Photography is both Art and Science

Giving in to the geek in me 

and in deference to all you geeks out there!

  • Planning
  • Shooting
  • Post-Production
  • Framing
  • Lighting
Screenshot from the Photographer's Ephemeris showing the location in the Western Arthurs from where my Out Under The Sky image was taken.

The Photographer's Ephemeris


Here showing the time and location from where Out Under The Sky was taken

A Garmin Montana 700i handheld GPS

This great GPS unit has hourly weather and a satellite link which allows for texting as well as supporting a global back-to-base emergency service run out of a Garmin emergency center. It's everything I've looked for in a hiking device.

Soft Planning
Before even leaving the house finding locations which would potentially yield great photographs is really about having a certain mindset. Whether it is watching movies or television shows, reading magazines or books or surfing the web, the photographer is always on the lookout for vistas and terrain that catch the eye. Being in tune with the potential of these visuals has led to the development of my bucket list and as I have begun to act upon those wishes the images (both imagined and unconsidered) have started to come to fruition. 


Being on location adds a whole other dimension to that imagining. I find my eye casting everywhere as I walk or drive - framing and 

re-framing looking for that interesting shot. At first this requires quite some effort to maintain but after a time the process becomes second nature. There is a caveat here, in that visualising the image does not, in itself, take the shot - a bitter lesson I have had to learn a couple of times before it sank in. On a number of occasions I have seen the shot but not acted to actually take it, only to regret it later. For me, the last straw in this regard was a missed opportunity driving from Hobart to Freycent in Tasmania which I talk about in this blog post. After I missed this one I promised myself "never drive past - always stop and shoot". 


When I do set up to take the shot the ever changing nature of light and atmosphere when out and about is the ultimate driver for how an individual landscape shot is approached and taken. The landscape photographer must always remain vigilant to changing conditions, the opportunities for a shot they may present or indeed the dangers they may represent. For example, even in poor weather a momentary break in the clouds may provide just the right illumination on a subject to create a unique image. Freycenet Dawn and Vayu (Air) are both great examples of that scenario.


Hard Planning
Despite this need to remain flexible in light of a fickle Mother Nature it is still important to approach landscape photography in a planned manner. Even if the ultimate subject of the shot is unknown, knowing where the sun or moon will be in the sky, what the weather outlook is for the area of interest or what sort of terrain to expect are all data points which guide the decisions of the photographer prior to leaving the comforts of home.

I like to use 1:25000 Topological maps and my Garmin Montana 700i GPS to understand the terrain,  I use an Australian service called Cloud Free Night to get access to accurate cloud-cover, rainfall and moonlight data. Cloud Free Night is a fantastic service which provides me with detailed multi-day cloud cover forecasts in map and chart form. I find the hour by hour map data particularly handy as I can examine the cover at high, medium and low altitudes. This gives me a very good idea of the likely lighting conditions at dawn and dusk - especially the 2 periods of Golden Hour* around these events.


For assessing the ideal timing of a shot from a lighting perspective I have been using The Photographer’s Ephemeris™for many years now. This great software runs on my phone and provides me with details of the motion of the sun and moon and the duration of the golden hours of the day. Using these data adds rigor to choosing a setup location and allows me to assess possible shots prior to arrival.

*Golden Hour - the time period at dawn and dusk when
the sun is in the 0°-6° range above the horizon.

Screenshot from the Cloud Free Night website showing a map of cloud cover

Cloud Free Night - cloud cover animation

Screenshot from the Cloud Free Night website showing a cloud cover predictive chartchart of a

Cloud Free Night - 3-day cloud cover charts

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a trademark of Crookneck Consulting LLC, registered in the United States.
Please visit their website at https://photoephemeris.com for more details
All other trademarks and logos remain the property of their respective owners

Planning

T‌he ever changing nature of light and atmosphere when out and about is the ultimate driver for how an individual landscape shot is approached and taken. The landscape photographer must always remain vigilant to changing conditions, the opportunities for a shot they may present or indeed the dangers they may represent. For example, even in poor weather a momentary break in the clouds may provide just the right illumination on a subject to create a unique image. Freycenet Dawn and Vayu (Air) are both great examples of that scenario.

Despite this need to remain flexible in light of a fickle Mother Nature it is still important to approach landscape photography in a planned manner. Even if the ultimate subject of the shot is unknown knowing where the sun or moon will be in the sky, what the weather outlook is for the area of interest or what sort of terrain to expect are all data points which guide the decisions of the photographer prior to leaving the comforts of home.

I like to use 1:25000 Topological maps and my Garmin Montana 700i GPS to understand the terrain,  I use an Australian service called Cloud Free Night to get access to accurate cloud-cover, rainfall and moonlight data. Cloud Free Night is a fantastic service which provides me with detailed multi-day cloud cover forecasts in map and chart form. I find the hour by hour map data particularly handy as I can examine the cover at high, medium and low altitudes. This gives me a very good idea of the likely lighting conditions at dawn and dusk - especially the 2 periods of Golden Hour* around these events.


For assessing the ideal timing of a shot from a lighting perspective I have been using The Photographer’s Ephemeris™for many years now. This great software runs on my phone and provides me with details of the motion of the sun and moon and the duration of the golden hours of the day. Using these data adds rigor to choosing a setup location and allows me to assess possible shots prior to arrival.

