How to Photograph Landscapes - Article by Erin Hanson

No images? [Click here]( [Erin Hanson - Landscapes in Oil]( [ORIGINALS]( | [PRINTS]( | [B]([OOKS]( How to Photograph Landscapes By Erin Hanson I have been going on a lot of photo safaris recently, and I wanted to share some tips on how to photograph landscapes. I am sure you have experienced the phenomenon of taking a photo of some glorious scenery, only to look at your photos later and think how much better it looked in real life! I’ve taken hundreds of thousands of reference photos over the years, and I’ve learned how to take a photograph that properly records a beautiful landscape and gives me the information I need to create a great painting. PHOTOGRAPHING THE GOLDEN HOUR Take photos during the golden hour (the hours shortly after dawn and before sunset), and your reference photos will look better with the light coming from the side, since the sun is low on the horizon. Put your camera away during midday, since sunlight coming from above casts shadows straight down, and your photos will never have enough dimension to use as a painting reference. The golden hour also gives the landscape a beautiful glow of warm color that transforms ordinary scenery into a painter’s paradise. POSITION YOUR CAMERA SO YOU CAN SEE SHADOWS. (USE SIDE-LIGHTING.) While human eyes are great at distinguishing shapes and relative distances, a camera is not so skilled. When taking reference photographs, I always make sure there is side-lighting, which allows the camera to properly record three-dimensional shapes. As an artist, I have to paint shadows and light to create the illusion of dimension on a flat canvas. Trees, rocks, and mountains all need side-lighting so I can see their shape in a photograph. USE A CIRCULAR POLARIZING FILTER. While phones generally take fantastic photos, there is one advantage of carrying a digital SLR camera: you can use a circular polarizing filter. This lens filter completely cuts out reflections on water (allowing me to photograph the true aqua colors of the ocean without the often-gray reflection on top). A polarizing filter also removes reflections on leaves (making them appear richer in color) and removes reflections in the air (making the sky more vibrant). You can rotate the filter around to control the amount of reflection you want, since sometimes reflections are good, like when the sun is setting over a still body of water. I hope these tips help you capture photos that look as good as the landscape did in real life! [Adventure Turned into Artwork]( [3D Replicas]( [Canvas Prints]( -The Sears Art Museum Show Preview- ERIN HANSON: Landscapes of the West June 14 – August 23, 2024 The exhibition will include thirty paintings of southern Utah and the Colorado Plateau. O P E N I N G R E C E P T I O N Friday, June 14th 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm L O C A T I O N Sears Art Museum Utah Tech University 155 S Univ Ave, St. George, UT 84770 Utah Red Rock // Arches National Park, Utah Original oil on canvas, 36 x 24 in $18,000 3D Textured Replicas available from $2,100 When you first enter Arches National Park, one of my favorite vistas to paint is immediately on your left-hand side. You can see beautiful fins of red rock sandstone overlapping into the far distance. I love walking along the riverbed in Zion Canyon. Red rock cliffs reach high into the sky around me, and everything is silent except for the sound of moving water and the wind rustling through the cottonwood leaves. Zion Waters // Zion National Park, Utah Original Oil on canvas, 30 x 60 in - SOLD 3D Textured Replicas available from $1,700 The landscape of Bryce Canyon is beautiful to paint. The spires of red rock (known as hoodoos) add texture to the landscape and catch and reflect the light in interesting ways. This painting was inspired by a recent trip to Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Zion National Parks. Bryce Canyon II // Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Original oil on canvas, 48 x 36 in $32,800 3D Textured Replicas available from $1,200 S T A Y i n t h e L O O P If you would like to be alerted about new original artwork inspired by Erin's adventures, please let us know. Contact: linda@erinhanson.com (503) 334-3670 [C O N T A C T]( [2024 Events & Exhibitions]( [Visit the GALLERY]( [Available Original Artwork]( [Facebook]([Instagram]([Pinterest]([Website]([YouTube]( The Erin Hanson Gallery 1805 NE Colvin Ct McMinnville, OR 97128 (503) 334-3670 Please contact us at info@erinhanson.com for more information. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to Erin Hanson's artist newsletter. [Unsubscribe](