We can feel heat, but can we see it? How do we shoot a landscape that conveys temperature? A simplistic solution might be to include a blue sky - after all it is always warm when it is ‘sunny’. However, as we all know, there are many occasions when it can be bitterly cold even when the sky is blue so, clearly, that isn’t the answer. Yet, as we travel insulated in our cars, we can often sense when it is warm outside. How, you might ask?

A Heat Haze

The answer of course is simple - any reasonably perceptive person can see heat, most noticeably as a heat haze. This is an effect of the sun that makes it difficult to see distant objects clearly. It is a strangely beautiful visual phenomenon that creates a unique quivering distortion. Areas in the distance can look strangely liquid, which is why people who have been trapped in a baking desert report seeing a lake of water in the distance; as they moved towards it, it appear to move away. This is a classic mirage.
 
A mirage is not a result of hallucinations - it is a genuine optical phenomenon. Cold air is denser than warm air and has a greater reflective index. As the light rays travel near the ground surface they are bent upwards towards the colder air, thus creating the distortions. One only ever sees this effect just above the surface of the ground. It tends to be more visible where the ground is flat. Light from the sky is refracted, making appear as if the sky is reflected on the ground and our minds interpret this as water, hence the illusion. 

Heat hazes are much more apparent on roads, particularly in the distance. The heat can build up quite noticeably on tarmac which why we tend to see heat hazes above it. The effect can be particularly interesting if you can see a distant vehicle, as it will look as if it is travelling in mid-air. A line of posts can also appear strangely distorted; because the build up of heat is more apparent nearer the surface of the ground, the distortions are much more apparent at the base of the posts.  While you can capture the effects of a heat haze with most lenses, as it is relatively distant a telephoto lens works best.
 
The appearance of some landscapes can also suggest heat

Certainly images of large sand dunes under a deep blue sky could suggest warmth, although you do  not need to be quite so obvious. Any  terrain devoid of vegetation which appears dry and baked will also suggest heat. This will be particularly apparent if all available moisture has been evaporated. Areas revealing cracked dry earth, as if the land has been scorched by a baking sun, can certainly evoke a sense of warmth.

In  the same way as a blue landscape can suggest cold, any landscape bathed in a rich red and orange light will appear warm, as red and orange are classed as ‘warm colours’. 

​Text and illustrations are from Photographing landscape whatever the weather by Tony Worobiec. Published by RHE Media.

We have collaborated with Tony and Eva Worobiec on their latest book The Water's Edge.

One aspect they explore in their new title is the intimate landscape, far away from the horizon and the large vistas. They talk about the images at our feet, in the small nooks and crannies, and the seemingly inconsequential elements, such as marks in the sand, that can serve as a microcosm of the whole.

What particularly excites Tony and Eva is that this genre encourages individuality. They emphasis that the intimate landscape is intensely personal as only you have ever noticed it. It really is unique.

And they recommend, 'Put away your wide-angle lenses as you will be far better served using a standard, macro or even a long lens. Using a tripod is helpful when doing this kind of work because not only does it allow to use a slower ISO rating (and thus maximise the quality of the image) but you are also in a position to select the aperture that best suits.'

'The best time to explore the intimate landscape is when the weather is overcast. Often the best lighting occurs after a period of light rain, as the saturation of the colours is more intense.' 

These images, taken by Tony and Eva, provide a flavour of the intimate landscape that lies at The Water's Edge.

The Water's Edge available from our online store at a special discounted price of £14.25 including postage in the UK.

​Nikon D800e, 24mm PC-E lens, f19, 3.5 minutes, 0.6 Neutral Density Hard Graduated Filter, Lee Big Stopper
 
Another great effect of using this type of filter is in urban situations where there is movement of people or cars. During the exposure time everything becomes blurred, only the parts of the image that were static in the first place will remain sharp and, once again, people and cars will almost disappear.

