10 Commandments for Landscapers   

The 10 Commandments for Landscapers                        

  1 – Use The Photographer’s Ephemeris to predict sun and moon sets and rises. Use a map to estimate travel times. thephotographersephemeris.com

  2 – Check thy tide charts. With coastal scenes, an out-going tide will leave a pristine beach, free of footprints. Rocks will still be wet and hence, reflect the light.

  3 – Check thy gear before leaving home. Batteries must be charged; memory cards must be empty. The tripod shoe should be on the camera. Lenses and filters must be clean.

  4 – Arrive at thy location one hour early. If thou art relaxed, thou wilt be in a better frame of mind to produce great images.

  5 – Scout thy location thoroughly, looking for likely compositions. Pre-focus. Wait for the right light.

  6 – Use a hot shoe spirit level to keep the horizon straight. ( This is very useful for video, or when shooting in the dark.)

  7 – Tell someone exactly where thou art going. 

  8 – Thou shalt look after thyself. Don’t forget to fuel up. Have snacks, hot drinks, music, warm clothes, first aid and cellphone.

  9 – Know thy gear. (Thou cannot see thy camera controls in the dark). When the sun is setting, thou wilt only have a short window of opportunity to capture the best light. Now is not the time to be fumbling around trying to read the manual in the impending darkness!

  10 – Thou shalt have fun! If it doesn’t work out, don’t fret. Pack up, go home and treat thyself to a hot shower or a decent meal. It is not uncommon for two out of three photo shoots to fail. That is, thou may not have bagged any great photos. But this can be par for the course, as one cannot completely control the vagaries of the weather ... the wind, the tides, the clouds. Indeed, it is precisely this uncertainty which makes Landscape Photography such an exciting pursuit.