GPS
Tuned to visuals - leads to bucket list.


*Golden Hour - the time period at dawn and dusk when
the sun is in the 0°-6° range above the horizon.

The Photographer's Ephemeris

Here showing the time and location from which Out Under The Sky was taken

Cloud Free Night - cloud cover animation

Cloud Free Night - 3-day cloud cover charts

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a trademark of Crookneck Consulting LLC, registered in the United States.
Please visit their website at https://photoephemeris.com for more details
All other trademarks and logos remain the property of their respective owners

My Gear

A front aspect of a Canon EOS R5 body
Rear and Top aspects of a Canon EOS R5 body

I just love my Canon R5!

A Canon RF15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM


This lens is my day to day work horse. The clarity and light gathering is such a step up from the old kit lenses on my 7D.

A Canon RF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens

Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM


This lens is great for capturing elements of the landscape or tightening the framing of panoramas.

A Really Right Stuff Ultralight TFC-24L Mk II Tripod

Really Right Stuff Ultralight TFC-24L Mk II


Only 1.6kg and fantastically tough. It has taken whatever was thrown at it and just keeps going.

A Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead

Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead


with panning platform and quick release lever. Accurate and precise with reliable clamping.

A Really Right Stuff R5 L-Plate

Really Right Stuff R5 L-Plate


After a little practice this plate becomes indispensable for swapping between portrait and landscape

2 Polar Pro Variable Neutral Density Filters. One is 2-5 stops and the other is 6-9 stops

Polar Pro Variable Neutral Density Filters


These Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II VND filters are superb. Excellent clarity and a wonderful haptic feedback system. I have a 2-5 and a 6-9 stop.

A Pixel Pro TW-283 Timer showing the receiver and the transmitter components

Pixel Pro TW-283 Timer


Great for exposures longer than 30''. I use mine for astrophotography.

Introduction
Analog photography of the past always meant that the captured image was never instantly available to the photographer. This meant that the journey back from the wild and through the darkroom was the only means of discovering whether the imagined shot was, in fact, the shot which emerged from the development process. The skill of the photographer was therefore not only in composition and exposure but also in developing an understanding of the camera itself, its "true" frame and its interaction with different kinds of film media. 

The advent of digital photography, for the most part, circumvented these issues delivering an instantaneous view of the captured image. Despite this wonderful advance, taken for granted by millions, the nature of the multi-image panorama shots that I prefer means that I too remain in the dark about the success (or otherwise) of the shots that I take until I return to base and pass through the post-production process.

Take Neptune's Sisters for example - 12 separate but overlapping camera targets and 7 exposures (from -3EV to +3EV) at each target. On disk the camera captures 84 exposures but how they will combine during HDR merging or whether they will accurately stitch together into the full panorama is completely unknown to me at the time of capture. 

Having said that, over the years I have learned what overlaps work best and how to watch the background to select key features which will aid in stitching. One great boon with my new Canon R5 is the automatic exposure bracketing - with my Canon 7D I had to manually set each exposure prior to shooting - now I can set the brackets and a single press of the shutter button fires all 7 shots - bliss!

The upshot of my process is that while I do get the benefit of photography's digital advances it is not an instantaneous gratification and that leads me into a more mindful state when taking shots. I don't want to risk wasting all that expended energy getting to a remote location only to not apply care and attention to my efforts. Not knowing the outcome immediately makes me sit and think about the shots I am taking.

Out Under The Sky is a great example. The vista presented that evening was amazing but point-and-shoot was not going to capture the essence of the shot. I spent at least 3 hours watching the changing lighting conditions and only took 8 panoramas in that time. It was especially important to take care with these shots as I was hand-holding the 21 shots in each panorama while using a 70-200mm zoom. Thank goodness for 5 stops of Image Stabilization.


Gear
Some may find this section more than a little geeky but in fairness this is a consequence of photography in the digital age. My post-production setup is a mixture of hardware and software slowly gathered over the years. I have tried to accumulate solid workhorses of high quality which will last for a long time.


Image Display

Image import and storage

I use Adobe Lightroom to import and perform intake processing on all of my images.


The image catalog and all of the raw files are stored on a self-built TrueNAS network attached storage device. The NAS runs ZFS and is currently 64Tb capacity with 64Gb of ECC RAM and 8 processor cores. 


I chose ZFS so that I can continue to replace disks with larger ones to increase capacity and not run into the "maximum file system size" problems that can arise with other file systems.


HDR and Panorama Stitching

I use Adobe Lightroom as my HDR merging and panorama stitching workhorse.


Very occasionally I use Adobe Photoshop although I suspect the engines are the same for both.


For very difficult stitches I use PTGui. However, I have found that the majority of difficult stitches are actually impossible due to overlap errors.


Image processing

Wayback in the dim and distant past (1990 to be precise!) I started using page layout software called Aldus PageMaker. This eventually became Adobe PageMaker and then Adobe InDesign. 


During that time I had a small graphic design business and was also using Adobe Illustrator. The use of these two eventually led me to use Adobe Photoshop when I started taking photographs so it seemed only logical to take a subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud when they brought it out. 


Now my A$80 a month gives me access to all these industry standard tools Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign and, collectively, they make the process of creation pretty seamless and straightforward.

