How can I take a good wedding photo?

Compared with documentary photography and commercial photography, landscape photography is a niche branch. There is another saying that landscape photography is the Chun Xue in the field of photography.

Only by going deep into landscape photography and shooting with a rigorous, utilitarian and impetuous attitude can we truly appreciate the mystery.

Since I learned landscape photography, I have accumulated some experience, and then put them together to think about six problems-

Proposition 1: Why do you choose landscape photography?

Proposition 2: What stages should landscape photography span?

Proposition 3: What are the key skills necessary for landscape photography?

Proposition 4: How to read pictures?

Proposition 5: How to shoot like a master?

Proposition 6: What do you want to shoot?

Proposition 1: Why do you choose landscape photography? What is the significance of landscape photography?

For myself, this proposition is the reason why landscape photography takes precedence over other subjects. In fact, it is meaningful to choose any photography subject. Only bad works, no bad themes. When I first started to learn photography, I tried portrait photography, but I didn't find the feeling and motivation to keep shooting.

In the days when I can't travel to shoot scenery, I also tried to shoot humanistic works and conceptual works. I will put a lot of energy into shooting human subjects in the future, but so far, the field that really makes me feel is landscape photography.

As a result, whether "feeling" has become the standard of my first choice of photography. Of course, the implicit premise is that it is best to try different themes as much as possible, so as to compare and know what you really like. In fact, in the end, we can't like all the subjects and make the same investment. Everyone will definitely focus on it.

I give priority to landscape photography as a long-term personal hobby, and I also find myself such an auxiliary reason:

-Shoot the scenery, and enjoy the wild scenery by the way;

-When shooting scenery, you should carry dozens of pounds of equipment to climb mountains and wade, which will play a role in fitness.

For what is "feeling", I judge myself like this:

-Do I have the necessary equipment and shooting skills to shoot such a theme?

-Have I mastered the general evaluation criteria and methods for works in this field?

-Have I studied enough representative works in this field to judge whether my works can enter the minimum threshold of public and professional recognition?

-Can I get anything other than money from shooting this subject?

-Am I sure that even if there is no economic return in the future, I will still devote myself to shooting such subjects for a long time, even unknown?

Proposition 2. What stages should landscape photography span?

I divide landscape photography into three stages:

The first stage: master the necessary key skills.

At this stage, the key is to equip yourself with the necessary equipment system, be able to expose according to your own intentions, get clear photos, learn to use the necessary filters, and master the necessary picture processing skills.

The second stage: learn to look at pictures

At this stage, learn to examine and judge works from a professional perspective, and consciously use these standards to guide their own shooting.

The third stage: shoot like a master

This stage is the longest and has no end-unless you give up halfway. After entering this stage, we should establish our own photographic ideals, establish our own photographic concepts, define our own photographic goals, make feasible phased shooting plans, and make persistent efforts to achieve the goals of each stage.

Proposition 3. What are the key skills necessary for landscape photography?

Based on my own shooting experience, I will discuss several key links of landscape photography here.

1, exposure: from accurate to correct

In most cases, my method of measuring light is:

-Lock the composition first;

-sequentially measuring the highest light with details and the darkest exposure value with details in the picture and storing them respectively;

-Observe the difference between the two values;

-If the difference does not exceed the film width (usually the reverse film is 5 files and the black-and-white film is 7 files), then take its average value and use this average value for exposure, which is "accurate" in most cases;

In order to obtain "correct" exposure, it is necessary to fine-tune the average value according to the light reception of the subject and the proportion of light and dark areas in the composition. Usually, if the subject is in the dark, or the area of the dark part in the picture is mostly, it is necessary to increase the exposure appropriately (1/3 to1/2); And vice versa (1/3 to 1). It should be noted that the direction of this compensation is opposite to the situation of multi-area metering in the machine, because the latter has already calculated the area coefficient.

-If it exceeds the endurance of the film, it depends on whether the light ratio can be reduced by depressing the bright part with gradient grey mirror. Otherwise, we can only choose between the bright part and the dark part, and see which part of the dead white and the dead black does not affect the creative intention of the work.

