What goes into a great landscape photo? See how the four critical elements of any good image -Subject, Technique, Composition, and Light- are used to craft this photo from the Peruvian highlands.
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Joshua Cripps is a full-time landscape photographer living near Yosemite National Park in California. His recent work includes the worldwide marketing campaign for the Nikon D750 camera.
For more landscape photography, tutorials, and workshops visit:
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All photos, text, and video are copyright Joshua Cripps. Any use without my express written permission is really not cool, man.
If you like mountains go to pokhara in Nepal
Wow
Love the presentation process, thought development. If that hill on the left was too big why not apply a healing brush and have more cloud?
BS useless video…….
Thank you for going out on a visual limb! You are braver than me. That said—The mountain on upper left is not the biggest element in the photo—the grass and water each are much bigger and together— dominate almost 3 quarters of the image. They are also underexposed and offer little to enhance the image. I find myself searching for information in the lower half of the frame and am frustrated there isn’t any. In terms of weight— the two areas are very heavy—like an anchor pulling the image down. I can see why you opted for the horizontal screen saver. Though as you said they lead the eye to the “visual payoff” which is very pretty—the upper stream accomplishes same. Ansel Adams wrote extensively about pre visualization vs. post rationalization. I find it very difficult to talk extensively about my own work without getting knee deep in the latter. So my hat is off to you for using your own work to illustrate some basic rules.
I think the zoomed in view of the mountains (and some clouds) would be a better photo.
all worthless info nobody thinks the same or notices same thing! i didnt notice mountains at all i saw sky and water! cant even make the mountains out really the path of water took my eyes to clouds! theres no rules people! only kiss, keep it simple stupid!
Great location and thank you for sharing your photo. I found myself wanting to turn the upper part of the photo into a landscape orientation. You do this briefly at the beginning of the video, and I am immediately drawn in.
nice helpful video!
Josh, I always wonder if when photographers happen upon a great composition if they really take note of all the compositional guidelines at the time or if just notice a great shot and capture it. I often see photographers who took really good images but it is only later when they process them that they begin to describe them in terms of rules of composition. It makes me question if the rules are so subconsciously engrained that they aren't really a thought when taking the shot or if they only later realize why the image was a good one. Thanks for the video!
Amazing the difference between those two photos!
i do not really like the picture , the location is beautiful… but the picture ain't , first to wide, then to much of the stream…….. no , really do not like it…
Very informative video. Spot on explanation. Just loved it!! Thanks a lot. Btw did you use a grad ND filter for this shot?
A question I almost always have when people describe their images is this: Did you really think specifically about all the compositional elements you mentioned before taking the photo or did the scene present itself and intuitively you knew it was a good image and determine why in terms of composition later when looking at it on the computer. I always struggle with composing with all the specifics in mind and usually "just know there is something there." I call it photographer's intuition. Of course, I think about lines and thirds but usually not until I get it on the computer and study do I really see all the things that made me take the shot. I wondered if I'm not thinking about the image beforehand enough if others feel the same way. Great video and thanks for posting!
Great info and informative. I wish I could travel for my videos.
great helpful video
Great video on composition.
Another verbose amateur.
my cereal is so crunchy that I can't hear what you're saying while I chew. help
One by one, I'm watching your clips. Thanks for the informative and thoughtful content. In this one, I immediately feel more calm when you zoom in and the frame goes to horizontal format. For me, 90% of the time, this also is a vital element of an emotionally satisfying landscape shoot. Vertical format feels unsettling. Horizontal soothes the soul.
What's your favorite landscape lens?
just thinking how confusing it would be right on the field
boring
cool video. actually I'm going to this place in Huaraz, Peru. excited to enjoy the view and take great pictures.
I love it as it is, I think if you'd gone closer to the mountain you'd lose some of those amazing leading lines. Thank you for going through your thought processes with us and showing us the difference just a few minutes can make.
Best Work! Thanks your video. Can I ask you a question ? How to change Grass colour from origin photo to Final photo as video link ? Big thanks.
Great post. I was wondering if you use the samyang 14mm?
This is great. Thanks a lot. It really helps train the eye to see things like that when being out looking for great scenes to shoot.
Great video.Actually explains the process.One of the best out there.
i like the second photo more
Great video.
Great tutorial.
Did you shoot this with a TS?? I couldn't believe the focus plane when you were scrolling down to show the DoF.
You're photos are terrible, you should stop ASAP! It's actually a beautiful shot. What's funny is on my 33rd birthday I was rewarded with an extremely rare sunset and light show that I also considered a bday gift. Again, awesome shot.
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Great video….thanks for LOADS of tips!!!
Really loving your videos thank you for your detailed critique 🙂
I would love more videos like this, where you analyse the photos and describe the settings etc
I wonder if it would have been better to increase the exposure in the bottom of the picture. Maybe it would have wasted the overall misty feeling of the picture…
great video. learned few things and got me thinking of few other things. love your videos! Just to add on to why you wouldn't have wanted to use slow shutter speed, i seems like there was quite of bit of cloud, little too much for slow shutter speed in my opinion. I think it would make it too gray with not much texture to the sky/cloud.
very useful, thank you!
What camera are you using? I use a d810 and it is so annoying that a full frame can't capture a high enough depth of field. I always need to be focus stack.