 

I use Creative Cloud in the following ways:


  • Lightroom - Catalog Management, Lens correction, Clarity, Dehaze, Exposure, Simple Masking
  • Photoshop - Spot Healing, Luminosity Masking, Complex Masking, Printer Profile Correction
  • Illustrator - Graphic design
  • InDesign - Document design, Book design and layout

I also use an excellent suite of AI driven processing tools for noise reduction, image sharpening and image enlargement from Topaz Labs. I find their products produce a very natural result free of the digital "blockiness" I have experienced when using other tools. The Topaz Labs tools are:



I have just begun to use Topaz PhotoAI which is a merging of the 3 tools above into a single interface. Topaz Labs also have a great video enhancement tool called Topaz VideoAI.


Last, but not least, I use the Wacom Intuos Pro M wireless drawing tablet. It has excellent drivers for the Creative Cloud Suite and makes the processing of images a much more natural experience compared to using a mouse.

An EIZO FlexScan EV2455 monitor

FlexScan EV2455

An Nvidia P4000 Quadro graphics card

Nvidia P4000 Quadro

An X-Rite i1 Display Pro monitor calibration device

X-Rite i1 Display Pro

My custom built NAS which uses TrueNAS as the operating system

Custom NAS using TrueNAS

A Wacom Intuos Pro M drawing tablet showing stylus and holder

Wacom Intuos Pro M

Introduction
Analog photography of the past always meant that the captured image was never instantly available to the photographer. This meant that the journey back from the wild and through the darkroom was the only means of discovering whether the imagined shot was, in fact, the shot which emerged from the development process. The skill of the photographer was therefore not only in composition and exposure but also in developing an understanding of the camera itself, its "true" frame and its interaction with different kinds of film media. 

The advent of digital photography, for the most part, circumvented these issues delivering an instantaneous view of the captured image. Despite this wonderful advance, taken for granted by millions, the nature of the multi-image panorama shots that I prefer means that I too remain in the dark about the success (or otherwise) of the shots that I take until I return to base and pass through the post-production process.

Take Neptune's Sisters for example - 12 separate but overlapping camera targets and 7 exposures (from -3EV to +3EV) at each target. On disk the camera captures 84 exposures but how they will combine during HDR merging or whether they will accurately stitch together into the full panorama is completely unknown to me at the time of capture. 

Having said that, over the years I have learned what overlaps work best and how to watch the background to select key features which will aid in stitching. One great boon with my new Canon R5 is the automatic exposure bracketing - with my Canon 7D I had to manually set each exposure prior to shooting - now I can set the brackets and a single press of the shutter button fires all 7 shots - bliss!

The upshot of my process is that while I do get the benefit of photography's digital advances it is not an instantaneous gratification and that leads me into a more mindful state when taking shots. I don't want to risk wasting all that expended energy getting to a remote location only to not apply care and attention to my efforts. Not knowing the outcome immediately makes me sit and think about the shots I am taking.

Out Under The Sky is a great example. The vista presented that evening was amazing but point-and-shoot was not going to capture the essence of the shot. I spent at least 3 hours watching the changing lighting conditions and only took 8 panoramas in that time. It was especially important to take care with these shots as I was hand-holding the 21 shots in each panorama while using a 70-200mm zoom. Thank goodness for 5 stops of Image Stabilization.


Gear
Some may find this section more than a little geeky but in fairness this is a consequence of photography in the digital age. My post-production setup is a mixture of hardware and software slowly gathered over the years. I have tried to accumulate solid workhorses of high quality which will last for a long time.


Image Display

Image import and storage

I use Adobe Lightroom to import and perform intake processing on all of my images.


The image catalog and all of the raw files are stored on a self-built TrueNAS network attached storage device. The NAS runs ZFS and is currently 64Tb capacity with 64Gb of ECC RAM and 8 processor cores. 


I chose ZFS so that I can continue to replace disks with larger ones to increase capacity and not run into the "maximum file system size" problems that can arise with other file systems.


HDR and Panorama Stitching

I use Adobe Lightroom as my HDR merging and panorama stitching workhorse.


Very occasionally I use Adobe Photoshop although I suspect the engines are the same for both.


For very difficult stitches I use PTGui. However, I have found that the majority of difficult stitches are actually impossible due to overlap errors.


Image processing

Wayback in the dim and distant past (1990 to be precise!) I started using page layout software called Aldus PageMaker. This eventually became Adobe PageMaker and then Adobe InDesign. 


During that time I had a small graphic design business and was also using Adobe Illustrator. The use of these two eventually led me to use Adobe Photoshop when I started taking photographs so it seemed only logical to take a subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud when they brought it out. 


Now my A$80 a month gives me access to all these industry standard tools Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign and, collectively, they make the process of creation pretty seamless and straightforward.

 

I use Creative Cloud in the following ways:


  • Lightroom - Catalog Management, Lens correction, Clarity, Dehaze, Exposure, Simple Masking
  • Photoshop - Spot Healing, Luminosity Masking, Complex Masking, Printer Profile Correction
  • Illustrator - Graphic design
  • InDesign - Document design, Book design and layout

I also use an excellent suite of AI driven processing tools for noise reduction, image sharpening and image enlargement from Topaz Labs. I find their products produce a very natural result free of the digital "blockiness" I have experienced when using other tools. The Topaz Labs tools are:



I have just begun to use Topaz PhotoAI which is a merging of the 3 tools above into a single interface. Topaz Labs also have a great video enhancement tool called Topaz VideoAI.


