Beaminster & District Camera Club

Following a very successful Club Members evening, organised and led by Harry Worthington, it was requested that we put up some of the information to aid Members future Landscape sessions.

 Harry started out by reminding us of some good basic rules to taking Landscapes

Composition:-

• Have some foreground interest such as some vegetation or stone wall.
• Make sure your foreground interest is actually 'interesting' and adds something to the composition.
• Use whatever lines there are in the landscape to 'lead the eye' into the scene.
• Diagonals are particularly strong, so look to use these if they are available.
• Bands of colour or textures can also work well.

Focusing Skills:-

• Don't just point and click - think about where your ideal point of focus is.
• Aperture choice will determine how much of the scene from front to back is in focus.
• Choose the right lens.  It can be fun to use an extra wide angle lens or a really long one, if this adds to the composition you are seeking.
• Use a tripod and if possible a remote release - it prevents any camera shake spoiling your shot.

Lighting:-

• Think carefully about the light direction and what time of day is best for your chosen location.
• Early morning or late afternoon/early evening are often the best times to take landscapes as the longer light and shadows often provides more dynamic lighting.
• Watch the sky as you prepare to take your shot.  It changes constantly and often just waiting for a cloud to get  to 'just the right place' adds enormously to the overall impact of your image.
• Take landscapes when the sky is more dynamic (thunderstorms or sunset)

Suggested local view points as used for the evening session are shown in the map below.  

Most important of all HAVE FUN taking your images.