SHEEP

FINE ART ATELIER: 01 | SHEEP, MIDDLEHURST

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Photographed on Middlehurst Station, this image of sheep is a combination of capture and post-production, landscape photography and an idea: we use ND filters to blur water and clouds, why not blur sheep as well?

As with all our Fine Art Ateliers, this is not a movie on the 'how to' camera or editing techniques, which are covered elsewhere in the MasterClass. Rather, it's all about the thought process that was required to turn a relatively flat raw file into a finished photograph with power and impact. And as you'll find out, this MasterClass is all about ideas.

MONTE FITZ ROY

FINE ART ATELIER: 01 | MONTE FITZ ROY

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Monte Fitz Roy lies in the heart of Patagonia, in Argentina. It is an iconic mountain with its sheer cliffs piercing the sky, visible from up to 100 kilometres away. You can visit the area in inclement weather and not even see it, but the mountain gods smiled favourably on our cameras and provided a light show to remember.

What you are seeing in this movie is a series of steps from the basic capture to the final rendering. The steps are not necessarily the quickest way to create the image, rather they follow the thought process of discovering the image through colour, contrast and exposure. Two quite separate processes are involved: that of pre-visualising the image, and that of rendering it in Photoshop.

CAMERAS

KNOWLEDGE: 01 | Which Cameras Are Best for Landscapes?

The traditional landscape photograph displays great depth and incredible detail. Viewers feel as though they can step into the image, inspect every blade of grass and touch the rocks and trees, so this means everything from our technique to the equipment we use should be pointed at a high quality result. 

Today, any modern DSLR or mirrorless camera with a high resolution sensor (18-megapixels or more) can produce image quality that the old film photographers could only dream about. There is no need for you to have pixel-envy. So, if you're reading this and wondering if your camera has what it takes to capture great landscape photographs, the answer is 100% YES!

However, when you read or view other photographers talking about landscape photography, it can be useful to understand what the different cameras can do. For instance, in the days of film, to capture an ultra high quality image required a large format technical camera (the ones with bellows and a black cloth), either with 4x5” or 8x10” sheet film, or perhaps a 6x17 cm panorama format on roll film. These cameras were many times larger and heavier than the DSLR and mirrorless cameras we use today because they had to hold physically large sheets and rolls of film.

A few landscape photographers are still using film, but most have moved to digital because the quality we can achieve today with an inexpensive DSLR or mirrorless camera exceeds what even large format film could produce. For the purposes of these Masterclasses, I will concentrate on digital cameras, but I acknowledge the romance of using a film camera as well.

Full Frame DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

While expert landscape photographers may boast about their medium format cameras, the more common option is a full-frame digital SLR (DSLR) or mirrorless camera with as many pixels as you can afford. This is what most people use, simply because medium format is so much more expensive.
 
The more pixels you have, the easier it will be to make high quality enlargements. Do you want to make enlargements? We think you will eventually if you don't already! And even if you're just looking to produce a photo book or the occasional print, there is a lot of satisfaction to be had with some extra pixels. So, how many do you need?
 
For instance, a 20-megapixel camera might have a 5000x4000 pixel sensor. How big can we make a print and retain great quality? If we print to a high standard of 360 ppi (pixels per inch), we can make a 14 inch print. It will look a million dollars. On the other hand, we can enlarge to nearly 30 inches if we’re happy to work at 180 ppi (and most inkjet printers will perform admirably with this number of pixels). It will also look a million dollars because we will view it from slightly further away.
 
Compare this with a 50-megapixel sensor with 8688x5792 pixels to play with. Now we can make a 29-inch or 58-inch print on the same basis. The more pixels you have, the larger you can make a print and the better your landscapes are going to look when exhibited on the wall or printed in a photo book.
 
So, what camera body do you purchase? In the Canon DSLR range, the 50-megapixel EOS 5DS and 5DSR produce more quality than the EOS 5D Mark IV with 30-megapixels or the EOS-1D X Mark III with around 20 megapixels. This is good news because the EOS 5DS and 5DSR are considerably less expensive than the professional EOS-1D X Mark III. They are also lighter which is important for a landscape photographer who has to carry his or her equipment in a backpack, but not as robust.

The EOS 5DS/R won’t take as many knock as a 1D X, nor is it as water and dust resistant. However, it’s easy enough to look after your camera, even to the extent of carrying a small umbrella or covering your camera with a shower cap borrowed from your hotel room if it’s raining. 

The downside to the aging EOS 5DS/R is that it doesn't perform as well at higher ISO settings - it has more noise. If you're wanting to shoot in low light, then the EOS 5D Mark IV would be a better choice, even though it only offers a 30-megapixel sensor. In comparison, the more recent Nikon and Sony cameras have exceptional low light performance and more pixels as well.

Nikon has several full-frame DSLRs, but really there is just one that's ideal for landscape photography: the Nikon D850. The D850 doesn't have the anti aliasing filter that's found on many DSLRs, plus it has 45-megapixels, so in theory, the images are that much cleaner and crisper, approaching medium format resolution.

What about the other Nikon DSLR cameras? Nothing wrong with them, but they don't have the same number of pixels. Simple! And the newer mirrorless Z7? Now, that's a great option because it's smaller and lighter, yet offers essentially the same sensor. There's nothing wrong with mirrorless cameras for landscape photography, but they require more power. And that's easily fixed with a couple of spare batteries.
 
Sony has some great models that are also small and compact and with technology changing all the time, you should review what is available after reading this article. The Sony A7R IV, for instance, boasts a 61-megapixel sensor.

All the cameras we've mentioned have 'full frame' sensors. So why a full frame instead of a smaller APS-size sensor? Just as medium format sensors have advantages over the smaller DSLR format, so does a full-frame DSLR sensor have advantages over an APS-size sensor. Simplistically speaking, larger pixel wells (sites) can hold more photons which gives an improved dynamic range, and larger sensors can also hold more pixels at larger sizes. However, I acknowledge that many readers might never notice the difference between the two, so if you have a smaller sensor camera, don't worry! It will be fine - guaranteed!
 
However, because we are detail orientated, when choosing a DSLR or mirrorless camera, we recommend a full-frame sensor with at least 30-megapixels.
 
If your budget doesn’t stretch this far, then purchase as many pixels as you can. A smaller sensor won’t limit your creativity or enjoyment of landscape photography in any way. Your main restriction will be one of output – how large a print you can make, or how much you can crop an image after capture. And if it’s a choice between an APS-sensor and a more expensive full-frame sensor, or better quality lenses, you’re better off spending more money on the lenses. We'll discuss lenses in the next MasterClass.

If you're not interested in medium format, you can stop your reading here. On the the other hand, if you're wondering about some of the issues medium format photographers deal with, by all means, read on!

The Ultimate Landscape Camera

What is the ultimate landscape camera? There is no single answer to this question and any answer will be subject to disagreement. However, for me the ultimate landscape camera is the Phase One XT with the IQ4 150-megapixel back. However, at a cost in excess of US $60,000 for a camera system with one lens, this is not a toy many people will be buying.

However, if money were no object and your only consideration was maximum image quality, then you would want to be shooting with a medium format digital camera or digital back. This might not be the only camera you use. On some trips I take a DSLR or mirrorless camera system instead of or in addition to my medium format outfit, depending on what I expect to be photographing.
 
However, a 100-megapixel or 150-megapixel digital back represents the ultimate capture device for landscape photography, easily exceeding the quality we associated with 8x10” sheet film.
 
There are three main reasons that medium format is superior to a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The first is the number of pixels – the resolution and detail can be much higher. The second is that a medium format digital back has no anti-aliasing filter, whereas many DSLRs (but not all) generally do. Anti-aliasing filters reduce unwanted moire patterns, but to achieve this they blur the image slightly first (and this is why our raw processing software automatically applies a small amount of sharpening when we open our files).
 
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a medium format digital back has a greater dynamic range than a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Dynamic range measures how wide a range of tones we can capture without 'blocking up' or 'clipping' details. The wider the dynamic range, the more tones you can record, which means better landscape photographs with more detail throughout.

DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can typically record a 9 to 13 EV (stop) tonal range, whereas medium format digital is from eleven to fifteen EV. You can exceed these limits with any camera by bracketing your exposures, but exposure for exposure, the medium format digital back is the king pin.

If you’re looking at the work of leading landscape photographers around the world and wondering how they manage to capture such breathtaking quality, the answer begins with the capture device they use. Yes, you can replicate medium format quality by making multiple exposures and stitching frames (we look at these techniques later in the MasterClass), but it takes a bit more post-production and it works best when your subject isn’t moving!

And in addition to Phase One, there are other medium format cameras from Hasselblad and Fujifilm. Their mirrorless medium format models are considerably less expensive than the Phase One XF and XT.

Which Medium Format Digital Camera?

You'll notice we talk about medium format cameras and medium format backs. What's the difference? Some medium format cameras (like the Fujifilm GFX models) have the digital sensor built into the camera. Other medium format cameras, like the Phase One XF and XT, have a detachable medium format back: the same back can be used on both the XT and XF camera by switching it around.

Why would you want to put the digital back onto different cameras? One reason is to access different lenses.

If quality is your prime consideration, producing a high quality digital sensor is only one part of a complex equation. Equally important is the quality of the lens that will project the image onto the sensor and the highest quality lenses available today are still ‘large format’ digital designs.
 
Large format lenses can be positioned at an optimum optical distance from the sensor (or film) to produce maximum image quality. Lens designers love large format lenses because there are fewer limitation to work within. However, large format lenses only fit on technical cameras, like the Phase One XT or a monorail camera. They are not autofocus either!
 
In comparison, when designing lenses for a medium format SLR, the size of the reflex mirror box and the movement of the reflex mirror determine the minimum distance that the lens can be positioned from the sensor. For wide-angle lenses, this imposes restrictions on what can be achieved optically by the designers. However, the lenses can be autofocus.

Today with mirrorless medium format cameras (which don't have the bulky mirror box arrangement), lenses can once again be designed and positioned for maximum sharpness, so some of the advantages held by large format lenses are now shared with more modern mirrorless designs. Yet still, it is the 'large format' lenses that produce the ultimate 'sharpness' and detail.
 
What does this mean practically? Well, if you buy a mirrorless medium format camera, nothing because the sensor and camera are one unit and you can only attach lenses designed for the camera.

However, if you're using a Phase One or Hasselblad with a detachable digital back, then you can use different cameras and therefore different lenses. 

Let’s compare two excellent lenses, the Rodenstock 23mm large format lens and the Schneider Kreuznach 28mm for the medium format DSLR.
 
The Rodenstock 23mm is small, compact and incredibly sharp from edge to edge. Stopped down to around f8, there are few lenses in existence that can match its clarity and detail. However, the lens must be positioned very close to the sensor and focusing is critical. The lens moves physically less than one millimetre to change focus from infinity to one metre, making it difficult to use with a standard monorail or drop-bed view camera. The best option for lenses like this is a helical focusing mount and a special purpose camera like the Phase One XT when combined with a Phase One digital back.
 
The Schneider Kreuznach 28mm is a much larger and heavier lens, but it is incredibly easy to use and focus – especially since the Phase One XF camera has very accurate autofocus. Image resolution in the centre of the image is incredibly sharp and detailed, but because the lens is positioned so far from the sensor (to accommodate the mirror box), resolution isn’t as good around the edges of the frame. For some landscape (and architectural) photographers, this could be an issue that directs them towards a large format camera system. For my style of landscape photography, it’s not such an issue because I like to darken the edges of my landscape photos anyway, but it is a limitation.
 
One other point: the XT and other technical cameras are completely manual in operation, so there is no metering or autofocus. This is an attraction for some photographers, but it also affects the speed with which you can react to a situation. Using an automated medium format DSLR certainly speeds up how quickly you can work if you need to.

RAW PROCESSING

POST PRODUCTION: 01 | Basic Raw Processing

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To get the most out of our digital image files, we need to set our camera to 'raw' mode and then use a raw conversion program, like Adobe Camera Raw (which is found in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Lightroom) or Phase One Capture One Pro. This not only allows us to make many creative decisions concerning exposure, contrast and colour, it also lets us remedy some deficiencies in the original capture. This movie describes the basic steps required to convert a raw file for later post production in Photoshop (or a similar editing program).

PATAGONIA

LOCATION SURVEY: 01 | Patagonia In Spring

Monte Fitz Roy is the iconic mountain peak from South America's Patagonia. Early morning with 100mm lens.

Patagonia lies at the southern tip of South America, spanning both Argentina and Chile. It is a wild, untamed land of sharp mountain ranges, fractured glaciers and deep, blue alpine lakes. The horsemen (gauchos) of Patagonia are renowned for their hardy existence and while their attire isn’t as romantic as one hundred years ago, the lines in their faces tell the same story.

I have visited Patagonia several times now, but the first was with a photography tour. Darran Leal and I took a small band of enthusiastic photographers on a two week tour which included minibus transport and comfortable hotels, plus a few nights in tents below the infamous Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.

Why did I travel with a bunch of other photographers, rather than heading out on my own? For this trip, I felt there were some advantages. First, we have the services of a local guide who knows the area. Some of the places we went to I probably wouldn’t have found on my first trip, so rather than spending time working out what to do and see, the tour took me directly there. Second, this was a photography tour first and foremost, not a general tour. General tours would probably have had us eating dinner in a restaurant when the light was best, whereas photo tours are focused on photography. We didn’t miss anything except perhaps a few hours sleep in our quest for the best light. 

Darran Leal pointed out these small birch leaves which 'buried' themselves in the surface of Moreno Glacier.

The tour focused on three main destinations, beginning with the Moreno Glacier which is one of the few glaciers increasing in size (global warming means most of them are decreasing). The beauty of shooting the Moreno Glacier is the nearby vantage point, directly in front and slightly above. There are some simply fantastic angles. We also took a boat tour across the lake and a walk on top of the glacier itself – just along the edges which are far more stable than the centre or the front. Some parts of the glacier are constantly moving and from time to time you will clearly hear the creaks and groans of ice upon ice.

The next stop was at El Chalten, a small village below Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, Argentina’s two key mountains in Patagonia. We left the minibus in town and walked several kilometres or so to an alpine camp. Tents, sleeping bags and a mess tent are permanently staffed, providing you a comfortable base with instant access to the sights of the mountains. There was nothing better than stepping out of your tent and wandering down the track to see some of the most spectacular light shows in the world. We were all there to see the alpine glow (the brilliant reds and oranges on the mountain facades) and we weren’t disappointed. 

These three gauchos were bemused by the interest we showed. Shot with a 50mm lens

We travelled in spring – November from memory – and so it was cool but not freezing. Well, I say that lightly because there was plenty of snow around, the lakes had small icebergs floating on them, and there were a few times when it snowed quite heavily, even if it melted upon touching the ground. It was important to have warm clothing and gloves. We also had to take spare batteries because we spent three nights away and there was no opportunity to recharge. Today, one spare battery for the latest DSLRs will probably be more power than you need, but even so you should limit the amount of reviewing you do on the camera’s LCD screen. Mind you, it can be hard not to look at the shots you are capturing! 

The blue icebergs bank up against the shore of Lago Grey.

The third location is Torres del Paine in Chile. This is a uniquely shaped mountain range surrounded by grass-covered hills and aquamarine glacial lakes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t particularly kind for my first visit (but it just meant I had to go again).

It takes a full day to drive around to Chile. Long, long roads over wide, wide plains of desolate landscapes with hardly a town or a farmhouse in between – you quickly understand why the gauchos are known as some of the most hardy men on Earth! We made many photo stops along the way, including an encounter with a trio of very patient gauchos who were no doubt amused by the group of photographers in front of them.

Lago Grey was visited in a strong wind. Well, ‘gale’ is probably a better description and it was hard enough to stand up, let alone walk along the beach or put up a tripod! However, I found a few large rocks behind which I could shelter from the wind – it limited my camera angles, but still it wasn’t hard to take a strong photo. The lake itself was congested with icebergs, oddly-shaped chunks of ice which had sheared off the glaciers at the far end of the lake and had been blown onto the shore – an eerie, fascinating landscape.

The Blue Lake around the other side of the massif was iceberg free with some wonderful yellow daisy fields in front of a charcoal black sky. In fact, the sky was so black we wondered if it were a storm and sure enough, five minutes later we were all huddled in the minibus while the front moved through. The storm didn’t last too long and we were soon greeted by a brilliant, clear air with visibility unlike any other place I have seen.

Throughout Patagonia, Darran also found us plenty of wildlife and nature opportunities: foxes, guanacos, frogs, condors, ducks, armadillos, skunks and lots of wildflowers. Even though it was cold, it was also spring!

Patagonia is an amazing destination and this is just the southern end of Argentina and Chile. Up north in these two countries are even more amazing sights. All it requires is some more time and more disk storage!

Snow was falling as I made this exposure. Just love the simplicity of the triangular rock. A strong ND filter was used to get a long exposure time and let the water blur. Shot with a 24mm Canon TSE lens.

CRITIQUE

PHOTO ADVICE: 01 | Critique Session

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MARKETS

BUSINESS ACUMEN: 01 | Potential Markets for Landscape Photography

Many readers aren’t interested being full time landscape photographers, but most would happily earn a little extra from their images if possible.

Landscape Photography Markets

• Fine art, limited edition prints.
• Home décor prints.
• Posters.
• Greeting cards.
• Postcards.
• Calendars.
• Guide books.
• Travel books.
• Coffee-table books.
• Internet websites.
• Advertising.

Fine Art And Photo Décor

Landscapes for Publication

Self-Publication

Stock Libraries