Last, but not least, I use the Wacom Intuos Pro M wireless drawing tablet. It has excellent drivers for the Creative Cloud Suite and makes the processing of images a much more natural experience compared to using a mouse.

FlexScan EV2455

Nvidia P4000 Quadro

X-Rite i! Display Pro

Custom NAS using TrueNAS

Wacom Intuos Pro M

Framing & Handling

I want to say at the outset that framing aesthetics are very much a personal preference and the advice here focuses on the more technical reasons for framing and mounting in the manner described. You are, of course, free to frame and mount the images you purchase in a manner that suits you and/or the room into which the image is to be placed! 


I reproduce all of my images using archival quality materials to ensure that your investment has the best chance of lasting for a very long time. I work closely with the wonderful Warren Macris at High Res Digital here in Sydney who brings a wealth of experience to the printing and retouching processes. Warren's many years in the business ensures that the end-to-end process from paper and ink quality to printer calibration and print production is carried out to the highest standards. Throughout the process all paper and prints are carefully handled with cotton gloves to avoid the transfer of acidic oils from the hands to the print or paper margins. The prints are then transported to you in large diameter tubes packed inside appropriately sized shipping cartons which ensures a minimum of bending stress on the print paper and excellent protection from crushing damage.

All of these procedures and precautions ensure that the print you have purchased arrives in perfect condition but it is important to realize that to truly protect your print over the long haul it must either be stored carefully in an acid-free album or else framed appropriately to protect it from moisture, acidity and UV radiation.

These notes provide you with a framing specification which you can take to your framer of choice and get a frame which will deliver the protection your investment deserves.

General Principles
The frame should house and protect the image but not draw attention to itself.

Try to keep all visible framing elements dark so as not to distort your vision’s
interpretation of the image’s white balance. When your eye falls upon an image it seeks out the brightest points within the image and uses this white level to set a white balance for the scene being viewed. If the frame includes a large white border then your vision will use that as the "calibrating" white for the entire image. By keeping the framing dark this ensures that it is the white components of the image which set this calibration and so the image is viewed as the camera (and the author!) intended.

Always handle the image with cotton gloves to avoid transfer of low pH fluids
from the hands to the paper. The acidic nature of the skin's oils and sweat can adversely affect the paper by damaging the structure of the paper and leaving it vulnerable to oxidative damage and marking.

Framing Stack
I build up a stack of elements to put into the frame as follows:
(the order is front to back from where the picture is viewed)

  • Frame
  • Glass
  • Mat
  • Image
  • Backing Mat
  • Backing Foam


Stack Properties

    Frame

         Image Size           Suggested Width
        Mural                   6-9cm (2.5”-3.5”)
        Feature                4-6cm (1.5”-2.5”)
        Nook                    2.5-4cm (1”-1.5”)

 
        Profile:  Simple - I use flat with 45 degree taper to the glass
        (see image)

        Color: Black

    Glass
        Non Reflective
        99% UV Resistant
        2.5mm thick
        Conservation Grade
        Matte finish

    Mat
        Museum Grade
        Black
        Acid Free
        I usually make the window slightly smaller than the image by

        2mm (~0.1”) all around

        Suggested width of the mat borders
        This is a matter of taste although along the bottom to it should be  

         large enough to accommodate the print’s authenticity embossing:

          Mural 

        70mm - Top, Left, Right                                   

        90mm - Bottom


          Feature                                

        50mm - Top, Left, Right

        70mm - Bottom


          Nook
        30mm - Top, Left, Right
        50mm - Bottom



    Image
        It’s printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm Ultra Smooth
        Using these print margins:
    

          Mural                                   

        40mm - Top, Left, Right

        80mm - Bottom 


          Feature                                 

        20mm - Top, Left, Right

        70mm - Bottom 


          Nook
        20mm - Top, Left, Right
        50mm - Bottom


    Backing Mat
        Museum Grade
        White
        Acid Free

    Backing Foam
        Non Adhesive
        Acid Free
        3-5mm thick (0.12”-0.2”) This will depend on the depth available

        in the frame.

Miscellaneous
I use the following products (all Acid Free). Your framer may wish to use other products of course but it’s best if their choices are also acid-free


Sekisui Framing Tape

 - for sealing the frame


LineCo Self Adhesive Linen Hinging Tape

 - for hinging the 2 Mats together

LineCo Gummed Paper Hinging Tape

 - for attaching the image to the Backing Mat

An image showing the bottom right-hand corner of a picture frame following the principles described in the text

The framing stack resulting from following the principles described here.

