Landscapes: Practical/Conceptual

L A N D S C A P E S
M I C H A E L N E I L O ’ D O N N E L L
P R A C T I C A L / C O N C E P T U A L
Michael Neil O’Donnell
www.michaelneilodonnell.com
www.facebook.com/MNODonnellPhoto
1

Awosting Falls, Kerhonkson, NY
30 July 2012
7:08pm
Nikon D800E; Nikon 16-35 f/4
f/11 | 20mm | ISO 100 | 242 seconds
2

Little Stony Point, Cold Spring, NY
16 Feb 2014
6:45am
f/16 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 1 second
3

Crow’s Nest, Orange County, NY
23 Feb 2013
5:08pm
f/8 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 87 seconds
4

Ashokan Reservoir, Shokan, NY
30 Jan 2014
7:00am
f/16 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 0.4 second
5

The Trapps, Gardiner, NY
30 Sep 2013
6:56am
f/22 | 16mm | ISO 100 | HDR
6

Breakneck Ridge, Philipstown, NY
27 May 2013
6:03am
f/16 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 127 seconds
7

Bear Mountain Bridge, Highland Falls, NY
23 Feb 2013
3:50pm
f/11 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 88 seconds
8

New Croton Reservoir, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
7 Feb 2014
7:25am
f/16 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 1/25 second
9

H O W ?
• Plan
• See
• Execute
• Process
Plan: Plan your locations. Most of my shooting sessions have planned itineraries.
See: Brain off: what attracts your attention? Brain on: apply compositional principles.
Execute: Put your image together, maximize the capture.
Process: Edit. Try to have a vision of your final product in the field.
(Photo: Flatiron Building, New York, NY; 28 Jun 2011, 5:50pm; Nikon D90, Sigma 12-24; f/11, 24mm, ISO 200, 1/200s)
10

R E S E A R C H + L I F E S T Y L E
P L A N
Shawangunk Ridge, New Paltz, NY
4 Oct 2012
6:43pm
f/8 | 35mm | ISO 100 | 1/8 second
11

R E S E A R C H
• Locations
• Weather
• Apparel
• Sun & Moon
Locations: Google Maps with images on, Flickr Map, NYNJTC maps, local photography on Facebook: ask; state parks and other local orgs (like Scenic
Hudson, Mohonk Preserve)
Weather: Check the week in advance to plan a day. Once closer, check hour by hour forecast. Pay attention to cloud cover — can affect subject and location.
Apparel: Dress appropriately — don’t want to be worrying about cold or heat when you should be thinking about photos. Winter is esp. difficult — spikes
and snowshoes are critical for some locations. Sometimes the most important gear is not in your camera bag.
Sun & Moon: Basic sun position: suncalc.net. More detailed analysis, esp. moon position, azimuth, etc.: The Photographer’s Emphemeris.
(Photo: Awosting Falls, Kerhonkson, NY; 23 Mar 2013, 10:44am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/16, 22mm, ISO 200, 20 seconds)
12

A N E X A M P L E
4 locations
3 hours
Spikes
Cloudy
Locations: Mine Dock Park, Dockside Park, Long Dock Park, Little Stony Point
Time: 3 hours from first shot to last. Approx. 2 hours travel time, not including in between spots
Apparel: spikes were critical for dealing with ice
Cloudy: Chose dramatic locations that could stand up to heavy cloud cover. Long exposures.
(Photos, front left to right: Mine Dock Park, Dockside Park, Long Dock Park, Little Stony Point)
13

L I F E S T Y L E
• Your time
• Health
• Fitness
Your time: When do you have availability? How much time? Plan the length of the drive and the length of the hike. Try to arrive early. 9-5 jobs
are great for landscapes. The good light is usually outside business hours.
Waking early sucks but gets you great photos. Shooting sunrise is perceived as “hard”when it’s actually easy. The waking part is hard — the
photography part is dead easy.
Hiking in the dark is intimidating/scary: pair up with a friend the first couple times. Committing to someone else can also prevent you from
bailing out.
Health: Be careful with snow, ice, and extreme weather. Can joints handle uneven terrain and slopes?
Fitness: Make sure you are up to the task. Check distance and elevation on trail maps. Don’t need to be a hero — put yourself in a position for
early success.
(Photo: Wallkill Valley, Ulster County NY; 30 Sep 2013, 6:59am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/22, 21mm, ISO 100, 1/20s)
14

