5 of the Most Overused Landscape Photography Techniques

[NedL]

I also had a bunch of moon negs as well

That's actually tempting!

 

[awty]

Subjective dribble. The only rule I follow is keeping my camera level and maybe thats a hang up I should try to break.

 

[Brendan Quirk]

His accent was so thick I had to use Google Translate to get it in English

Perfectly understandable at any speed - and this is from Wisconsin!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

About 10 years ago one UK magazine had a wildly huge rant against hedgerows in photos. I suppose it's overused there? - not that I see that sort of thing here. I could look at landscapes with hedgerows for hours.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thick? Seriously? His "accent" was very mild. I wonder what you'd think of a Yorkshire or Geordie accent (my favorite - though I think most Brits think it's awful).



From my perspective, English is weird with the word "take". I've heard people say they're going to "take a haircut" (whaaat?) or "take lunch" (take whose lunch?). So, "taking a photo" seems like they're going to take it off the wall or table. When I'm holding a camera and pressing the shutter release, I'm making the photo. As for shooting, aside from "shooting one's cuffs" (a delightful phrase), I reserve shooting for my firearms, of which extremely long range target shooting is another hobby of mine.

Anyway, to the subject:

* I definitely liked his comments about water and they make sense, though I'll plead guilty to wanting to blur waterfalls.

* Foreground interest. Yep. Guilty of that. Sometimes it does add a sense of scale. The key, I think, is knowing when to use it.

* Panoramas. Ultimately, after making many bad photos, I came to the conclusion he did: trying to get everything in just makes the image weak unless the entire panorama is spectacular. By selecting individual aspects out of the entire scene, the result is several photographs, each of which are more interesting than a single panorama.

* Golden hour. Is it about the quality of the light itself? Maybe I misunderstand, because I thought early morning or late afternoon light was about texture and shading on the subject. Here in the Pacific northwest, or even the desert around Palm Springs, mid-day light is so flat and everything seems washed out.

I speak clearly and distinctly with an accentless sound, like US news reporters, but a girl friend from Calgary claimed I have an "American Twang". I ain't go no stinkin' twang no how.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I speak clearly and distinctly with an accentless sound, like US news reporters, but a girl friend from Calgary claimed I have an "American Twang". I ain't go no stinkin' twang no how.

Having linguistics as a hobby, I find accents fun. You are correctly describing what's referred to as standard American English which is indeed ubiquitous throughout the country thanks to coast-to-coast radio and TV networks since the 1940's.

Several times I've driven across the U.S. from Washington state all the way to Maine (visiting relatives) and back, staying in small towns to hear accents. Sadly, standard American English was dominant everywhere: local radio, in restaurants, in stores - even in Massachusetts and Maine. The only stronghold of distinct regional accents was among older people. Young people had grown up with TV, movies, YouTube, etc., so their regional accent never developed.

Yet there are places in Texas, Louisiana, and especially South Carolina, where I delightfully cannot understand a complete sentence.

 

[alanrockwood]

I know I have gotten lazy every once in awhile and just went for the default composition and didn't put enough effort into looking for something better. It's something I am working on. After 55+ years of making images it gets too easy and comfortable to just do it the "usual way". Same goes for printing my images. Got to get back into learning mode.

https://petapixel.com/2019/07/29/5-of-the-most-overused-landscape-photography-techniques/

Let's try very hard to not let this devolve into a digi vs analog thread. Nor do we need any asshat comments about petapixel. Unlike some sites they encourage various views. Remember sarcasm is for the feeble minded.

Can we add "rule of thirds" to the list and make the list six items rather than five? I'm not saying to ignore the rule of thirds, but it might be over-used.

 

[KN4SMF]

I didn't find his speech to be particularly extreme. But what do you expect, since he's not an American and therefor could not be expected to have learned correct English?

 

[removed account4]

Subjective dribble. The only rule I follow is keeping my camera level and maybe thats a hang up I should try to break.

