Looking for ways to spice up your landscape photography? Travel and landscape photographer Toma Bonciu gives you 5 simple hacks in only 100 seconds. You need a tripod, some ND filters, a camera remote and willingness to change your point of view.
1. Long exposures in unusual places
Place the camera on a tripod and use an ND filter of 6 or 10 stops. Trigger the camera with the remote and take long exposures where you don’t necessary think of taking them. Search for moving elements near the ones that stay still.
2. Move your camera while shooting
This is one of the oldest tricks in a book, but it just works so well with landscapes. Move the camera up and down or in circles while shooting with long(ish) exposure. You can also shake it in irregular shapes for an interesting effect.
I even have some examples of my own:
3. Zoom your lenses
Similar to the previous one, use longer exposure and zoom in or out while shooting. The longer the zoom, the quirkier the effect. This was one of the first tricks I tried when I first bought a DSLR, but never uses it for landscape. You can also zoom in and then rotate the camera. It gives pretty interesting effect.
4. Use gradual filters in unusual ways
You already know you can use graduated filters to compensate for the sky’s brightness. But you can also use them to create a path of light. Place two graduated filters like so they partially overlap and shoot. You don’t have to have 2 identical graduated filters. You can use a 2 stops and a 3 stops filter.
5. Create cinemagraphs
Cinemagraphs are pretty interesting. They are applicable in different types of shots, so why don’t you try incorporating them in landscape photos, too?
Landscape photos are magical by themselves, but it’s always nice using something new and trying out tricks for different kinds of shots. I’d say the first three camera tricks help you create abstract photos from landscapes, which I really like. It gives a whole new perspective and if you are a landscape photographer, it allows you to create something different than usual, which can be really fun. [5 Hacks to UP your PHOTOGRAPHY in 100 seconds! via ISO 1200]