Anthony’s Nose, Cortlandt, NY
13 Apr 2013
7:25am
f/16 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 1/25 second
15

Bear Hill Preserve, Cragsmoor, NY
7 Feb 2014
5:14pm
f/22 | 16mm | ISO 100 | HDR
16

Cannons, Manassas, VA
3 Jan 2014
8:22am
f/11 | 25mm | ISO 100 | 1/250s
17

Ferncliff Fire Tower, Rhinebeck, NY
22 Jun 2013
6:19am
Nikon D90; Nikon 16-35 f/4
f/16 | 26mm | ISO 200 | 1/13s
18

Eastern Highlands, Putnam County, NY
24 Mar 2013
7:07am
f/11 | 17mm | ISO 100 | 20 seconds
19

S E E
• Balance
• Form
• Flow
• Exclusion
• Emotion
Arrive with purpose, but allow yourself to see what is there. Approach the location in three ways: 1) Look for what brought you to this
location, 2) What is catching your eye RIGHT NOW, 3) take some time to explore the area. Explore with and without the camera to your
eye.
(Photo: Connery Pond, North Elba NY; 13 May 2013, 7:39pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/16, 22mm, ISO 100, 128 seconds)
20

Balance
Kaal Rock / Walkway Over The Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY
3 Dec 2013
8:41am
Nikon D90; Nikon 35mm f/2D
f/5.6 | 35mm | ISO 200 | 1/125s
21

T H I N K : V I S U A L W E I G H T
Balance
Visual weight. Light vs. Dark. Bright areas attract the eye. Balancing large vs. small: up and down, left and right, diagonals.
22

Form
Pin Oak Allée, New Paltz, NY
8 Aug 2012
7:04am
f/16 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 117 seconds
23

T H I N K : G E O M E T RY
Form
Picture your photo in terms of large visual shapes. We are programmed to recognize patterns. Is something breaking up your shapes/
patters? If so, it better have a reason for being there.
24

Flow
Lake Minnewaska, Kerhonkson, NY
11 Jul 2013
8:15pm
f/22 | 16mm | ISO 100 | HDR
25

T H I N K : E N E R G Y
Flow
Do the lines and shapes in your photo work together? Does it seem natural? Everything doesn’t need to head in single direction and it
doesn’t need a purposeful end point, but they should work and flow together.
26

Exclusion
Example of an image that is too busy. No separation between featured tree and background trees. Not enough separation between
tree and background mountains.
27

T H I N K : S I M P L I C I T Y
Exclusion
Photography: subtractive. Painting: additive. As much as possible control everything that ends up in your frame. Try to “build” your
photo — have a reason for everything.
(Photo: Pitch Pine, Gardiner, NY; 24 Oct 2013, 7:37pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 50mm f/1.8D; f/5.6, 50mm, ISO 100, 25 seconds)
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28

Emotion
Trying to place mountain laurel in Gunks context: laurel and conglomerate. Total failure. Busy, poor light, no impact. Distracting
shadows.
29

T H I N K : F E E L I N G , N O T S E E I N G
Emotion
Do not photography what you see — photograph how you feel (or want to feel, or want the viewer to feel).
Mountain laurel in context. Simpler, great light, small bits of context (little touch of rock, pitch pines).
(Photo: Mountain Laurel, Gardiner, NY; 16 Jun 2013, 5:56am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/4, 22mm, ISO 200, 1/100s)
30

Brome Grass, High Falls, NY
13 Jun 2011
8:04pm
Nikon D90; Nikon 70-200 f/2.8
f/2.8 | 200mm | ISO 200 | 1/640s
31

Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington, NY
13 May 2013
7:50pm
Nikon D800E; Nikon 105mm VR macro
f/8 | 105mm | ISO 100 | 1/25s
32

