Exciting landscape workshop in Lake Powell

I'm delighted to collaborate with my friend Joel Belmont on a landscape photography workshop in Lake Powell, May 27th-June 2nd.  This 7 day guided tour will take you to some the best landscapes of the Southwest.  You'll see and have the opportunity to shoot red sandstone canyons, beautiful rock arches, slot canyons and Anasazi ruins.  

For detailed information and to register, go to The Dynamic Landscape Photography Workshop website.

Use contrasting colors to make better pictures

Using warm and cool tones in the same photograph adds interest.

One of the powerful tools we have as photographers is choosing the color palette when we shoot.  Something I suggest is to look for contrast in color values as a way to add punch to your pictures.  In this example, the coolness of dark blue of the stormy sky is in marked contrast to the warm tones of the yellow plants and the red dirt road.

Top photography tip for better landscape pictures

There are lots of important tips for shooting better photographs.  Things like Rule of Thirds, and utilizing Depth of Field to guide the viewer to the key subject of the image.

For me, when I am shooting landscape photography, what I look for more than anything else is transitional light. Taking pictures outdoors when the weather is changing provides more contrast as some parts of the land are hit by light, while others are not.  And the clouds themselves can add great drama to the picture.

The natural tendency is to avoid stormy days when it might be raining, snowing or windy.  Personally, though, I find these times to afford the opportunity to make some of the most dramatic images possible.  It's important to be prudent, and stay out of dangerous situations created by severe weather.  Shooting with lightning in the area, or chasing tornadoes are not things I would recommend, for example.  With that in mind, the next time a weather system rolls through, think about getting out and making some images.

Look for opportunities

 One of the key tips I give people is to take their time, and not just shoot the first thing that draws their attention.  Here's a good example of this.

I woke up early one morning on a beautiful ranch in Montana, and decided to shoot  the early morning light. I walked out into a field that had a wonderful foreground of grasses and a lovely butte in the background.  To me, the story was the scale of the situation, so I shot with a wide angle lens to incorporate a lot of sky.

I could have ended there, but instead walked off to the north where there was an incline to the land.  In just a few minutes, I found some evocative rock formations with brilliantly colored lichen.  Again, shooting with a wide angle lens to bring attention to the foreground, I was able to create an image that had much more depth, and texture than the original image.

Whether you are shooting landscapes, cityscapes, or portraits it's always a good idea to look for opportunities beyond the first stroke of inspiration.