Exploring Black & White Photography: A Masterclass by Paul Gallagher

For many years Paul Gallagher has been photographing landscape in black and white​. These two examples show how evocative this type of photography can be at the seashore: enhancing the grandeur and highlighting a sense of loneliness at remote locations.

With spring now here and temperatures soaring perhaps this weekend is your opportunity to get out and take some pictures of the coastline nearest to you?

These images are extracted from Paul's book Exploring Black and White Photography: A Masterclass

SEILEBOST – HEBRIDES

​  Nikon D700, 24mm PC-E lens, Lee Filters 0.6 Hard Grad, Lee Filters Polariser, f13, 15 secs
 
​Seilibost is a breath-taking place to be with its wide open swathe of white sands and prevailing winds that never seem to calm. When the tide is completely out you can walk for hours on these untouched sands without seeing any footprints and as a landscape photographer you have a beautiful blank canvas to work with. The thing I love the most about working on coastal environments is not when the sun shines but when there is an impending storm. On this day the sky darkened, the contrast of tones between the dark clouds and white sands were made more apparent and it made me feel all the more exposed the powers of nature.

​FERNBEG – APPLECROSS PENINSULA SCOTLAND 

Nikon D800e, 24mm PC-E Lens, Lee Filters 0.6 Hard Grad, Lee Filters Little Stopper, f13, 40 secs 
​
This area of the Scottish Highlands feels remote and is largely untouched so you can easily lose yourself in the environment. I had seen this area of rocky outcrops hugging the sea on an OS map so I parked my car and headed out for a short walk. The geological features are fascinating here and they present themselves as large platforms and sharp crags overlooking Loch Torridon. It was these sharp and graphic shapes that kept me engrossed for many hours on this day and I have been back many times since.

Every landscape will have its golden moment. Locations that we are possibly too familiar with can assume a unique beauty depending on the weather and lighting. While the content and the structure of the landscape are vital ingredients, the most important defining factor is weather. Once you are aware of this the number of opportunities for taking great photographs increases considerably.
 
Celebrate the weather, whatever it offers
 
Adopting the right mental attitude is so important. When you look out in the morning and see that it is raining, that's a real cause for celebration. When you arrive at a location and discover that it is shrouded in thick mist, ponder on your good fortune. While travelling to a landscape you had long planned to photograph, you notice the sky is beginning to fill-in; just think of the wonderful opportunities this changing weather presents. It is so easy to dismiss the current weather as being ‘ordinary’, but no such thing exists. While I am perhaps labouring this point a little, if you are able to adopt a positive view of weather, your landscape photography will become more interesting and fulfilling.
 
Make taking photographs a daily pursuit
 
The great joy about weather is that it is always present. In the same way as a diarist records their personal activities of the day, get into the habit of recording some aspect of the weather. By doing this regularly, not only will you be developing important photographic skills, but you will also develop a unique awareness of the nuances of the changing weather patterns.  Whether you are working or a student, retired, or on holiday, make yourself go out every day and photograph some aspect of weather.
 
Get to know your area
 
Possibly the most successful landscape photographs are those where the tenor of the weather matches that of the landscape. Certain landscapes benefit being photographed under a simple blue sky while others might not. It is so important to familiarise yourself with your own locality and constantly ask yourself ‘what would this location look like in frost, snow or fog?’ Many features of weather are frustratingly ephemeral so it helps to have worked out in advance possible locations you may want to visit should the weather conditions permit. Even when on holiday, your first task should be to reconnoitre the immediate area with a view to taking photographs.
 
Learn to understand weather
 
Weather is not random. It follows a pattern and the more we understand, the more able we are to use it to our advantage. It really is the active ingredient when photographing landscape. Weather forecasts are helpful, if rather generalised, but being able to assess what might happen from your immediate location improves your chances of getting a great shot. It also helps to understand that certain cloud formations have quite distinct visual characteristics that echo the landscape; when this occurs you are offered a fabulous opportunity for exciting photography.

