Filters (on camera) can often save an image but more than that, filters will improve a shot dramatically.

The next two  ND graduated filters are basically versions of the same idea.  Graduated neutral density filters control the brightness of the sky and bring your exposure under control when the sky is brighter than the foreground beneath it.

The next two images will give you an example of the 3 stop ND filter..the first one was taken without the filter, the second one with a filter..the clouds and sky become more prominent and visible. The exposure is more controlled.

Another filter which can be used creatively is the solid ND filter.  I have a 3 stop, 5 stop and a 10 stop.  I use the 5 stop much more frequently than the 10 stop, although in the middle of a bright day, with fast moving clouds, a 10 stop can create a fascinating image when converted to black and white…the images below were taken in three different ways:  the first one is at 1/300 second with only a polarizer; the second one is a little slower at 1/2 second with a 3 stop solid ND, the last was taken with the 5 stop ND and needed 36 seconds exposure. You can see how the color shifts as you use a neutral density filter..it usually has a little blue shift, even in bright daylight…there are some cheap filters that are known for magenta shifts; avoid those..the shift is hard to remove.  I speak from experience with them. I am aware of the passage of time in each of these images; the last one being later in the afternoon, but they are examples of what long exposure can do to water movement.

And do not get screw on graduated ND filters!  On a wide angle they will vignette and even worse, you cannot control the horizon: it has to be in the middle of an image. You will need to purchase a filter holder for the filters. This is what they look like but require adapters to fit on your specific lens…with a filter holder the filters can be raised or lowered and even twisted sideways. I have flipped them 180 degrees when the ground is brighter than the sky.

That was a quick refresher; now get the filters and practice or do it the lazy way using Photoshop or Lightroom grads.  But I like to see results in camera; it helps me visualize what my final image will look like.   

  Since I am primarily a landscape photographer, the light is critical to my images.  In the wrong light or bad light, images can really fall flat…I speak from experience.

  There is a learning curve to photography, it takes time to develop an eye for good composition and a feel for lighting…it has taken me years of practice (and looking at photographs and paintings by masters of photography and art) to get somewhat proficient. But there are many days when my images fall flat and must be deleted: don’t be afraid to delete the junk! Some people never delete images until they see them on the computer, however, I will delete in camera if the composition fails when I review them on the LCD. You must be cutthroat about your images, because as good as you may be in Photoshop or Lightroom, if your shots are bad, admit it..why waste time editing something that should be deleted. Some people don’t like to shoot at the same places; that’s ridiculous…I keep going back to Beavertail or other areas on the coast because weather is always changing; even my attitude changes day to day..I might be cranky one night, but in a good mood the next: it will have an impact on how I photograph.

   Here are a few examples of what I am discussing.  The first one is taken at Ponagansett Falls in Scituate. Be patient!  This night the sky looked like a dud, but as the sun set some clouds appeared on the horizon and things began to change..These three images were all taken within a half hour of each other.

The next image is a wide angle taken at Castle Hill in Newport. I was moving around on the rocks looking for a good composition about an hour before sunset. Always try to get to your location at least an hour prior to sunset; it gives you time to scout for the best spot and do test shots. The second shot was taken as the sun was setting and the clouds and rocks formed diagonals leading to the lighthouse.

The next image was taken in the Canadian Rockies…the first mountain shot was taken without sun. It was cloudy and foggy but it was worth waiting for the sun to break through the clouds, because it burned off a lot of the cloud cover revealing the mountains in the background.

The last one is the combined use of twilight and slow shutter speed. The first ferris wheel shot was taken when it was not moving just before twilight. The second image was taken during the twilight hour when the wheel was turning.  It is obviously much more interesting. Any rides at a carnival are fascinating when photographed at night when they are in motion.

 I know a lot of photographers will tell you they shoot only at F8, the sweet spot on their lenses..that is nonsense. I shoot at F16, 18, 22…the diffraction is minimal with the newer lenses; I need to shoot at those apertures to allow light to hit the sensor a long time to get the effect I am seeking; F8 doesn’t work for me unless there is wind, then I will use it on the foreground to stop movement..also, I use every filter imaginable on my lenses: soft edge grads, hard edge grads, NDs, polarizers, reverse NDs: whatever it takes to give me what I want…

To me, the most important thing about getting an image with impact is looking at the world with awe. Nothing is jaded to me. Think of everything you see as if it were for the first time.

This is a photograph with a diagram of the Rule of Thirds superimposed. The rule is often overused but if you are a newbie photographer it can help a lot to achieve a better composition. When I began photographing digitally quite a few years ago, it helped me to superimpose the grid on my live view image, so try it and see if it helps with composition.

The two images below demonstrate the use of time (with a 5 stop ND filter) to improve or change an image.  The top one is taken at f18, 24mm and 15 sec.

This image was taken with the same aperture and focal length, but with the 5 stop ND: the time was 150 seconds.

The feeling is totally different when an ND is used on an image..in the second image the clouds show more movement as they streak across the sky and the ocean is a lot softer.  So it is important to remember that time can change the whole look of an image. Also, any people moving will disappear from the image at 150 seconds.

