{"id":1844,"date":"2024-04-21T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-21T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skylinereptiles.com\/?p=1844"},"modified":"2024-05-01T16:14:16","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T16:14:16","slug":"how-to-use-flash-in-nature-and-landscape-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skylinereptiles.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/21\/how-to-use-flash-in-nature-and-landscape-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Flash in Nature and Landscape Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

The post How to Use Flash in Nature and Landscape Photography<\/a> appeared first on Digital Photography School<\/a>. It was authored by David Shaw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"How<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Late on a winter evening, I was photographing atop a ridge in Colorado\u2019s Front Range. I had been working on some landscape shots<\/a>, but with the light fading from the sky, the thought of beer and food was beginning to overwhelm my desire to stay out. The colors were shifting to the deep tones of blue hour<\/a>, and the light was long gone from the hills. <\/p>\n

About to give up and head home, I spotted a lone juniper atop a rocky outcrop, perfectly silhouetted against the deep blue of the mountain sky. I sighed, tempted to ignore the scene. However, it was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I put my camera back on the tripod, walked over, and composed a shot. With a click, I snapped the shutter:<\/p>\n

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\"CO<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The image was decent – it featured nice blues with a clean black foreground – but it needed some warmth, an element to contrast with the abundant cool tones. \u201cIf only I could get a beam of sunlight to reach back above the horizon\u2026\u201d I thought to myself.<\/p>\n

And then: “Wait a second\u2026” <\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t need the sun; I had a flash and a remote trigger in my bag! I pulled it out, all thoughts of beer and food forgotten, and placed the flash on a boulder a few feet to my left. I set it low, to 1\/4 of full power, then took a shot.<\/p>\n

“Better,” I thought, looking at the image glowing on the back of my camera. But it still wasn’t right. The light coming from the flash was too cool – it lacked the warmth I wanted. Digging back in my bag, I emerged with a pack of gels, slapped a half cut of CTO (color temperature orange) over the flash, and clicked off another photo.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019re talking,\u201d I muttered. Thanks to the flash, a warm beam of light had crossed the rocky foreground to light up the tree. Never mind that the actual sunlight disappeared 45 minutes before; I could re-create it with a little artificial light trickery. A few adjustments to the flash\u2019s positioning and brightness, and I had my keeper shot. Finally, I could go home. Here’s the image I captured:<\/p>\n

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\"CO<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

For most photographers, flash is relegated to the studio. If it is<\/em> used outside, it is usually restricted to portraiture. But there is so much more potential for artificial light<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Landscape and nature photography<\/a> can often benefit from a little flash, and with some creativity, it can bring out the best in your images. In this article, I share a few tips to help you start using flash for amazing nature and landscape photos!<\/p>\n

How to enhance your nature and landscape photos with flash<\/h2>\n

If you want to harness the power of flash for outstanding photos taken outdoors, here are some guidelines to keep in mind!<\/p>\n

Essential gear<\/h3>\n

To get started with outdoor flash photography, you\u2019ll need a few things in your bag:<\/p>\n