ball of fire in the sky.
And when it is summer, it sits higher and longer in the sky. And there are fewer clouds. Whilst this makes for great sunbathing weather (sunscreen protection applied of course!), it can be a bad mix for landscape photographers. With the sun high in the sky casting harsh, direct light down, a level of cloud cover would provide diffusion which is a very handy way to take some of the harshness out of the suns rays.
Want to see for yourself? Grab a torch, the one on your phone will do, and shine it onto a surface in shadow. Now grab a piece of tissue and place it a couple of centimetres in front of you torch, shining the light through it. The torch still lights the surface but it’s…..well….less direct. It’s diffuse.
So how do we get around this? Well, there are certain types of shots that will lend themselves to direct light. Reflection shots being one of the first to mind. A high sun in the sky can create superb reflections in water. Taking a shot which uses the shadows to your advantage is another option; being aware of where a shadow falls may lend itself to becoming a leading line or natural frame to your subject.
There are also different ways in which to take a shot. Bracketing (or HDR as it is sometimes referred) is a method of photography whereby three + images are taken of the same composition, usually on a tripod, and then blended together. This technique ensures the range of light captured, from deep shadow to bright sky, is at a maximum, however this technique can very easily be done badly and lead to a final image that does not look real, subtilty when using this technique is a must. Using filters, adjusting settings and manipulating white balance are also useful to produce more usable images during the peak daylight hours.
But mostly, patience; patience is the key.
Lytham Windmill at dawn - the rising sun helping to create the ‘sky on fire’ look that only dawn will really gift you.
Waiting for the right light to fall upon you scene takes patience…..and time. But you can save time and get better odds of good light by going to shoot at the right time. Photographers will often refer to a time frame called Golden Hour. This is the hour or so right after sunrise, or right before sunset. It is a time when the sun is low on the horizon and light rays, specifically blue rays, are scattered coming through the earths atmosphere. This is what often gives the sun it’s orange or reddish tinge at sunset and it is the natural reason why everything looks warmer during that time. And whilst shadows become longer, they are less ‘contrasty’ right before sunset. As the name suggests, it doesn’t last long, on many days even less than an hour, but that is the light landscape photographers crave.
And so that is when photographers head out - for sunrise or sunset. And for me, in the summer, it is mostly for sunset….I enjoy my sleep!…the idea of getting up for a 4am sunrise doesn’t always appeal to me. But if that is the right time to get the shot, then that is the time I will head out.
And, like many of my photography peers on their way to location, when I set off in the middle of the night, or during late afternoon, I’m hoping for many things. For the weather elements to come together, to be able to find a composition, for there to be nothing in the way of the shot…..But most of all there is one big hope…..
Let there be light
Dave
July 2020