Why we struggle with our LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY? + 5 TECHNIQUES to get back on track

Is it just me, or do others struggle sometimes with their photography?

There are many times that I have struggled with photography over the years. In my early days (40+ years ago) it was not knowing what I wanted to photograph, not understanding the whole settings thing (always photographed in auto) and not then understanding what I needed to change when I got the photos back from the printer and they were awful. For me digital cameras have helped me so much to understand settings etc as I can see the image changing in real time as I change settings. I find that really helpful and exciting. I started back on my photography journey just under 2 years ago after a long break from it and after some severe health issues. Perhaps because of the mobility issues I now deal with, I tend to get frustrated at not being able to get to places that I really want to be for creating images. So last year when I was out, not knowing where to point my camera and what I wanted to create, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and started talking to Mother Nature. I know it sounds a bit daft. But I simply asked ‘show me what you would like me to create with you, show me your splendour’. It helped enormously and I do it regularly now - sometimes even out loud and I don’t care who hears me. A beautiful bank of clouds catches the light and I will say out loud ‘we’ll look at you’ in appreciation of its beauty. Like I say, I know it sounds daft but it works for me 😊

"Just F8 and be there", the rest will come. :) I never come home sad or let down after spending time outdoors. No matter what I'm bringing home on the memory card.

Great video Alister. I would also add that 'purpose' is an issue for me. What is my purpose... why go out and shoot..? Its too easy to find purpose in the social platforms... shooting for likes and comments and get that dopamine hit. But with that comes the problems... you start shooting for others and not for yourself. The platforms want you to post often, regularly and the burn out comes fast... its a battle you won't win and can't win. IG can also throw thousand of amazing images at you, and then you fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, as you mentioned. Imposter syndrome kicks in and you end up in a very negative space, both creatively and critically. And then there is the A.I. and tools now available that seek to act as a substitute for creativity or actually getting out there.... Anyway, thanks Alister, for putting this out there!

One thing that I fail at time and time again is to “try something different”. When faced with a compelling scene, I tend to photograph in a manner that I know will produce a pleasing photo. Although there is an element of satisfaction, it cannot compare to times when you have gone out of your comfort zone and captured something truly original and memorable. Thanks Alister.

I couldn't agree more, recently in a different area of photography, while practicing my commercial photography, I found myself struggling with a particular subject that I had pictured in my head but, was not able to materialize, I then took a break, changed the object to photograph and perspective and voila! I was able to get my head back in the game and took what I consider my best commercial picture just yet. I believe the concepts you explain are applicable to many areas not only in photography but life as well. Sometimes one tends to idealized scenes or concepts and when we are in the moment we just realize it is not what we imagine, but by changing perspective, point of focus or just relaxing would allow us to refocus and "see" differently and come to more pleasing results.

It's another five triggers to open to or creativity. Thanks man. Beautiful layers in this picture.

I totally struggle - I just have to make myself get out there. Once out, I feel better and start being creative.

One thing (for me) is that dawn comes so early in the morning.

Excellent advice, and it applies to every genre. Thanks for the reminder.

Thank you for this useful and helpful video. But also for your honesty with regard to mistakes and always staying on the ball despite mistakes. My boss told me: that there are no mistakes, only challenges. 😉😎🙏🙏

Another very useful video Alister and it's always encouraging to see that professionals like yourself also struggle at times. I began photography back in the late 70's, and one thing I always keep in mind when I get a bit envious of all the latest gear (which I can't afford!) is the fact that even the most basic gear these days is streets ahead of what was available back then, and I was still able to make pretty decent images with it.