2. How to get a clear picture?

-Precise focusing and manual focusing if necessary;

In many cases, the scenery works require complete clarity, so the shorter the focal length of the lens, the smaller the aperture used, the more helpful it is to obtain a large depth of field and the clearer the picture looks. The use of large format technology camera has greater advantages in this respect. However, there is a saying that the image quality will decline at the minimum aperture, so when I seek the maximum depth of field, I often use the penultimate aperture, such as the lens with the minimum aperture of F/32, and I shoot with F/22.

—— Unless it is necessary to recommend using fewer filters, use multiple filters with caution, especially it is not recommended to shoot with a UV mirror all the time to protect the lens;

-Use a hood whenever possible;

-If the camera has a reflector pre-lift function, use it every time, so don't bother;

-Insist on using the cable release/shutter remote control, and get into the habit of taking a backup before going out (sometimes friends can touch your light);

-Always check whether the tripod is firmly connected with the tripod, and carry the tripod and tripod tools with you for later use;

-Choose a sturdy tripod. When using, give priority to expanding the pipe section with larger diameter, and do not raise the central axis unless absolutely necessary;

-When erecting a tripod, choose a firm fulcrum (if it is muddy, it is best to pad it with stones and bricks);

-Press the shutter when the wind is strong, and press the shutter if there is traffic 200 meters before/after the passage.

3. Use the filter appropriately to achieve the desired effect.

Polarizer is still a necessary filter for both film machine and digital machine. Use it to:

—— Reduce water surface reflection and deepen water surface color;

-Take clear pictures of fish, stones, dead branches, etc. Under water;

-deepen the blue of the sky;

-Reduce the influence of fog on the picture;

—— Eliminate the reflection on the surfaces of non-metallic objects such as leaves and deepen their color saturation.

For the film machine, the gradient grey mirror is also essential, because there are many occasions when the light ratio exceeds the film tolerance. If we don't have it at this time, we will regret this trip in vain.

4, the necessary post-processing technology

At present, there are the following paths and links for post-processing and output of reverse film works:

Path 1: flushing >; & gt& gt scanning >>& gt image processing >>& gt printing.

Path 2: flushing >; > > Direct discharge diagram

First of all, the cleaning process of the reversing plate is very important no matter which path. Print shops with the following bad records should resolutely resist:

-Making continuous scratches on the negative;

-The chemical solution between films developed by different manufacturers was not changed as required, resulting in discoloration or deterioration of the films (unfortunately, it is impossible to determine in advance whether there is no loss in this respect, and it is recommended that novices consult more experienced photographers).

5, equipment selection/film or digital

In terms of equipment selection, I personally want to make good works. Equipment is just my tool, so I never stick to a certain brand. Of course, for friends who have the conditions and are interested, it is understandable to buy expensive brand-name equipment. Brand-name equipment can enhance their confidence and has the value of playing and collecting. Why not? However, for friends who don't need this, there is no need to feel ashamed. The good news is that past masterpieces are rarely marked, and few people care about what equipment they were shot with.

My main system is that two sets of Pentax 645 fuselage share six lenses (30, 35, 45-85, 120, 200, 2x), Fotoman6 17 plus Nikon SW90/4.5, except for 6 17 fuselage, which are all second-hand. I chose Pentax 645 as the main system of landscape photography because it has achieved a perfect balance in frame size, system matching, portability and cost performance.

Proposition 4. How to read the map?

Whether I appreciate other people's works, shoot my own works, or examine my own works, I ask myself to measure them from four dimensions: conception, composition, lighting and color. There may be some different views, but almost all of them can be summed up in these four directions.

1, conception

As I understand it, the idea means that before deciding to start shooting a work-no matter whether this period of time is long or short-the author must find out in part or in whole:

What moved me in this scene?

-What are the core elements? What are the indispensable auxiliary elements?

-How do I feel?

-Can this intuitive feeling promote a visual theme?

Will others be interested in such a subject?

If I decide to record and deliver this theme, is this scene enough to express it?

There is a process of self-verification. You can allow some people to have different understandings of your work for a period of time, but you can't let everyone never understand it.

Here's an example of shooting seascapes to illustrate the process.