Who says you can’t use bulls eye images, and have to keep things out of the center? If a subject is round, it works well.

and remember that a spiral can really draw the eye into an image:

Curving shapes are also leading lines into an image; look for them everywhere: the curve of a beach or a stream. In this image of Mistaya canyon, the river leads the eye to the mountain in the distance:

Remember that while it is a good idea to keep the horizon out of the center of an image, sometimes with reflections it is best to keep the horizon dead center.

Balance is very important to an image: light and dark must balance and act as counterpoint to each other. Look at Rembrandt’s images, he is the master of chiaroscuro…he placed light where it was important, yet maintained dark to balance the image. This image has light behind a seastack from the sun, but the dark, larger shapes on the left help to balance it.

Try to incorporate some of these ideas in your images, or not if you choose…but work to improve composition every day; be creative and use your imagination.. be your worst critic…I delete hundreds of images if they are not successful..don’t keep everything you shoot…what’s the point?

It is important to remember that when shooting sunrise or sunset there are clues that tell you where you are in the progression of light and time. When shooting at sunrise there is a change of hue giving  an indication of the progression of daylight beginning with the predawn colors: blue, lavender, pink, red, orange, yellow…all of these may appear quickly one after the other but when it hits the yellow color, that’s when you are about finished with sunrise.

Sunset is the opposite but after sunset you may be able to continue shooting for quite a while in the twilight hours, even continuing into darkness if you choose to photograph the stars. So here is the progression of sunset: yellow, orange, red, pink, lavender, blue, then black…remember that an hour after sunset there is twilight with beautiful blue skies for photographing cities enabling the buildings to stand out against the sky; whereas with a black sky, the buildings have no edges and disappear.

Also, in the mountains and sometimes along the shore there is a brief moment of alpen glow when the sky suddenly lights up with a pink color after the sun sets.

Here are some examples of the effects of sunlight on an image:

There is a lot of work involved in landscape photography. It may seem easy to get a good shot of sunrise and sunset, but that is deceiving.  The best landscape photographers in the world trek for weeks looking for the best compositions in the best light…Here is a site of a few of the top landscape photographers; let it inspire you to improve and work harder at composition:   https://worldclasslandscapephotographers.com/

Ok, now that the introduction is over with, let’s get down to business:  Here are some basic tips to help improve your landscape images. Remember that not all your pictures will win competitions, and if that is all you want to do: win, then you are losing yourself.  Always shoot what you love, never shoot thinking about what a judge will score: it is meaningless in the whole scheme of things.

Here are some simple tips to improve your landscapes; they work for me.

1. Shoot in Aperture Priority at F18-22 to maintain depth of field from foreground to background.  Usually focusing about a third into the image works well. A good lens will not give much diffraction at F22…I use that aperture a lot.
2. Use a wide angle lens to get the foreground crisp: I use 11-24mm, 17-40mm and 24-108mm for my landscapes..the wider angles like 11mm and 17mm can focus as close to a foot in front of you.
3. Shoot at ISO 100 or whatever is your lowest native ISO, it will minimize any noise.
4. Get a good foreground subject, not just some junk on the ground, but something interesting.
5. Get low! I never shoot at eye level unless absolutely necessary…usually my camera is on the lowest tripod setting or on a flat tripod…don’t complain about getting low, I have arthritis, too.
6. Use a good tripod…money well spent instead of on a flimsy tripod that will blow over or shake..never use the center column, it moves!
7. Use a self timer, remote or cable release..your finger will shake the camera when you hit the shutter button. Do not fear bracketing, I do it all the time if the light is changing quickly.
8. Shoot at the edges of light: sunrise or sunset:  the color can be amazing as the sun moves lower and the atmosphere changes the color of light…if you must shoot during the middle of the day, look for dramatic clouds or it is a waste of time..if there is nothing dramatic, think of converting the harsh midday images into black and white; this works well in the mountains.
9. Look for atmosphere and excitement in a landscape..if you are seeing things happening that make you feel like a kid again, that’s the time to photograph.
10. Use filters:  a polarizer, 3 stop graduated ND, a 5 stop solid ND, and a reverse ND are always in my bag.  A lot of people use the digital filters in PS and Lightroom, but I don’t like them; nothing beats light hitting the sensor for a long time.  I use a filter holder.
11. Learn to use the custom settings on your camera if it has them.  Mine has three custom settings that I have set up specifically for landscape so I am always ready to go…if they need changing, I will use Exposure Compensation as needed or switch to manual…let me give you an example, I was at Beavertail to shoot, but it was later than usual and sunset was happening fast:  I threw the camera on a tripod, put it on one of my custom settings and got the shot; a friend with me was still messing with his camera when the short window of opportunity ended.
12. Get to the spot early…I cannot emphasize this enough. You need to scout the area for at least an hour before sunset or sunrise to take some test images in order to find the best composition…keep walking around before you shoot: nothing makes me crazier than seeing people get out of their cars, set up right away and start shooting where they are standing…take the time to look for the best spot, hand hold the camera to take test shots from different areas, look for something unique.

Here are some examples to illustrate basic landscape composition: