Publication Magazine Volume 2 Platography | Page 9

70 ways to take batter photos Bob Bittner’s handy hints Shoot starry a landscape A landscape doesn’t just have to be taken during daylight or the golden hours. A long exposure during a bright, moonlit night can result in some fantastic starry landscape scenes. Work with slow shutter speeds around 1/60sec to capture star trails and don’t forget to up your ISO. High dynamic range your exposure by taking three separate shots of your scene. First. correctly expose your landscape and then adjust the EV setting by +2 and then -2. You can bring all three together in Photoshop to create an exposure blend or HDR image. Frame Your Scene Maximise depth of field Long shutter speeds work well when shooting a landscape or seascape, but will require small aperture settings. A large f-stop number will not only prevent your image from being overexposed, it will also are sharp by maximising depth of field Finding unique ways to frame your scene gives you a different perspective on your landscape subject for a more dynamic composition. Shooting through windows or archways is a great starting point. Capture dramatic skies skies Don’t shy away from shooting in bad weather. A dark. cloudy sky can add lots of drama and depth to what could otherwise be a dull scene. Clouds can also help to balance the exposure and avoid bright, bleached skies. Balance your exposure Grad ND filters are perfect when you need to balance the exposure in bright sunlight. particularly when the sky appears bleached. Use a soft blend grad for natural results. Place the grad over the lens so that it covers the sky. You can then expose for the land Invest in sturdy equipment A tripod is essential tool for shooting landscapes. It will enable you to take longer exposures without motion blur or camera shake. Just ensure it’s weighty enough to stand securely against the wind. Find a focus point When shooting a landscape. focus your camera one third of the way up into the scene. This will help increase the depth of field in the foreground and extend it further into the background. If. however, you have a focal point in the foreground. make sure it is this that your camera is focused on. Find a new perspective Change your angle. By getting down low you can capture more foreground detail, which will help lead the viewer into the image. A higher vantage point can also cap- ture abstract shapes for interesting results Get To Know The Pro Name: Bob Bittner Website: www.blueonbluephotography.com Photographic specialism Landscape Favourite location to photograph? The Canadian Rocky Mountains Best time of day to shoot? Sunrise is best, but any time of the day can still give great result Preferred kit? Nikon D700 coupled with a 16-13mm lens and a nikon D700 with a Tokina 11-16mm lens Mini bio: Bob started focusing on landscapes several years ago. He has been featured in various international photography publication, including five cover images 9 subscribe 0330 333 1113 I www.platography.co.my I 8 October