Tony Worobiec: Photographing Landscape Whatever the Weather

Light and surfaces

When you photograph in black and white and you are not considering colour information, you only have luminosity to use, which is essentially light reflecting off surfaces. This may sound limiting, but it is actually a great way to understand light and how, when reflected back at you, it can transform subjects and the way in which you see them. When exploring black and white photography, a way of getting used to not using colour is to start by looking at surfaces and the little areas of shadow and highlight that define them. You do not need direct sunlight to do this; in fact it can be a rather overcast day with very little sunlight at all.​​
If you now look at ‘Branch and Leaves’, it is clear that there is no strong light striking the woodland floor and the photograph was taken on a rather overcast day in dense woodland. What I relied upon on this day was the simple reflective and silvery nature of the surface of the dead branch and the fallen leaves that surrounded it. The simple difference between the smooth texture of the branch set against the many fallen leaves separates the branch and accentuates its shape and ‘line’.  If you train your eye to see these areas of light, shadow and texture, this opens up a whole new world in which black and white works beautifully. This comes with time and practice, and exploration of subjects such as this will enable you to understand that subjects that would look rather dull as colour photographs actually come to life in a series of greys. 

This extract is from Exploring Black and White Photography - A Masterclass by Paul Gallagher
Branch and leaves was taken using a Walker Titan Large Format camera, 120mm lens, f32, 2 secs.

In this second article on photographing in mist and fog, Tony Worobiec considers technical matters and photography with rising or descending mist.
​
Technical Considerations
It is of course a personal judgment but I suggest using a long lens in order to maximise the effect of tonal recession.  It also draws the foreground and background closer together. The light in a thick fog can often be diminished, so use a tripod particularly if you do opt to use a long lens. But do not overlook the opportunities for taking great shots using a basic camera. Some photographers keep a cheap camera in the car permanently, just in case they encounter interesting weather conditions. Also, that which can be captured using a humble mobile phone can often prove quite illuminating.
If you have good foreground interest, then use it. This is where a standard or wide-angle lens becomes useful. The sky in mist often appears quite featureless, so it might serve you better to point your camera downward in order to minimise it.

Look for a sequence of regular objects that recede into the distance. A line of trees, buildings or telegraph poles assume a strange and unifying beauty when shot in mist. Using a telephoto lens will compress the effect, although equally interesting photographs can be had by using a wide-angle lens as well.

It is good practise to always attach a UV filter to your lens, but this will prove particularly beneficial when photographing in fog. Ideally, keep your lens cap on for as long as needed or moisture will build up on the filter, thus reducing the clarity of the final image. Carrying a microfibre cloth in your camera bag really is essential.

Mists and fog are notoriously ephemeral and can very easily disappear within an hour, particularly in the morning. There is often little point looking for photographic opportunities during a period of fog as it will probably have disappeared by the time you find a suitable landscape. It is far better to seek out possible locations prior to the anticipated fog, so that you can go there directly once one emerges.
The biggest problem you are likely to encounter is underexposure. The metering system in your camera is programmed to capture a notional 18 per cent grey, which often means that your shots in fog are underexposed. The easiest solution is to select the Manual Mode , then set the camera to overexpose by between 1/2 - 1 stop. Your image might appear a tad bright in the monitor, but far better err on the side of lightness if you want to capture the right mood.

Rising or descending mist
While we all want the fog or mist to last as long as possible, there are great photographic opportunities to be had either when the fog starts to rise (usually in the morning) or when it begins to descend, (most likely in the early evening). Essentially, a fog or mist is just a very low stratus cloud so, if you are close to high ground, the visual effects can be spectacular.  Mountains can be particularly prone to rising or falling mists. The photograph below, of an abandoned farm, was taken in the evening, when a descending mist began to accumulate over the lower parts of the landscape as the land increasingly cooled.

Photographing Landscape Whatever the Weather by Tony Worobiec offers a comprehensive guide to assist photographers of all abilities. The book was selected by the Royal Photographic Society as one of its Top 10 books of the year 2016.