Framing tools showing an mmbossing press, a glass cutter and a bone scraper

Embossing press, glass cutter and bone scraper

Glass weights used to hold the image steady when hinging the mat to the backing board

Glass weights used to hold the image steady when hinging the mat to the backing board

My Logan point driver for fixing the mounting stack into the frame

My Logan point driver for fixing the mounting stack into the frame

Self-adhesive linen hinging tape and gummed adhesive paper hinging tape

Self-adhesive linen hinging tape (lower roll) and gummed adhesive paper hinging tape (upper roll)

Sekisui 50mm (2") self-adhesive framing tape for creating a seal between the frame and the mounting stack

Sekisui 50mm (2") self-adhesive framing tape for creating a seal between the frame and the mounting stack

Lighting
Much like Framing, lighting an image is also driven by personal preferences. Having said that I would like to make some basic suggestions which will enhance the viewing experience while also protecting the image.

Great care and attention has been applied to ensure that each of my prints has the best possible color reproduction keeping them as true as possible to the original. The pigments used in the printing process are archival quality and should provide at least 100 years of accurate color. This last point does come with a proviso however, in that prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet in sunlight will negatively impact the pigments' performance and reduce the duration of accurate color. With this in mind my first piece of advice would be not to place the image in direct sunlight as a means of lighting. This issue is ameliorated to some extent by the use of museum grade UV resistant glass in the framing but even with this being used there is no guarantee that it will be 100% effective against fading.

Naturally a moratorium on sunlight leads to the obvious conclusion that a means of artificially lighting the image is the way to go. You may recall from the discussion on framing the emphasis placed on avoiding a skew in the white balance of the viewing experience through the use of dark framing materials. There is a lighting corollary to that discussion which is that coloration in the light used to illuminate the image can also skew the perception of the colors in the image. Luckily there is a quantitative measure which can give an assessment of the accuracy of color reproduction under a given lighting element called the Color Rendering Index or CRI.

CRI is a measurement of how natural colors render under an artificial white light source when compared to sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, with a perfect 100 indicating that colors of objects under the light source appear the same as they would under natural sunlight. CRIs under 80 are generally considered ‘poor’ while ranges over 90 are considered ‘great’. High CRI LED lighting renders beautiful, vibrant tones across the full-color spectrum. 

For illuminating art and photographs I recommend using an LED strip light source with CRI 99 and a color temperature of 5000K. This will accurately simulate daylight illumination of your piece and the color reproduction will be accurate. It is possible to use CRI 99 and a color temperature of 6500K but in experimenting I have found the outcome to be a little harsh, visually.

Just as an aside I am developing artwork illumination using the above criteria and have a working prototype lighting my own copy of Celtic Reflections. (see image)
My prototype lightbar using an led strip with CRI 99 at 5000K

My prototype lightbar - CRI99@5000K

CRI 70
CRI 80
CRI 90
CRI 100

Photography is both
Art and Science

In deference to the geek in me 
and all you other geeks out there!
  • Planning
  • Shooting
  • Post-Prod'n
  • Framing
  • Lighting

Planning
Before even leaving the house finding locations which would potentially yield great photographs is really about having a certain mindset. Whether it is watching movies or television shows, reading magazines or books or surfing the web, the photographer is always on the lookout for vistas and terrain that catch the eye. Being in tune with the potential of these visuals has lead to the development of my bucket list and as I have begun to act upon those wishes the images (both imagined and unconsidered) have started to come to fruition. 


Being on location adds a whole other dimension to that imagining. I find my eye casting everywhere as I walk or drive - framing and re-framing looking for that interesting shot. At first this requires quite some effort to maintain but after a time the process becomes second nature. There is a caveat here, in that visualising the image does not, in itself, take the shot - a bitter lesson I have had to learn a couple of times before it sank in. On a number of occasions I have seen the shot but not acted to actually take it, only to regret it later. For me, the last straw in this regard was a missed opportunity driving from Hobart to Freycent in Tasmania which I talk about in this blog post. After I missed this one I promised myself "never drive past - always stop and shoot". 


When I do set up to take the shot the ever changing nature of light and atmosphere when out and about is the ultimate driver for how an individual landscape shot is approached and taken. The landscape photographer must always remain vigilant to changing conditions, the opportunities for a shot they may present or indeed the dangers they may represent. For example, even in poor weather a momentary break in the clouds may provide just the right illumination on a subject to create a unique image. Freycenet Dawn and Vayu (Air) are both great examples of that scenario.

Despite this need to remain flexible in light of a fickle Mother Nature it is still important to approach landscape photography in a planned manner. Even if the ultimate subject of the shot is unknown, knowing where the sun or moon will be in the sky, what the weather outlook is for the area of interest or what sort of terrain to expect are all data points which guide the decisions of the photographer prior to leaving the comforts of home.

I like to use 1:25000 Topological maps and my Garmin Montana 700i GPS to understand the terrain,  I use an Australian service called Cloud Free Night to get access to accurate cloud-cover, rainfall and moonlight data (see screenshots). Cloud Free Night is a fantastic service which provides me with detailed multi-day cloud cover forecasts in map and chart form. I find the hour by hour map data particularly handy as I can examine the cover at high, medium and low altitudes. This gives me a very good idea of the likely lighting conditions at dawn and dusk - especially the 2 periods of Golden Hour* around these events.


For assessing the ideal timing of a shot from a lighting perspective I have been using The Photographer’s Ephemeris™for many years now. This great software runs on my phone and provides me with details of the motion of the sun and moon and the duration of the golden hours of the day. Using these data adds rigor to choosing a setup location and allows me to assess possible shots prior to arrival.