Long Dock Park, Beacon, NY
12 Jan 2014
3:21pm
Nikon D800E; Nikon 105mm VR macro
f/11 | 105mm | ISO 100 | 1/250s
33

Montreal Skyline, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
15 May 2013
5:39am
f/22 | 28mm | ISO 100 | 1/6s
34

Lost City, Gardiner, NY
12 Oct 2013
7:22am
f/11 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 1/15s
35

E X E C U T E
• Depth of Field
• Focus
• Exposure
• Edges
• Technique
Learn your technical details inside and out — that allows you to not think about them when shooting.
I use aperture-priority mode most of the time (manual for long exposures).
Aperture = sharpness/DOF
Shutter speed = Can affect mood. Freeze, blur, or doesn’t matter.
ISO = Zero artistic impact — keep it as low as possible (probably 100 - 200). Never, ever, ever (Never ever? Yes, never ever.) raise ISO
unless you absolutely have to. Raising it always reduces quality. Sometimes you have to raise it, but otherwise leave it alone.
(Photo: Peter’s Kill, Kerhonkson, NY; 17 Nov 2013, 5:54pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/16, 24mm, ISO 100, 1 second)
36

M A X I M U M D O F / O P T I M A L C A P T U R E
Depth of Field
Use smallest aperture that achieves full DOF.
Plenty of calculators available: put one on your smartphone. No smartphone? Put key values on an index card.
My rule of thumb: closest object 2 feet or closer: f/16. 3-20 feet: f/11. Otherwise f/8 will work.
Will use smaller than necessary aperture to manipulate shutter speed (longer)
(Photo: Dockside Park, Cold Spring, NY; 22 Aug 2013, 9:24pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/11, 16mm, ISO 100, 130 seconds)
37

F O R G E T H Y P E R F O C A L
Focus
Hyperfocal works on paper, but not in practice.
Focus on the nearest object of significant interest. Back out DOF from there. Everything within the DOF is not equally sharp — the
sharpest portion of your photo is where you focus.
(Photo: Table Rocks, High Falls, NY; 20 Jun 2013, 8:08pm; Nikon D90, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/16, 18mm, ISO 200, 1/25s)
38

N O E X C U S E S
Exposure
No such thing as a perfect exposure. No excuse for not getting the best exposure possible.
No prizes for how, only for the final product. Chimp without guilt. Check that histogram, including the individual R, G, and B histograms.
Esp. red flowers!
Protect highlights, but know when it’s OK to let them blow (like shooting into the sun). In tough situations you are weighing shadows vs.
highlights — think about what is important and choose accordingly.
Shoot manual or use exposure compensation.
(Photo: Beaverkill Covered Bridge, Rockland, NY; 20 Oct 2012, 7:55am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/11, 16mm, ISO 100, 1/6s)
39

K E E P T H E M C L E A N
Edges
Scan your edges — look for distractions. Esp. in the corners!
It’s easy for your eyes to tune out the edges, so condition yourself to move your eyes around the frame looking for problems.
Interrupted edges are sometimes inevitable, esp. in landscapes. You don’t want to compromise your main composition too much just to
deal with an edge problem. If something must intrude make the best decision you can about where to cut it off — don’t be haphazard;
make a choice.
(Photo: Jefferson/Washington/Capitol, Washington, DC; 31 Mar 2013, 6:36am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 70-300 VR; f/8, 230mm, ISO 100, 2
seconds)
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40

B E D I S C I P L I N E D … O R C R E AT I V E
Technique
The basic trio: tripod, remote release, mirror up.
Alternatives to mirror up: self-timer and/or delayed exposure mode.
Otherwise, be creative. On your stomach, on the ground, use a rock, brace against a tree.
Hand under the lens, not on the side or on top. Elbow in body. Gentle on the shutter — don’t stab.
(Photo: Storm King Summit, Cornwall, NY; 23 Mar 2013, 6:26pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/22, 16mm, ISO 100, 119 seconds)
41

Coxing Kill, Gardiner, NY
8 Oct 2013
7:30am
f/11 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 3 seconds
42

Ocean Isle, Ocean Isle Beach, NC
13 Aug 2013
9:13pm
f/11 | 26mm | ISO 100 | 1.6 seconds
43