I did Zone System B&W for twenty years in the 1970s-90s and landscapes are difficult because effective compositions lead the eye of the viewer to a focal point so compelling they want to dwell on it after mentally processing the context surrounding it on the way to it, why the rule of thirds works so well in most situations. I apprenticed with a Master portrait photographer who summed up lighting them as simply a process of making the tone/color of the FRONT of the face (eyes and mouth) CONTRAST strongly with the tone/color of clothing and background. Subject shows up in a distracting white or red dress? Put them against white or red backgrounds and the tone/color of the face will contrast! I use the same methodology when doing shooting with the storytelling mindset of a photojournalist (how I started in photography) and cinematographer using a wide ‘establishing’ shot to establish the location, medium crops where environment and focal point have equal balance, close-ups of the focal point/action and cut-aways which change the POV from external observer that of the ‘actors’ in the scene. The most effective way to build a story is to start with the close-ups of some compelling action or thing the expand the frame outward. By doing that my wide establishing shots always have some contrasting focal point I expand around to create the story. If there isn’t a compelling contrasting focal point in the scene? I won’t photograph it with the goal of telling a story to others with it because I know if will fail to do that effectively. The takeaway advice is to find something interesting in the scene, find a way to make it contrast with everything else, zoom or mentally pull in tight on it then expand the frame wider, moving that contrasting focal point around until something that contrasts enough to distract attention from it enters the edge of the frame you can easily tone down or clone out during editing of the image. Ansel Adams created contrast in his iconic Yosemite images by using red filters to darken skies and green ones to lighten foliage UNNATURALLY which was the ‘marketing hook’ for his photography. At capture all he did was capture the entire tonal range of the scene by altering negative development times to fit the range of the #2 paper grade he preferred to use (instead of the Kodak approach of using different contrast papers to match negative range with standard development. The artistic part started in the darkroom were he would burn and dodge the ‘baseline full range print’ to selectively edit the tonality and eye leading contrast gradients. The technique of vignetting the corners of the print darker create a subliminal clue to the brain of the viewer not to wander too close to the edges and out of the photo. The ideal amount is just enough that the viewer doesn’t CONSCIOUSLY realize the edges are darker. The best way of become better at composition is to become consciously aware of how your eyes move in the frame when looking at a photo and why some seem more spellbinding than others. You are likely to conclude that it is for the reason I mention above: there is a compelling contrasting focal point and no contrasting distracting content to pull your eye away from it. Remember that leading lines are more likely to lead the eye away from from a CONTRASTING focal point so make sure if they do tempt the eye away from from the primary focal point they lead to something equally interesting. Putting two contrasting focal points on opposite sides of the frame will create a ‘ping-pong’ eye movement that keeps the view engaged. Better still is a scene where there are three contrasting focal points connected by leading lines (road, fence, horizon line) that causes the eye of the viewer to move in a circle around the center of the frame. Often it is necessary to created that contrast attracting dynamic in the photo by burning it and dodging when editing which I do on screen and multiply adjustment layers with masks so I can vary the intensity with the opacity slider and edit the mask to change which areas of the image are selectively and ‘artistically’ edited. 😊 .

A few thoughts from my personal experience. I try to think of problem 2 as a positive thing. The bar changes because we are evolving and getting better at expressing ourselves. Many images I loved and hung proudly on my wall years ago I no longer love. I see their faults far more than I used to. Partly this is because I've grown so much as a photographer since I took those images so, my personal bar for work I'm proud of has risen. Partly this is because I've changed (point 3). I used to be out essentially to capture perfect "postcard" images of beautiful locations. These were (usually) technically good captures of beautiful places and so to some extent I succeeded in that. But now I seek simply to create beautiful images; images that express me and my relationship with the world around me. The suggestion to try things and to go with what excites you is great advice. Recently I discovered aesthetic pleasure in capturing ICM images of hubcaps. To be honest, as someone who thinks of himself as a landscape/nature photographer, I still feel a "dirty" about liking producing ICM images of hubcaps. One other point I'd add to your list is to remember that, at the end of the day, you are not in control. A great image in always a negotiation with the world around you. You are not the world's dictator.

Excellent insights! I am new to this channel, but I look forward to future videos from Alister…

Hello Alister, you did it again! A structured breakdown, a mind set that everyone with a camera at hand should heed. I like this highly structured approach very much. Thank you and best regards Martin PS: I would like to add „Ask yourself what it is exactly that you like about your photos. What gives you thrills in this photo?“ Your list contains this implicitly, of course.

Feel elated & enlightened. Kudos. 🙏

Love this video and your honesty with this craft that at times is so sublime and thoroughly enjoyable and at others can feel like a mountain to climb when you’re not flowing inside. Keep trying is the motto for my photography for when it comes together and I create an image I’m really chuffed with, it’s all worthwhile 😊

Firstly thank for this video. I class myself as a good amateur and must say all your 5 points relate to us too . Constantly comparing with others is huge .. I'm so scared to shoot in raw as I admit I struggle with post production on light room . I will spend ages getting a composition as perfect in camera as possible so I don't have to edit much.. the struggle is real for all ..

Very good advice, I know by experience. Thanks