*Golden Hour - the time period at dawn and dusk when
the sun is in the 0°-6° range above the horizon.

Soft Planning
Before even leaving the house finding locations which would potentially yield great photographs is really about having a certain mindset. Whether it is watching movies or television shows, reading magazines or books or surfing the web, the photographer is always on the lookout for vistas and terrain that catch the eye. Being in tune with the potential of these visuals has led to the development of my bucket list and as I have begun to act upon those wishes the images (both imagined and unconsidered) have started to come to fruition. 


Being on location adds a whole other dimension to that imagining. I find my eye casting everywhere as I walk or drive - framing and re-framing looking for that interesting shot. At first this requires quite some effort to maintain but after a time the process becomes second nature. There is a caveat here, in that visualising the image does not, in itself, take the shot - a bitter lesson I have had to learn a couple of times before it sank in. On a number of occasions I have seen the shot but not acted to actually take it, only to regret it later. For me, the last straw in this regard was a missed opportunity driving from Hobart to Freycent in Tasmania which I talk about in this blog post. After I missed this one I promised myself "never drive past - always stop and shoot". 


When I do set up to take the shot the ever changing nature of light and atmosphere when out and about is the ultimate driver for how an individual landscape shot is approached and taken. The landscape photographer must always remain vigilant to changing conditions, the opportunities for a shot they may present or indeed the dangers they may represent. For example, even in poor weather a momentary break in the clouds may provide just the right illumination on a subject to create a unique image. Freycenet Dawn and Vayu (Air) are both great examples of that scenario.


Hard Planning
Despite this need to remain flexible in light of a fickle Mother Nature it is still important to approach landscape photography in a planned manner. Even if the ultimate subject of the shot is unknown, knowing where the sun or moon will be in the sky, what the weather outlook is for the area of interest or what sort of terrain to expect are all data points which guide the decisions of the photographer prior to leaving the comfortsof home.

I like to use 1:25000 Topological maps and my Garmin Montana 700i GPS to understand the terrain,  I use an Australian service called Cloud Free Night to get access to accurate cloud-cover, rainfall and moonlight data (see screenshots). Cloud Free Night is a fantastic service which provides me with detailed multi-day cloud cover forecasts in map and chart form. I find the hour by hour map data particularly handy as I can examine the cover at high, medium and low altitudes. This gives me a very good idea of the likely lighting conditions at dawn and dusk - especially the 2 periods of Golden Hour* around these events.


For assessing the ideal timing of a shot from a lighting perspective I have been using The Photographer’s Ephemeris™for many years now. This great software runs on my phone and provides me with details of the motion of the sun and moon and the duration of the golden hours of the day. Using these data adds rigor to choosing a setup location and allows me to assess possible shots prior to arrival.

*Golden Hour - the time period at dawn and dusk when the sun is in the 0°-6° range above the horizon.

Cloud Free Night - cloud cover animation

Cloud Free Night - 3-day cloud cover charts

Cloud Free Night - cloud cover animation

Cloud Free Night - 3-day cloud cover charts

The Photographer's Ephemeris


Here showing the time and location from where Out Under The Sky was taken


This great GPS unit has hourly weather and a satellite link which allows for texting as well as supporting a global back-to-base emergency service run out of a Garmin emergency center. It's everything I've looked for in a hiking device.

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a trademark of Crookneck Consulting LLC, registered in the United States.
Please visit their website at https://photoephemeris.com for more details
All other trademarks and logos remain the property of their respective owners

My Gear

I just love my Canon R5!

A Canon RF15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM


This lens is my day to day work horse. The clarity and light gathering is such a step up from the old kit lenses on my 7D.

A Canon RF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens

Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM


This lens is great for capturing elements of the landscape or tightening the framing of panoramas.

A Really Right Stuff Ultralight TFC-24L Mk II Tripod

Really Right Stuff

Ultralight TFC-24L Mk II


Only 1.6kg and fantastically tough. It has taken whatever was thrown at it and just keeps going.

A Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead

Really Right Stuff

BH-40 Ballhead


with panning platform and quick release lever. Accurate and precise with reliable clamping.

A Really Right Stuff R5 L-Plate

Really Right Stuff

R5 L-Plate


After a little practice this plate becomes indispensable for swapping between portrait and landscape

2 Polar Pro Variable Neutral Density Filters. One is 2-5 stops and the other is 6-9 stops

Polar Pro

Variable Neutral Density Filters


These Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II VND filters are superb. Excellent clarity and a wonderful haptic feedback system. I have a 2-5 and a 6-9 stop.

A Pixel Pro TW-283 Timer showing the receiver and the transmitter components

Pixel Pro TW-283 Timer


Great for exposures longer than 30''. I use mine for astrophotography.

Introduction
Analog photography of the past always meant that the captured image was never instantly available to the photographer. This meant that the journey back from the wild and through the darkroom was the only means of discovering whether the imagined shot was, in fact, the shot which emerged from the development process. The skill of the photographer was therefore not only in composition and exposure but also in developing an understanding of the camera itself, its "true" frame and its interaction with different kinds of film media. 

The advent of digital photography, for the most part, circumvented these issues delivering an instantaneous view of the captured image. Despite this wonderful advance, taken for granted by millions, the nature of the multi-image panorama shots that I prefer means that I too remain in the dark about the success (or otherwise) of the shots that I take until I return to base and pass through the post-production process.

