Create Dramatic Landscape Images

Create Dramatic Landscape Photos – Start Here

Too much drama can be hard to deal with. But just like any powerful novel or entertaining movie, our creative landscape photography is a visual story and requires three basic elements. Our landscape photo needs a cast of characters, a central theme, and strong relationships between the characters. This interaction is what we usually call Drama! What we really want in a creative landscape image is “Drama-tic.”

To help me create dramatic landscape images, I ask myself, “What’s the ONE thing here that really moves me?” And WHY?

When I have my answer, I know I have uncovered the central theme of the shot. The central theme leads to the main relationship – the central characters (subjects). And once I know the relationship, I have identified the characters! Sound familiar? I try to keep all my attention on just one (or maybe two – if they are strong, characters ) subject. Try it for yourself, the next time you’re taking landscape photographs.

So when we think about create dramatic landscape images, we want to think drama! Try different angles to uncover obscure relationships between your characters, and shoot at different times of day to explore uncommon themes. Dawn and dusk are my favorites! Shoe your landscape in a way the we don’t often see it. The unusual is usually dramatic!

Think about the graphical elements in your photograph. Look for unusual patterns, colors, textures, lines, contrasts, and shapes. All of these of course are functions of light. And it is light that definitely adds the air of drama to any landscape scene. Just like in the theatre, dramatic lighting creates the mood – the emotion and the impact. Light on the landscape does exactly the same thing.

Here’s a handy survey I use to help prepare myself before I make a landscape shot. It also helps me take my time!

1. What do I like about this scene?
2. What is the light doing?
3. How can I best express this graphically in the photo?
4. How can I isolate the main theme and characters?
5. What equipment will I use?
6. Are there any complications

• • • • • extreme lighting,
        • fast moving elements,
        • awkward angles,
        • rain,
        • wind etc.

How will these things affect the landscape photograph? How will I minimize them, maximize them, or how can I use the complications to create dramatic landscape images.