Video: Who needs clouds? Tips for capturing great landscape shots even with a clear sky

 

 

If you're a landscape photographer, there's little that's more frustrating than a clear sky. As Mads Peter Iversen says, tourists may love clear skies, but photographers hate them. However, all is not lost when clear skies are in the forecast. Iversen has several helpful tips that will make it easier to capture beautiful landscape shots even when the sky is bland.

The first step, as always, is to pick out an interesting subject for your landscape photo. A clear sky necessitates differences in how you compose around that subject. Further, the time of day you shoot matters a lot when the sky is clear because you want to get the most interesting colors possible. This means getting up early (or staying out late) to photograph during the golden hour or blue hour.

Composition is always important, but there are different considerations when you have a boring sky. You always want to have balance in your photos, and the elements you're balancing can change significantly when the sky is bare. You likely won't want to fill as much of the frame with the sky if the sky isn't interesting. Using a longer lens can help a lot by allowing you to zoom in closer to your subject and remove some of the sky from the frame. Another of Iversen's tips is to take advantage of a clear sky by including the sun or moon in your composition. A long lens will help you make the sun or moon appear larger in your frame and become a big part of your overall composition.

If you have a bright blue sky, it offers you a chance to work with complementary colors and strive for minimalist photography. Yellow, orange and red contrast wonderfully with a blue sky, so always be on the lookout for dynamic color combinations.

To see more excellent videos from Mads Peter Iversen, subscribe to his YouTube channel. To see more of his photography, check out his website and follow him on Instagram.

(Via Mads Peter Iversen)