Photographing in mist and fog provides challenges to photographers whether beginner or experienced professional, but it offers opportunities for wonderfully evocative imagery. In his book Photographing Landscape Whatever the Weather, Tony Worobiec considers how to rise to this challenge.
 
The following is an extract from his book. This week, in Part 1, he deals with types of fog and the opportunities these present for photography. Next week, in Part 2, he will consider the technical aspects when photographing landscape in these conditions.
 
Even the most inexperienced landscape photographers rise to the challenge when experiencing a typical "pea-souper". Fog is caused by minute droplets of water in the atmosphere, although it can sometimes be confused with smog, which tends to occur only in heavily industrialised areas. Fog is defined as having a visibility of less than 1,000 metres, but for the purposes of photography, a reduced density of 100 or even 50 metres offers the most interesting opportunities. The incidence of fog occurs as a result of a variety of reasons, and being able to predict it certainly offers advantages.
 
Radiation fog
 
The most common of fog is known as ‘radiation fog’ and this usually occurs during the winter and when the air is still. As the air cools overnight close to the surface, it is less able to absorb moisture so, consequently when you wake up in the morning you are greeted by a low-lying blanket of fog. It is important that you are able to anticipate its formation because it can evaporate quite quickly once the sun starts to rise.
 
Valley fog
 
The effects of ‘valley fog’ are not dissimilar to radiation fog. As its name would suggest it tends to occur in the bottom of valleys particularly when there is a temperature inversion, i.e. the air at the bottom of the valley is colder than the air directly above. Such fogs can last for days.
 
Coastal fog or sea fret
 
The third likelihood of fog occurring is when warmer moist air passes over a very cold surface for example when air off the sea passes over land covered by snow. Similarly, a coastal fog (or sea fret) occurs when warm moist air is blown over cooler water. The important point to remember is that, however the fog is formed, it offers amazing photographic opportunities.
 
The photographic opportunities offered by fog are considerable
 
1. As fog tends to considerably reduce colour saturation, a much stronger emphasis is placed on the tonal values. One often finds that images taken in fog can be very successfully converted to black and white. If you retain your photograph as a colour image, the hues will appear wonderfully subtle.
 
2. When photographing in fog you are able to explore a visual phenomenon known as ‘tonal recession’. What this means is that distant objects appear considerably lighter than those nearer the camera; this is especially apparent when photographing a forest in mist. The tonal interplay between the trees in the distance and those nearer the camera can prove particularly evocative.
 
3. Because of the reduced visibility, the images captured tend to be much more simple and graphic in nature. Trees and wooded areas in general lend themselves particularly well when photographed in fog.
 
4. Often overlooked but, if you are able to photograph fog or mist at night, you should be able to capture images rich in atmosphere. Artificial lights that normally appear too bright are tempered by the mist or fog, creating quite ethereal effects. As the ground is likely to be wet, it is possible to capture beautifully subtle reflections. As the mist swirls around the sources of light, the rays are subtly distorted, creating almost dream-like scenarios.
 
5. Photographed at night or in daylight, the urban landscape can appear especially interesting when photographed in mist. Traffic, only visible by dipped headlights, appears to amble through the silent, monochromatic streets offering strange and enigmatic photographic opportunities. Buildings receding into the distance can appear alarmingly unfamiliar. One has only to consider those highly evocative movies of the 1940s and 50s to appreciate the potential that this sort of lighting has to offer.
 
6. Look for subtle silhouettes. Fog has the capacity to simplify forms and reduce texture. Consequently, objects, even those relatively close by, appear almost silhouetted. From a visual standpoint a scene blanketed in mist undergoes a process of simplification.
 
More next week!
 
Photographing Landscape Whatever the Weather by Tony Worobiec is available from Amazon and all good bookshops.