Take Neptune's Sisters for example - 12 separate but overlapping camera targets and 7 exposures (from -3EV to +3EV) at each target. On disk the camera captures 84 exposures but how they will combine during HDR merging or whether they will accurately stitch together into the full panorama is completely unknown to me at the time of capture. 

Having said that, over the years I have learned what overlaps work best and how to watch the background to select key features which will aid in stitching. One great boon with my new Canon R5 is the automatic exposure bracketing - with my Canon 7D I had to manually set each exposure prior to shooting - now I can set the brackets and a single press of the shutter button fires all 7 shots - bliss!

The upshot of my process is that while I do get the benefit of photography's digital advances it is not an instantaneous gratification and that leads me into a more mindful state when taking shots. I don't want to risk wasting all that expended energy getting to a remote location only to not apply care and attention to my efforts. Not knowing the outcome immediately makes me sit and think about the shots I am taking.

Out Under The Sky is a great example. The vista presented that evening was amazing but point-and-shoot was not going to capture the essence of the shot. I spent at least 3 hours watching the changing lighting conditions and only took 8 panoramas in that time. It was especially important to take care with these shots as I was hand-holding the 21 shots in each panorama while using a 70-200mm zoom. Thank goodness for 5 stops of Image Stabilization.


Gear
Some may find this section more than a little geeky but in fairness this is a consequence of photography in the digital age. My post-production setup is a mixture of hardware and software slowly gathered over the years. I have tried to accumulate solid workhorses of high quality which will last for a long time.


Image Display

FlexScan EV2455

Nvidia P4000 Quadro

X-Rite i1 Display Pro

X-Rite i1 Display Pro

Image import and storage

I use Adobe Lightroom to import and perform intake processing on all of my images.


The image catalog and all of the raw files are stored on a self-built TrueNAS network attached storage device. The NAS runs ZFS and is currently 64Tb capacity with 64Gb of ECC RAM and 8 processor cores. 


I chose ZFS so that I can continue to replace disks with larger ones to increase capacity and not run into the "maximum file system size" problems that can arise with other file systems.


HDR and Panorama Stitching

I use Adobe Lightroom as my HDR merging and panorama stitching workhorse.


Very occasionally I use Adobe Photoshop although I suspect the engines are the same for both.


For very difficult stitches I use PTGui. However, I have found that the majority of difficult stitches are actually impossible due to overlap errors.


Image processing

Wayback in the dim and distant past (1990 to be precise!) I started using page layout software called Aldus PageMaker. This eventually became Adobe PageMaker and then Adobe InDesign. 


During that time I had a small graphic design business and was also using Adobe Illustrator. The use of these two eventually led me to use Adobe Photoshop when I started taking photographs so it seemed only logical to take a subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud when they brought it out. 


Now my A$80 a month gives me access to all these industry standard tools Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign and, collectively, they make the process of creation pretty seamless and straightforward.

 

I use Creative Cloud in the following ways:


  • Lightroom - Catalog Management, Lens correction, Clarity, Dehaze, Exposure, Simple Masking
  • Photoshop - Spot Healing, Luminosity Masking, Complex Masking, Printer Profile Correction
  • Illustrator - Graphic design
  • InDesign - Document design, Book design and layout

I also use an excellent suite of AI driven processing tools for noise reduction, image sharpening and image enlargement from Topaz Labs. I find their products produce a very natural result free of the digital "blockiness" I have experienced when using other tools. The Topaz Labs tools are:



I have just begun to use Topaz PhotoAI which is a merging of the 3 tools above into a single interface. Topaz Labs also have a great video enhancement tool called Topaz VideoAI.


Last, but not least, I use the Wacom Intuos Pro M wireless drawing tablet. It has excellent drivers for the Creative Cloud Suite and makes the processing of images a much more natural experience compared to using a mouse.

Custom NAS using TrueNAS

Custom NAS using TrueNAS

Wacom Intuos Pro M

Framing & Handling

I want to say at the outset that framing aesthetics are very much a personal preference and the advice here focuses on the more technical reasons for framing and mounting in the manner described. You are, of course, free to frame and mount the images you purchase in a manner that suits you and/or the room into which the image is to be placed! 


I reproduce all of my images using archival quality materials to ensure that your investment has the best chance of lasting for a very long time. I work closely with the wonderful Warren Macris at High Res Digital here in Sydney who brings a wealth of experience to the printing and retouching processes. Warren's many years in the business ensures that the end-to-end process from paper and ink quality to printer calibration and print production is carried out to the highest standards. Throughout the process all paper and prints are carefully handled with cotton gloves to avoid the transfer of acidic oils from the hands to the print or paper margins. The prints are then transported to you in large diameter tubes packed inside appropriately sized shipping cartons which ensures a minimum of bending stress on the print paper and excellent protection from crushing damage.

All of these procedures and precautions ensure that the print you have purchased arrives in perfect condition but it is important to realize that to truly protect your print over the long haul it must either be stored carefully in an acid-free album or else framed appropriately to protect it from moisture, acidity and UV radiation.

These notes provide you with a framing specification which you can take to your framer of choice and get a frame which will deliver the protection your investment deserves.

