Part 4

Part 4 was an interesting section that had a few things I knew and a few things I didn't know.
The first section finding photogenic landscapes was insightful. It began by explaining that a photographer must first take into consideration color. When you are hopefully going to sell your work color is a big deal. If you choose colors that are not attractive to the human eye you are basically sabotaging your own work. Next comes how you are going to work the colors into your shot. Much of it is up to the photographers style but it also depends on what the colors add and subtract from the composition.
Next he talked about atmospheric things that can happen to make your shot energized. For example a shot that has snow falling, big clouds, fog, or mist will be more interesting (most of the time) than an open landscape shot from the perspective of a tourist. Use what God created to your advantage, get up before the fog rolls out and work it.
When you are setting up a shot you also have to keep in mind camera angle. By choosing a North/South angle you will have sidelight illumination which is great for showing the textures in a landscape that otherwise looks flat.
The writer touches on, as before, The fact that a foreground is very important in putting together a landscape. He also talked about setting up the landscape and then letting the animals come into it as they please. This way you will have a nice picture already and the animals can only add to it.
Lastly the thing that will make the difference is eliminating signs of human life from the landscape. Telephone poles, mailboxes, etc. all get in the way and take away from the shot (in most cases).
In the next section: Power of Perspective, the writer talks of many things that help out a landscape. He explained how to portray depth and having size cues in the frame. These things help to make the landscape more interesting and to pop out at you as opposed to being a flat picture. In addition the angle of view can make or break a photo. Take an angle that people don't normally take.
Again he talks about side light and atmospherics. He explains that the atmospherics can at times be a pain when you are trying to get every part of the shot clear. But it is something that all photographers run in to at one point or another.
The last main point he made was the five planes: forground, cloud plane, sky plane, midground, and the feature plane. All of which help to come together as a great photo.
In the last section: Mystical Mirrors, the writer explains the advantages of having a pool of water to shoot with. He first explains some of the equipment that you need to get great water shots and how to orient them. Again he says that nothing can beat shooting in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is rising and setting.
He explains that the pools that are shielded are more advantageous because you will get a crystal reflection. The more they are guarded the less disturbances there will be in the water.
Next you need to pull out the filters to help make the shot great. Neutral density filters and polarizing filters work well. Combinations of these filters will help out immensely when working with the lighting of your shot on a pool of water.