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Landscape Photography: Where, how, when and why

by Paul Gallagher

When seriously involved in landscape photography (as I regard myself ), there is more to it than meets the eye than the final image. In fact my process, or the 'ritual' that I follow to date, is born of a thousand variations and decisions about what I aim to achieve. To stand an outside chance of coming home with an image that I would consider worthy of hanging in a gallery, or printing in a publication, I cannot rely on good luck or chance. This has involved me in having to heed lessons learned and constantly adjust what I do prior to, and during, the photographic process.

Furthermore as you move through the film formats, the larger the format, the larger the camera, the less film you are likely to expose. I remember when I would head out for a day with a small bag with one 35mm camera, three supplementary lenses and 10 rolls of film. I would shoot all images that I perceived to be worthy of collection, process the films and make the selection process at a later date. Now, shooting almost entirely in 5x4, this is not an option for both time and financial reasons.

Secondly I wanted to remove the "hit and miss" aspect of landscape photography that left me in the early days with limited numbers of strong images and some, which I thought were definites, that I had lost to the demon of chance. In short, I wanted to take control of what I was doing and be in charge of the process from start to finish.

My first port of call before a photographic excursion is to decide where to go and what type of image I feel the need to photograph. This could be rivers, mountains and glens, beaches or woodland. Generally I am familiar with many of the regions I photograph, but I still feel compelled to consult an OS map and seek from the information displayed what may offer a good general starting point.

I have also found that the more this practice is utilised, the better I get. Maps show me the gradient of the land, which is important when carrying large-format equipment, they tell me where the greatest expanse of sandy beach is and where the cliffs are, largest mountains and deepest valleys and most importantly the paths and roads that lead you there. Another essential use for the trusty OS map is locating just where you are (also with a compass) and, although it sounds ridiculous, being able to name the landscape you are photographing. One thing I have learned many times is that when I get wrapped up in a landscape shoot and I become enveloped in what I am doing it is very easy to return to the computer after scanning the negatives and not be sure where you where when you pressed the cable release.

If you travel long distances to take photographs it is always wise to have a quick weather check, prior to embarking on the journey. I will agree that many weather forecasts are far from accurate but I have fallen foul of the trap in the past, waking up to promising light and setting off only to find myself looking ahead into the far distance of the motorway to see light replaced by Britain's wonderful grey sky veil. It is best to do a little homework and stay in the warmth of your bed if the general consensus of internet weather sites says "Cloudy in the Trossachs"! Sounds obvious but the temptation with a free day can become overwhelming.

Many photographers have a favoured spot in which to concentrate on their efforts. I have photographed in many places, but, for many reasons, find myself repeatedly drawn to the Highlands of Scotland. It is one of the only places I have visited that offers me the total, reclusive, solitude in which I can become single-minded and completely focused on my image-making. I do like other areas of the UK and what they have to offer, but I have become truly acquainted with Scotland.

It is second nature for me to head north past Glasgow and into the Glens and then onto the coastline. When I am alone, at my chosen location, I start by taking time to look and "see" what facets in the light and the land will make a photograph that will satisfy me. I still find it hard not to be overwhelmed by the overall excitement of the moment and arrive at the conclusion that I want it all on film. Conversely, at other times I wonder why I am there and whether it is even worth getting the camera out of the bag. When I do eventually get the camera out of the bag I set up slowly, giving myself time to see how the light gradually changes.

I use a Walker Titan XL with a range of Schneider lenses ranging through 150mm, 90mm and a 72mmXL. I have always used Manfrotto tripods and I currently carry a OC55PRO with a 029 head. This tripod is light to carry but heavy enough to support the Walker Titan in a sea breeze with its bellows extended. Although there are quickload film packs available, I still feel comfortable loading dark slides with Ilford Delta 100. The single most important part of my ritual in the field is not the use of camera movements or accurate focusing but how I meter the scene.

When I first began to take monochrome photography seriously I read and digested the Zone System as devised by Ansel Adams. Although, for most people, this seems over the top and largely devised for dedicated wet darkrooms, I feel that some of the basic principles that I still use render my negatives with a longer tonal range and full detail. For this reason I use a Capital SP 1 degree

dedicated spot meter, which I bought many years ago, and still serves me proud. I will add that it is not the most expensive you can buy, but It does exactly what I expect, which is to accurately read reflected light from small parts of the landscape, allowing me to "place the zone" where I want it in my tonal range. Works for me! In simple terms, zone placement is derived from the fact that light meters are designed to average the light in a scene. For this purpose they set the exposure to a mid-range, average 18% grey.

If you then take that meter reading from a tiny part of the scene and adjust the exposure, you can make the result lighter or darker in the final negative. For me this is a way of reproducing or, if I choose, making a representation of the scene by controlling where the highlights and shadows fall in the image. I always rate my film at 64 ISO and so the light meter is set accordingly. This falls in line with the second part of the zone system and film tests I have done but I found the little extra exposure ensures collection of all the detail.

Finally I do use filters to control the tonal rendition and contrast of the photographs. The filters I use are a hardresin type which attach to the lens front via an adapter ring and filter holder. The main filters I carry are dedicated black and white consisting of red, yellow, green and orange along with three densities of neutral density (uniform, not graduated) and lastly, a polarising filter. I tend not to go too mad with the common failing of trying to push up the contrast in the image - doing so ignores the fact that you can squeeze out a lot of the tonal range in a monochrome image instead of also being aware that filters can make a gentle subtle shift in tonal range and reproduce what you visualised.

For example a green filter will ruin a deep blue sky but if used to filter out green light in woodlands, in spring, the effect is almost like infrared. Uniform neutral density filters are used to slow the shutter speed and lengthen exposure to create 'dream-like' effects, without altering the tonal range and I use them occasionally to blur water to differing degrees or to enhance the movement of a particular part of the scene. I use a polarising filter for two reasons - to remove/reduce the reflections on water, which is particularly good when photographing a clear mountain stream, and to give a blue sky that extra dark punch!

If all goes to plan, the next issue of Professional Imagemaker is a monochrome special and I will be covering the dodge and burn tricks associated with enhancing the mood of your landscapes.



Updated 27/04/2026 16:44:22 Last Modified: Monday, 27 April 2026