General Principles
The frame should house and protect the image but not draw attention to itself.

Try to keep all visible framing elements dark so as not to distort your vision’s interpretation of the image’s white balance. When your eye falls upon an image it seeks out the brightest points within the image and uses this white level to set a white balance for the scene being viewed. If the frame includes a large white border then your vision will use that as the "calibrating" white for the entire image. By keeping the framing dark this ensures that it is the white components of the image which set this calibration and so the image is viewed as the camera (and the author!) intended.

Always handle the image with cotton gloves to avoid transfer of low pH fluids from the hands to the paper. The acidic nature of the skin's oils and sweat can adversely affect the paper by damaging the structure of the paper and leaving it vulnerable to oxidative damage and marking.

Framing Stack
I build up a stack of elements to put into the frame as follows:
(the order is front to back from where the picture is viewed)

  • Frame
  • Glass
  • Mat
  • Image
  • Backing Mat
  • Backing Foam


Stack Properties

 

Frame

Image Size           Suggested Width
Mural                   6-9cm (2.5”-3.5”)
Feature                4-6cm (1.5”-2.5”)
Nook                    2.5-4cm (1”-1.5”)

 
Profile:  Simple - I use flat with 45 degree taper to the glass (see image)

Color: Black

Glass
Non Reflective
99% UV Resistant
2.5mm thick
Conservation Grade
Matte finish

Mat
Museum Grade
Black
Acid Free
I usually make the window slightly smaller than the image by 2mm (~0.1”) all around

Suggested width of the mat borders
This is a matter of taste although along the bottom to it should be large enough to accommodate the print’s authenticity embossing:

Mural 

70mm - Top, Left, Right                                   

90mm - Bottom


Feature                                

50mm - Top, Left, Right

70mm - Bottom


Nook
30mm - Top, Left, Right
50mm - Bottom

Image
It’s printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm Ultra Smooth
Using these print margins:
    
Mural                                   

40mm - Top, Left, Right

80mm - Bottom 


Feature                                 

20mm - Top, Left, Right

70mm - Bottom 


Nook
20mm - Top, Left, Right
50mm - Bottom

Backing Mat
Museum Grade
White
Acid Free

Backing Foam
Non Adhesive
Acid Free
3-5mm thick (0.12”-0.2”) This will depend on the depth available in the frame.

Miscellaneous
I use the following products (all Acid Free). Your framer may wish to use other products of course but it’s best if their choices are also acid-free


Sekisui Framing Tape

 - for sealing the frame


LineCo Self Adhesive Linen Hinging Tape

 - for hinging the 2 Mats together

LineCo Gummed Paper Hinging Tape

 - for attaching the image to the Backing Mat

The framing stack resulting from following the principles described here.

Embossing press, glass cutter and bone scraper

Glass weights used to hold the image steady when hinging the mat to the backing board

My Logan point driver for fixing the mounting stack into the frame

Self-adhesive linen hinging tape (lower roll) and gummed adhesive paper hinging tape (upper roll)

Sekisui 50mm (2") self-adhesive framing tape for creating a seal between the frame and the mounting stack

Lighting
Much like Framing, lighting an image is also driven by personal preferences. Having said that I would like to make some basic suggestions which will enhance the viewing experience while also protecting the image.

Great care and attention has been applied to ensure that each of my prints has the best possible color reproduction keeping them as true as possible to the original. The pigments used in the printing process are archival quality and should provide at least 100 years of accurate color. This last point does come with a proviso however, in that prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet in sunlight will negatively impact the pigments' performance and reduce the duration of accurate color. With this in mind my first piece of advice would be not to place the image in direct sunlight as a means of lighting. This issue is ameliorated to some extent by the use of museum grade UV resistant glass in the framing but even with this being used there is no guarantee that it will be 100% effective against fading.

Naturally a moratorium on sunlight leads to the obvious conclusion that a means of artificially lighting the image is the way to go. You may recall from the discussion on framing the emphasis placed on avoiding a skew in the white balance of the viewing experience through the use of dark framing materials. There is a lighting corollary to that discussion which is that coloration in the light used to illuminate the image can also skew the perception of the colors in the image. Luckily there is a quantitative measure which can give an assessment of the accuracy of color reproduction under a given lighting element called the Color Rendering Index or CRI.

CRI is a measurement of how natural colors render under an artificial white light source when compared to sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, with a perfect 100 indicating that colors of objects under the light source appear the same as they would under natural sunlight. CRIs under 80 are generally considered ‘poor’ while ranges over 90 are considered ‘great’. High CRI LED lighting renders beautiful, vibrant tones across the full-color spectrum.
CRI
70
CRI
80
CRI
90
CRI
100
For illuminating art and photographs I recommend using an LED strip light source with CRI 99 and a color temperature of 5000K. This will accurately simulate daylight illumination of your piece and the color reproduction will be accurate. It is possible to use CRI 99 and a color temperature of 6500K but in experimenting I have found the outcome to be a little harsh, visually.

Just as an aside I am developing artwork illumination using the above criteria and have a working prototype lighting my own copy of Celtic Reflections. (see image)

My prototype lightbar using an led strip with CRI 99 at 5000K

My prototype lightbar - CRI99@5000K