​While an enhanced sense of character is introduced into a landscape when including a sky with broken cloud, a wonderful sense of cohesion is added if you can isolate just a single one. As the cloud cover starts to thin, you start to see individual clouds drifting across the sky that each offer unique opportunities. You certainly need to respond speedily if you are to make best use of these.
 
Each individual cloud has its own character. It is amazing how imaginatively children can identify anthropomorphic features when describing clouds they have spotted; it looks like jumping dog, or perhaps a speeding car. I’m sure you have done the same thing. The task as a photographer is to find a location that chimes with the character of the cloud. Sometimes it is an impossible task but, if you are aware of the concept, occasionally you will identify a cloud that appears to mimic the foreground. For example, it could appear elongated and cigar-shaped so, if in the foreground you found a puddle, a cluster of wild flowers or an isolated copse of trees revealing the same shape, then the image would have immediate cohesion.
 
Adopt a “minimalist” approach.  This is a genre that positively encourages a minimalist approach. Some landscapes can be described as ‘busy’, i.e. there are numerous interesting but conflicting elements within it.  A ‘minimalist’ landscape is simple, revealing very few features of note, which is often why the inclusion of a single cloud can work so well. You will find that this style of photography is best done when using a medium telephoto lens. Not only will you be able to ensure that the cloud appears larger within the frame, but as you are including less foreground, the landscape will appear much simpler.
 
Think carefully about the composition. The single cloud will be moving while the feature in the foreground is likely be static, so patience will be required to ensure that the cloud appears in the right place. The movement of clouds can prove frustratingly unreliable, but that should not discourage you from giving it a go. A simple compositional strategy you may wish to try is to place the landscape feature fairly centrally, then wait for the cloud to drift directly over it. Some might be concerned that this does not conform to “the rule of thirds”, but it should be seen as just one of many design principles. The central meridian (where the image is composed relative to an imaginary central line) is one that is used both by professional photographers and graphic designers. 

Photographing Landscape Whatever the Weather - Tony Worobiec

The photographer and writer David Penprase has created many unusual and thought-provoking images but he stresses that, as part of developing your own photographic style, it is vital that you take time to seek and obtain criticism of your work. Constructive criticism aids the reflection and development process. In his book Developing a Photographic Style David explores the themes of peer discussion and critique.

'Discussion can be very valuable and can be a significant factor in your formative period. The problem with many photographers is that they do not discuss their work with others.
 
'Quite some years ago, I ran a ‘Day in The Shed’. I should explain the shed. I had a new studio built alongside my old barn studio; it was previously a pig shed so it was always referred to as The Shed. I invited 30 friends, all photographers, apart from three artists. Everyone brought just one or two images. In the morning we met, chatted and had some food, in the afternoon we sat around for a discussion, but it was only the artists that had anything to say. Which is a shame but, regretfully, that is often the case. I know I gained more knowledge chatting over a cup of tea with an old photographer friend who, to be honest, had forgotten more than I’ll ever know, than at any lecture I’d been to. He left his club through indifference and I’m certain they had no idea of their loss. These people are out there so find them if you can. Their approach may be outdated but the essence of their knowledge is as relevant now (with digital) as it was many years ago.
 
'I do appreciate that probably the hardest thing can be showing one’s work to others to critique. You spend a great deal of time and energy producing your work and naturally you become close to it. Having gone through the whole process from its conception to the finished print, the last thing you want or expect to hear is it being critiqued negatively; especially without due consideration.  Which is why choosing the right person to appraise your work is absolutely vital. Of course, there will come a time when there will be no need for another’s endorsement but, as you travel along this chosen path, select wisely those you wish to critique your work. There is no gain in being told every time that your work is wonderful if it is constructive criticism that is needed. At the same time, the wrong advice or not being told the truth can not only adversely affect your progress but also lead you into a false sense of security and, in doing so, stifle your advancement or, even worse, curtail it completely.'

What do you think? Have you experienced good or negative criticism of your work and if so how did you react? Did it lead to improvement and greater satisfaction with your output?