Nighttime photography has become extremely popular because of the excellent low-light performance of modern digital cameras. Your assignment is to head out after dark and shoot the Milky Way, the Northern Lights, and meteor showers! ...
For this winter assignment, your brief is to experiment with the challenges and creative possibilities presented by snow. Snowfall can simplify the landscape, reducing it to a series of photogenic shapes, while disguising artificial objects or hiding ugly features. Virgin snow and hoar frost clinging to every branch and twig can create magical conditions. ...
Observing the raw power of nature can be a humbling experience and few things demonstrate that power as spectacularly as waves crashing onto the coast during a big storm. Capturing these moments can result in compelling images that contain beautiful patterns and textures. ...
Who doesn't love a rainbow? They are a beautiful sight and their relative rarity gives them added appeal. They are formed when sunlight passes through rain, with the raindrops acting as tiny prisms-when light reflects off the drops, it is broken down into a spectrum. Rainbows appear directly opposite the sun and can be full circles, although we usually only see an arc. ...
Mist will simplify the landscape, reducing it to a series of shapes, layers, and outlines. Your assignment is to capture its effect, and then to select your best single shot. Look for an obvious focal point to either isolate or use as an anchor for your composition-maybe a landmark, boat, animal, or shapely tree. Shooting from a lower level, down amongst the mist, can also produce stunning results....
The saying "There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing" could be your motto for this assignment. The idea is simply to head out and take some creative shots in bad weather. Of course, "bad weather" will mean different things to different people, but for most landscape photographers it is probably any conditions where the light doesn't create some relief on the landscape....
Seaside resorts are full of picture potential. Artificial structures-such as harbor walls, piers, marker posts, seafront arcades, and jetties-add interest to the natural beauty of the sea and sand. In the summer, resorts tend to be crowded with tourists, making them a tricky place to shoot. However, during wintertime, or in bad weather, coastal resorts tend to be quiet, almost deserted and forlorn....
It's tempting to think that you have to travel a long way to shoot landscapes and that only epic vistas will translate into great shots; that a shot only has value if it has been hard to create and shooting close to home is somehow "cheating:' However, there are great landscapes everywhere, and you shouldn't overlook your local patch, even if it isn't home to snow-capped mountains, glaciers, or vast sand dunes. ...
There is currently a lot of discussion over the question of originality in landscape photography. With ever-increasing numbers of images being presented online, some feel that there is a tendency for landscape photographers simply to travel from one well-known destination to another, doing little more than copy other people's work. ...