10 Landscape Myths Busted

Jon Adams and Andrew James on how to fly in the face of convention

- Jon Adams and Andrew James

Landscape photography is littered with rules, guidelines and maxims that get passed on from photographer to photographer. But, just like any other area of photography, the often-quoted ways of working aren’t laws that you’re forced to stick to. In fact, breaking away and experimenting with your approach to shooting the great outdoors can be liberating.

Over the coming pages, we’re going to dispel some of the most prevalent myths of landscape photography, and show you that contemporary practice can be a lot broader than merely sticking to received wisdom.

While the landscape photographer traditionally gets up early and stays out late to capture as much detail and sharpness as possible within every scene, a more modern approach celebrates experimentation and often turns convention on its head. Today, the first rule of the modern landscape photography club is that there are no rules! You can reduce sharpness; deliberately blur your shots; include that flat white sky; head for the urban jungle rather than the rural; and make humdrum, nearby locations look as epic as classic views.

Of course, you should never entirely turn your back on the tried-and-tested traditional approaches: they will always aid your technical know-how and structure your photographic development. But by exercising a little extra creativity, and thinking in a fresh way, there’s a lot more you can do than simply fitting a wide-angle lens and shooting at f/16.

USE YOUR TIPS CARD

Take this issue’s card on DoF scenes on your next landscape shoot and give the technique a try

MYTH 1

PICTURES SHOULD BE SHARP FROM FRONT TO BACK