YES ! I look at it all like Raku Pottery
and YMMVFTSITWATD

 

[nmp]

These days you hear more about breaking the rules than about what the rules are. Be different and follow them.

 

[Helios 1984]

I didn't find his speech to be particularly extreme. But what do you expect, since he's not an American and therefor could not be expected to have learned correct English?

This bait is so big that we'll need a pickup to carry it to the boat. Loll

 

[MattKing]

I didn't find his speech to be particularly extreme. But what do you expect, since he's not an American and therefor could not be expected to have learned correct English?

Fixed it for you.

 

[Peltigera]

These days you hear more about breaking the rules than about what the rules are. Be different and follow them.

I like Terry Pratchett's exhortation: 'learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then break them good and hard'

 

[nmp]

therefore.

 

[MattKing]

I like Terry Pratchett's exhortation: 'learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then break them good and hard'

I prefer: 'learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then circumvent them!'

 

[nmp]

I prefer: 'learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then circumvent them!'

I prefer "learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then find better ways when they don't work.'"

 

[Arvee]

I prefer: 'learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then circumvent them!'

I believe he is trying to say that the typical ‘record shot’ with applied ‘window dressing’ is cliché; a simple attempt to try and dress up a dull and uninteresting composition that has no compelling subject, message, or story.

He, like all Nat/Geo photographers et al, recommends putting the emphasis on message/story paramount to the gimmicky enhancements that further detract from the basic intent of the composition.

 

[StepheKoontz]

The "golden light" one hits home with me. I've read so many photography books talking about getting up super early, shooting, then go back to the hotel until late in the day. Like there is only an hour of two of usable light in a day. I shoot at all times of the day and while for certain subjects you need to be there when the light is right, you simply look for other subjects if the light on one of them isn't right.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

I say it's not the techniques, but how you use them.

I see a lot of photographers copying, instead of innovating.

And of course, the problem can be the copier not knowing the full extent of the original.

 

[markbau]

I like Terry Pratchett's exhortation: 'learn all the rules, make sure you understand them well - and then break them good and hard'

This reminds me of a doco I once saw about a famous Australian painter Brett Whitley. He was asked what advice would you give to an aspiring painter, his reply was "Draw something simple like a chair and keep drawing it until you get it perfect and then keep drawing it until it no longer looks like a chair"

 

[removed account4]

These days you hear more about breaking the rules than about what the rules are. Be different and follow them.

couldnt' agree more, its better to swim upstream !
polar opposite of what influencers say.

 

[foc]

I think no matter what you do or how you do it, someone, somewhere will criticize it and say it has been done ad infinitum.

I also think the technique of using light in photography has been done to death.

Now there is a challenge.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Actually Selfies are the most overused landscape technique. Please take one or two more steps back towards the edge ...

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[Theo Sulphate]

...
I also think the technique of using light in photography has been done to death.

Now there is a challenge.

How can I capture X-rays or cosmic rays with my camera in a non-laboratory environment?

 

[Arklatexian]

I know I have gotten lazy every once in awhile and just went for the default composition and didn't put enough effort into looking for something better. It's something I am working on. After 55+ years of making images it gets too easy and comfortable to just do it the "usual way". Same goes for printing my images. Got to get back into learning mode.

https://petapixel.com/2019/07/29/5-of-the-most-overused-landscape-photography-techniques/

Let's try very hard to not let this devolve into a digi vs analog thread. Nor do we need any asshat comments about petapixel. Unlike some sites they encourage various views. Remember sarcasm is for the feeble minded.

Well, let's see now. DO NOT EVER use a slow shutter speed to shoot "running water" or better yet "moving water" even when they is the best way to make a "static" water scene "interesting" and for gosh sakes DO NOT INCLUDE interesting skies that might make the image "more interesting". Why not save time and DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT MAKE THE IMAGE "INTERESTING AND NOT BORING TO LOOK AT". Thanks F64 and I'll have you know that I am NOT feeble minded, only old, real old Thats why I know when and where to use sarcasm........Regards!