Planning a Photo – Landscape

My photography breaks down into two main topics.

  • Studio
  • Landscape

My studio work is very planned. A studio is like a painters blank canvas. When I plan a studio shoot, there is so much to think about.

  • Selecting the model, her shape, size, experience, colour of hair and eyes
  • Clothes
  • The poses
  • The studio set, whether a plain back ground or coloured, or a more complex set
  • Props
  • and of course the lighting, some times just a single light and reflector, other times I have used up to seven flash heads to light a scene.

A studio shoot for me its the ultimate in photography. Everything can be pre-visualised and planned to the nth degree.

Single Light
Complex Lighting Setup

I would like to be able to say my landscape and architectural shoots are planned to the same degree but I am afraid not. Generally these type of shoots are taken on holidays, and I just happen upon these views and try to make the best of them.

This is something I would like to change, and the photography course I am booked on in December I hope will bring more planning and pre-visualisation to this part of my photography.

Isle of Syle

To this end tomorrow, subject of course to the British weather, i’ll be heading out to try and capture an Autumn scene. I have the image in my head, and with good planing, and of course local knowledge and the internet I hope to get the image I want.

So Saturday morning will see the chief photographer of RBPhotograpic heading out with his medium format camera gear and hoping to get the image in his head commited.

Equipment List

  • Hasselblad 503CW Body
  • Hasselblad 80mm f/2.8 Planar CFi
  • Manfrotto 055 Tripod
  • Sekonic L-758D Digital Master Light Meter

Sekonic L 758 Light Meter

I may also take a digital compact, or my iPhone to snap a few reference shots to post tomorrow, to show you what I had in mind.

In case your wondering it involves, a lake, low winter sun, and lots of trees. Heres hoping for good weather.