Once, I made an appointment with two old friends from Shenzhen to photograph the sea view of Dapeng Peninsula, and by the way, I photographed its "debut" with a 6 17 camera that I bought for half a year and never had time to try it out. The whole process is as follows:

-Design of shooting theme: I am sure to create an "ethereal, fairy-like reef seascape";

-determine the way to achieve it: this effect can only be produced through long-term exposure to rocks and waves;

-Choice of weather and shooting location: Choose a sunny day at sunrise, with Dapeng Peninsula facing the beach protruding eastward, stay in the local area the night before shooting, and get familiar with the terrain, route and road conditions to the shooting location in advance;

-Shooting schedule: The sunrise in this season is about 5:50-6:00, and the seaside sky turns white earlier. Based on this, it is required to set up the camera before 5: 00 to complete the shooting preparation.15; From the accommodation to the beach near the shooting point, it takes about 30 minutes to walk along the rugged reef section (including the selected shooting point) in the dark, so I finally decided to get up at 4 o'clock and go out at about 4: 40.

-Actual shooting process: I started at 5: 15, first took the first shot with the combination of F/8 and 16min, and then took a few more shots when the sun jumped out of the water. One of the warm works is the combination of F/22, 1/8sec;

-Work: It took several days to see the results. As a test film, I feel ok. The one with long exposure time basically achieved the expected effect. Therefore, I take it for granted that this work is my "creative" product, and other films made this time are my "documentary" products and incidental results. In terms of shooting intention, their positioning in my mind is completely different.

Scanning is a 50MB TIF file, using a roller scanner, 300dpi, and the long side is about 6400pix. Off-topic, waiting to see your own film developed is also one of the fun sources of using the film machine.

Step 2 write a composition

There are many monographs on composition techniques, so I don't need to go into them. I'm here to share some feelings accumulated in the actual shooting process:

-developing the above thinking habits in the process of conception is of great help to the composition. For example, distinguishing the core elements and auxiliary elements in the scene can help us extract the subject and companion smoothly. In fact, many times, conception and composition are synchronous or interspersed;

-The position of the subject (center of interest) must be prominent. It can be placed at the intersection of the "golden section", or in the middle of the picture or other positions to see the creative intention.

-Keep only the necessary companions to make the picture simple and orderly;

-Pay attention to the overall balance of the picture. Of course, some themes need to create a sense of imbalance, not included;

-Be good at using elements such as foreground and background, depth of field, and visual guide lines that guide the viewer's line of sight to the main body to create a three-dimensional picture. Foreground can sometimes play a good role in balancing the picture;

-don't be too full of composition, and in most cases, the picture should be left blank in landscape photography;

—— Pay attention to the position of the horizontal line in the picture, whether it is in a horizontal state;

-I usually shoot at least one horizontal and vertical composition of a scene that I think is good for different purposes;

From the very beginning, I asked myself to be rigorous in composition, and I would never shoot casually or edit later. Because, I hope I can share my "finished product" with my friends directly with the film viewer or slide projector-no matter how high or low, at least it is not a "semi-finished product". I don't want to be unwilling and embarrassed to explain to others at this time: "This film, in fact, if you cut these parts ... is it still desirable?"

3. Most works with good light, shadow or tone effects can be traced:

-Make good use of morning and evening light to create pictures with low color temperature and low contrast, such as works with early sunset and long exposure time;

-Make good use of backlight or side backlight to outline the scenery or create a silhouette effect to enhance the three-dimensional sense of the picture;

-Make good use of the difference between light and shade caused by the side light on the surface of non-smooth objects to highlight the texture of the objects;

-Make good use of backlight to highlight the brightness and saturation of red leaves and yellow leaves and the texture of leaves;

-Using focused light to illuminate the main body through the clouds or gaps of the object, you can get an effect similar to stage lighting. For example, small villages in the western plateau often encounter scenes where lights illuminate the village and the surrounding Shan Ye is hidden in the shadow of clouds;

-skillfully use the reflection of objects on the water;

-Prolonging the exposure time with a slow door or a reducing mirror will cause the trailing effect of moving objects, such as satin-like water, fog-like spray, blurred fast-moving clouds, and light bands formed by night lights.

These lighting techniques are nothing more than making a fuss about the color temperature (color), direction (incident angle, direct/refraction/reflection), intensity, luminous flux and irradiation range of light.

