When The Vast Landscape Shot Isn’t Possible
The vast landscape is typically what first comes to mind when we think of landscape photography. It’s the view of mountain ranges, wide-open plains, canyon views that pull you in, and seascapes of the beaches and cliffs with the waves crashing in. It’s a sweeping and majestic view the captures our imagination and our attention.
That is certainly what I had in mind during my trip to the northern Great Plains. In my previous posts I mentioned (some would say whined about) the smoke and haze from distant forest fires. I certainly saw some vast landscapes but the smoke and haze made photographing them simply impractical.
So what do you do in a situation like this? The only thing to do is to change your perception of what makes a good landscape. Get creative to consider how you can change the adverse conditions into a positive element. How could I take advantage of the haze?
The other option is to look for the smaller scenes. Some could be called intimate landscapes but also larger (but not necessarily vast) landscapes on days the haze was limited. You gotta play the hand your dealt.
Taking Advantage Of The Haze
Depending on the amount of smoke in the atmosphere you can get more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. Smoke can scatter the shorter wavelengths of blue and violet allowing the longer wavelengths like red and orange through.
The two photos below are minimalistic landscapes. They are simply shots of the wheat fields with simple structures on the horizon. One field has not been harvested, the other has. The minimalism effect in both is enhanced due to the darker, featureless sky. The heavy haze that day was an important factor in creating that effect by giving the sky a dark blue-gray tone.
Some Intimate Landscapes
If you look around you with an open mind you can find beauty in the mundane. The flow lines in erosion can reveal mesmerizing textures and shadows.
Likewise the shapes and contrast in geological features can make for interesting photos.
You can also get creative with your compositions. Rather than settle for a straightforward shot of a wheat field I went for a more abstract view. When I finished processing my image in Photoshop I made a duplicate layer. Then I shifted the top layer slightly to the right and down and reduced the opacity to 50%. I finished by making a slight crop of the areas where there was no overlap in the layers due to shifting the top layer. As a result, the emphasis changed from the individual elements to the overall patterns and textures in an abstract way.
The Smaller Scenes
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How do you overcome less than favorable conditions when out on a photo trip? Please leave a comment in the comment box below.
