Portrait Landscape Photography
Traditionally we all associate landscape photography with sweeping vistas in a horizontal orientation right? Well the answer, on average, I guess is yes. However one of my favourite forms of landscape photography is literally turning this on its head or side. What are you on about I hear you cry? Ok I'm not completely bonkers, so hear me out. I'm talking about portrait landscape photography. Instead of capturing images in the traditional landscape orientation, we are using the camera in portrait or vertical orientation instead. So why do we do this, well there a number of reasons and ones which, for me, open up a whole host of creative possibilities when out in the field. Portrait wide angle images are probably my favourite and I get huge satisfaction from creating images in this format. So in this blog I'm going to discuss the why and also my approach to shooting images in this way.
Deep Dale Beck Winter
17mm f11 ISO 100 0.4 Sec
I wanted to remove a lot of the dead space on either side of the falls, which didn't really offer much to the image. The main elements where the falls and the glorious backdrop of Greenhow End. The foreground had some nice rock and the mid ground supplied the flow of the falls. Greenhow End dominates the valley and as a result its very prominent in the scene.
Why I shoot portrait:
I'm constantly trying to find originality and creative stimulation. The Lake District is a mecca for Landscape photography with millions flocking to its fair hills and waters with their cameras every year. So it becomes difficult to find that originality in such a saturated climate. So I started to look for new angles in locations I and many others have visited multiple times. This really helped to keep things fresh and those all important creative juices flowing. I love trying to piece together the jigsaw puzzle that is landscape photography in portrait. If Im shooting with my wide angle lens I'm really trying to focus in on a particular subject and removing the clutter that a wider shot can bring. Sometimes I think there is too much going on in landscape shots and they can loose sight of what we are looking at, portrait for me can let us hone in on the exact subject.
Wastwater Autumn Light:
18mm f11 ISO 100 1/20th Sec
I used the jagged rocks as a lead into the image, incorporating the cleft running from the bottom right up through the image. The shimmery waters of Wastwater made an great mid ground and I used a focal length of around 18mm as going wider made the fells a little too small. I also angled my lens towards the ground and this helped to stretch out the fells using the gentle distortion on the wider lens.
My Approach:
When shooting in portrait orientation with the wide angle lens I like to consider the foreground, mid ground and background when composing the image. Very similar to how I like to compose my horizontal images. Like all forms of landscape photography, composition is king and we need to really think about what we are wanting to achieve in our image. Shooting in portrait is no different, in fact there maybe a little more to consider when shooting in this orientation. My first consideration is my background and will it work in a wide vertical context? Will the background appear to small and lose impact? Can I use the distortion of the wider focal length to gently enhance the impact of the mountains?. Do I need to pull in my focal length a little and what doesn't add to the image. These are all elements I need to consider. Once I've determined if it is suitable then I look to build the lower two thirds of the image. The foreground tends to make up a larger proportion of the lower section of the image, as for me it helps to create depth, so the foreground needs to be really strong to pull the viewer through the image and towards the background. Bringing in some mid ground also acts to bridge the gap if you like and helps to add to further depth and layering which is vital for creating a 3D look and an image that really leaps out at you. I play around with different angles and use the natural distortion of the lens to exaggerate different elements in the scene ie maximising foreground or stretching out of the background.
Great Langdale Autumn Gold:
16mm f11 ISO 200 1/80th sec
I used this collection of rocks and wind swept grasses to form my lead into the Langdale Pikes. The tree, Blea Tarn and the small hillock leading up to Side Pike formed my mid ground and really adds so many differing layers and pleasing elements. The backdrop is of course the Langdale Pikes and the head of Great Langdale. I didn't til the angle too much this time as the Pikes where prominent enough and I wanted to add a little more sky as the cloud was dramatic and moody and really complemented the rest of the scene.
Limitations and Conclusions:
As with everything there are circumstances and situations where shooting wide portrait doesn't really work. The biggest one for me is if the fells you want to shoot are far away, so due to the effect of the wide angle they can appear like dots on the horizon and offer zero impact. We really need to be close up to our subject so the background is really prominent, after all thats probably what took our interest in the first place. In tandem you also need interesting foreground, as this will make up an integral part of the image, for me roughly a third. So if there is no interesting foreground to work with, again wide really isn't the best option. If all the elements do align then its well worth having a play around and see what you can come up with. Its a really great way to mix up your photography and find some interesting and differing perspectives. Its certainly helped me to keep my photography fresh and interesting.
Tim