Flock over the Catskills, Ulster County, NY
16 Jun 2013
6:06am
Nikon D90; Nikon 70-200 f/2.8
f/8 | 200mm | ISO 200 | 1/80s
44

Wind Gate, Orange and Putnam Counties, NY
25 Mar 2013
7:20pm
f/5.6 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 375 seconds
45

Mohonk Testimonial Gateway, New Paltz, NY
8 Aug 2012
6:57am
f/22 | 16mm | ISO 100 | 90 seconds
46

P R O C E S S
• Workflow
• Brightness
• Contrast
• White Balance
• Monochrome
Workﬂow: Different for everyone, but have a workflow.
Brightness: Most important edit.
Contrast: Give it life.
White Balance: Beyond color, creative control.
Monochrome: It’s more than just clicking a button.
(Photo: Bonticou Crag, High Falls, NY; 3 May 2013, 8:17pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/5.6, 24mm, ISO 100, 1 second)
47

H AV E O N E
Workflow
It doesn’t really matter what your workflow is, but it’s certainly helpful to have one.
A consistent workflow will yield consistent edits and decreased editing time.
In general: import, cull, edit, tag & organize
(Photo: Farm, New Paltz, NY; 6 Jul 2012, 7:49pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/11, 22mm, ISO 100, HDR)
48

Brightness
BEFORE BRIGHTNESS EDITS
For emphasis: the mountain, the train, the trestle, the highlights on the trees.
To increase contrast and saturation: darker sky
49

C O N T R O L E M P H A S I S
Brightness
AFTER EDITS
The eye is drawn to brightness. If you want to draw attention to something, make it brighter. If you want to minimize something, make it
darker.
Reducing brightness will also increase color saturation.
(Photo: Moodna Viaduct, Salisbury Mills, NY; 20 Feb 2014, 6:58am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/16, 35mm, ISO 100, 1/6s)
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50

Contrast
BEFORE CONTRAST EDITS
Increase detail and overall punch.
51

A D D S O M E P U N C H
Contrast
AFTER CONTRAST EDITS
A little contrast can add life, increase apparent sharpness, create separation.
Overall conrast vs. micro-contrast (“definition” or “clarity”).
Makes dark areas darker and light areas lighter. Pay attention to shadows and highlights.
(Photo: Mid-Hudson Bridge, Poughkeepsie, NY; 26 Mar 2013, 7:29pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/5.6, 17mm, ISO 100, 133
seconds)
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52

WA R M ?
White Balance
You can warm a scene by playing with the color temperature.
(Photo: The Trapps and Clove Valley, Ulster County, NY; 4 Feb 2014, 7:29am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; panorama)
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53

C O O L ?
White Balance
…or cool it down. Your choice. Don’t be afraid to play. Use it to your creative advantage. Works best when used to accentuate what
was already there.
(Photo: Moonset over Dickie Barre, Ulster County, NY; 18 Dec 2013, 7:17am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 105mm VR macro; panorama)
54

Monochrome
EXAMPLE OF A ONE-CLICK EDIT
Good black & whites are not simply about removing color.
Converting to B&W does not make an image “arsty” or “old-timey”. Convert with purpose.
55

T O N A L R A N G E
Monochrome
A PROPER CONVERSION
White whites and black blacks.
Form, contrast, texture.
It’s not a fix for a poor image. Good (or appropriate) light is still necessary.
(Photo: Mid-Hudson Bridge, Poughkeepsie, NY; 17 Jan 2014, 8:49am; Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 f/4; f/16, 20mm, ISO 100, 48 seconds)
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56

mike@michaelneilodonnell.com
www.facebook.com/MNODonnellPhoto
Questions?
If you have a question do not hesitate to contact me. Email me at mike@michaelneilodonnell.com or post your question to
www.facebook.com/MNODonnellPhoto.
(Photo: Pin Oak Allée, New Paltz, NY; 13 Jan 2013, 2:43pm; Nikon D800E, Nikon 105mm VR macro; f/11, 105mm, ISO 100, 1/25s)
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57

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