Step 4 color

In the case of taking color photos, the color composition of the work is another main evaluation dimension. There are two completely different evaluation directions when evaluating color composition.

On the one hand, pictures with strong contrast colors are more attractive. Contrast colors usually refer to complementary colors, such as cyan and red, magenta and green, yellow and blue. Each pair of complementary colors will be achromatic (that is, white) after mixing.

On the other hand, a harmonious picture is more "pleasing to the eye". Color harmony usually refers to the situation that the colors contained in the picture are similar in three attributes: color (color type), purity (brightness) and lightness (which position is between white, gray and black):

-The colors are similar. For example, two colors in the same red series are easy to be harmonious;

-It's about the same purity. For example, two colors with medium purity are more harmonious than one with high purity and one with low purity;

-lightness is similar. For example, two light colors are more harmonious than one light color and one dark color.

In addition, some psychological factors will also affect people's perception of color. For example,

-Size, shape and distribution of color areas;

-Various colors when regarded as abstract shapes or representations of recognizable objects;

-The age and artistic education level of the viewers;

-watching it for a long time will have an adaptive effect, thus confusing the feeling of attracting TINT;

Advertising will guide people to judge whether TINT is in line with the trend, and so on.

In the case of black and white photos, there is only one of three color attributes: lightness. It is related to whether the details are rich (especially the details of bright or dark parts), whether the levels/transitions are delicate, and the contrast.

Among the above four basic elements, which one can best reflect the author's professional standard?

-Intention: This is an aesthetic and philosophical issue, which is related to the artistic accomplishment of the author and the appreciator. There is no hard and fast standard, you can put it aside first.

—— Run out: Works with obvious highlights/dark parts overflow (except for some special needs) are of course beyond our discussion;

-color: basically look at "conception", as long as the collocation is not too vulgar.

Therefore, in my opinion, the level of composition is a watershed to distinguish between "professional level" and "amateur level". Of course, when I say "professional" and "amateur" here, I mean level, which has nothing to do with occupation.

A movie, no matter how good the scene is and how beautiful the lighting is, is still an "amateur" work if its composition is badly damaged.

Proposition 5: How to shoot like a master?

Personally, I have never been superstitious about masters, but I am afraid.

Therefore, aspiring to become a master is by no means a shameful thing, but a promising performance of a society. Of course, those who aim high but never put them into action, or those who are occasionally called "masters" and get carried away, are not included.

People who really pursue photography, even if they can't become masters, have to look like masters. We are not sure what kind of person we can be, but we can determine what we want to do and how to do it.

1, starting point: demand yourself by master's standards.

What is the standard of a photographer? My understanding is: from thinking to technique. In other words, think and act like a master.

To understand the thinking of the masters, I especially recommend intensive reading of Frank Horvat's "The Photographer's Dialogue". The publishing house still has a small amount of stock.

There are countless books on techniques, so it is recommended to read more books and albums by photographers at home and abroad.

Reading books is not enough. You have to turn it into your own thing and practice it.

2. finish line: set your own shooting goal.

Anyone who can become a master has his own ideal of photography-what does he want to do in the field of photography and what position photography will occupy in his life? They all have their own photography ideas-what to shoot, what not to shoot, how to observe things and how to shoot their own characteristics? And your own shooting goal-what subject are you shooting? How to achieve it?

Once the staged shooting goal is established, it should be put into a specific shooting plan. The shooting plan must be specific, with a clear timetable and realistic operability.

3. midway: make persistent efforts.

After the starting point and the end point are clear, the rest will be put into action.

For most amateurs who pursue photography, the biggest challenge is: how to strike a balance between photography and livelihood? Trade-offs are the real test.

Proposition 6. what do you want to do?

The answer to this question will affect your shooting behavior. There are usually three options:

-totally photography for a living. This road is still difficult to walk in China at present. The main sources of income of famous professional photographers are speeches, tours and books. The demand for pure landscape works in commercial photo libraries is far less than that of commercial photographic materials.

—— entertaining oneself, completely ignoring the commercial income of the work;

-Concentrate on filming, but don't give up trying to get a commercial return.

Someone can go either way. Photographers will be faced with this choice, and should not pretend that this problem does not exist, nor should they swing back and forth frequently.