# Landscape Photography and What I've Learned



## D-B-J

I by no means am a professional at this, and still have a bunch to learn.  But in the past few months I've found myself learning quite a lot about landscape photo's and landscape shots in general, and figured I should put them all in a thread. Consider this a "things I wish I knew when I started out" list.

1. A Good Tripod:
You'll need a good, strong, versatile tripod.  I bought cheap, and regret it.  Not that my tripod doesn't work well, it's just not strong enough to hold all my equipment.  But I can move the center column all funky ways, which is a MAJOR help for getting down low and up close with foreground elements. Again, let me stress the _versatile _bit.

2. A Good Wide Angle that Accepts Filters
Definitely need a wide angle lens.  Probably 90% of my landscape shots are done with a wide angle lens.  I used the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 on my D7000, and now use Nikon's 16-35 f4 VRII.  I should add that aperture doesn't matter. I "downgraded" to the f4 from the f2.8, and haven't once noticed.  Unless you do astrophotography, it doesn't matter.

3. Filters!!!!!
Yes. Filters are ridiculously important.  Graduated neutral density, neutral density, polarizers, etc. are all necessary for landscapes.  Often times the sky is too bright and you want to equalize the exposure.  Or you want to blur the water so you use a strong ND.  I won't go into filters here, but know that they are hugely important.

4. Wireless Remote
I first had a wired remote, but eventually upgraded to the wireless and wish I had gone that way from the beginning.  It makes it easier to trigger the camera and not worry about any shake.  Getting a good one with intervalometer/long exposure abilities also makes long exposure shots or time lapses very easy.

5. Use Mirror-Lock-Up!
It's all I use for landscape shots--whether it's at 1/250th or 5 minutes.  It just makes me have to worry less about any possible shake degrading the image.  I mean, it's on a tripod.. I have the extra few seconds to use the mirror up setting.

6. Don't be Afraid of HDR.
It's not your enemy.  And sometimes, when the horizon line is real jagged and filters just aren't cutting it, HDR can be a savior.  I also often use them for manually layering two photo's together, and not necessarily for a full HDR.  It's nice to have options.

7. Focus Stacking
Wait... doesn't a wide angle and small aperture mean everything's in focus?!  No.... not perfectly.  I often have foreground elements within inches or a foot of my lens, and other than focusing super close (and ruining the rest of the background's focus) it'll be slightly soft.  So shoot the same exposure twice: one focused on your foreground elements and one one your background elements. Sometimes you may even need three--it all depends.

8. Shoot in RAW!
It's simple.  RAW gives you a lot more wiggle room when it comes to editing, and really enhances your ability to dial down highlights or bump up the shadows. Just do it, and don't ask questions.

9. Cover your Viewfinder.
I do it out of habit now for any image over 1 second.  That way, you don't have to worry about light leakage. Which is ugly.

10. Keep it Level!
Regardless of where in your composition your horizon is, keep it level! With wide angles and non-level, you can get some funky distortion that can be difficult to correct.  Either use the built-in level or buy a hotshoe level.

11. Don't Center your Horizon
Okay... well. You can.  But it often leads to a dull composition.  Make it high, make it low, whatever you need.  Just don't center it all the time. Get creative!

12. Composition. Is. Everything.
Really put some time and thought into your compositions.  Sometimes I'll take 30 minutes before I find a composition I'm happy with.  Sometimes it takes 4 seconds.  Just make sure you don't place the camera willy-nilly and hope for the best.

13. Include Foreground Elements!
Without these, landscape shots are often dull.  Not all of them require it, but for most it will enhance the image greatly.

14. Be a Creative Editor
Layer images together. Focus stack. Use HDR's and a single edited photo. Add color to the sky and desaturate the foreground. Don't correct distortion.  Vignette the crap out of it. Or don't.  Just try and make it your own.  I'm not a "edit-lightly" kind of guy--I like to make the final image my _interpretation_ of the scene... not necessarily the scene as it were.

15. It's Not All About Wide Angles
Really.  They're fun, but that's not all it's about.  Sometimes I use a 200mm lens to highlight a small section of the scene in front of me.  Or a 50.  Whatever it may be, wide angle isn't the only way to capture a scene.  This, for me, is still an idea I struggle with.

16. Long Exposures Don't Fix Everything
I first thought long exposures using a 10-stop ND fixed everything.  Oh it's boring? I long exposure the crap out of it! Now it's cool!  No. That's not how it works, and sometime long exposures are just cliche.  Be mindful of that.

17. Invest in a Good Bag
Be it a backpack or shoulder bag, buy one that you can crack open and have all your gear available to you.  I personally hike a lot with my gear, so I got a big hiking style backpack--once I get to a location I unzip it and let it all lay out so I can have access to all the essentials.

18. Be Mindful of Flares
Often with wide angles and landscapes you get sun-flares, and sometimes they can be strong.  Be mindful of them, and use a shade (or your hand) if necessary to reduce them.  Sometimes they add to an image, and sometimes they detract--it's all up to you.

19. Black and White is your Friend
Sure. Color is great.  But sometimes black and white can take your good image to a whole new level.  So give it a try.

20. Use OOF Foreground Elements to Frame your Subject
Especially in the land of waterfall photography, using out of focus foreground subjects (rocks, trees, etc) can really help center on your subject.  Or maybe it can help you hide a distraction.  Either way, it's not a bad idea to give it a shot.

21. Shoot the Scene from Many Angles
Sometimes what I think is interesting in the moment looks pretty lame when I get home and upload to the computer.  So shoot a multitude of compositions.  What you feel in the moment may not be the same when you review the full-res files.

22. Shallow Apertures are Fun Too!
They can help isolate just a part of the whole subject that you want the viewer to focus on.  So it's not all about f22. Sometimes f2.8 is killer. Sometimes not.

23. Have Fun!
Duh! Landscape photography is meant to be relaxing. Bring a drink, maybe a seat, and just relax.  Enjoy the beauty your camera is capturing.  It's nice to have a photo, but nothing beats seeing and enjoying with your own two eyes.



I'm sure I'll come up with more, but that's all for now.



Cheers!
Jake


Edits to Original List:

#24. Buy a L-Bracket!
I still have yet to do this, but I wasted about 3 minutes on a recent shoot trying to change from horizontal to portrait orientation...

#25. Be Careful!
Where you put your loose gear.  Like a shutter remote.  I put it in my breast pocket, bent over, and let it slide into a tide-pool.  Luckily it wasn't an expensive piece of gear.. but still.

#26. Get a Good Circular Polarizer!
My current one vignettes and isn't part of my Lee system and is a real PITA to work with.  I will upgrade soon enough, but know a good CPOL is worth every penny.

#27. Bring a Headlamp!
Especially when shooting at dusk or night, these can be really really helpful.  Mine has LED's--white for regular sight, and red for low-light astro stuff. Even a blinking red so people see me!

#28, (Courtesy of Jake337) Stay Safe and Bring Friends!
"If possible bring a friend or two. Spotters come in handy. Want to take a picture from the middle of a road/train tracks etc you have people watching your back. Slip on some rocks in that stream and creak your head open, you'll have someone there. Want to dangle your feet off of a skyscraper....

Well you get the point. No image is worth losing your life."


----------



## pgriz

Hmmm...  Shouldn't this be in "articles"?  Lots of good points there.


----------



## D-B-J

pgriz said:


> Hmmm...  Shouldn't this be in "articles"?  Lots of good points there.



Oh. Maybe it should. Whoops!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## pthrift

Good advice to the unknowing.  Thanks

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4; probably while slacking off at work


----------



## sscarmack

Well, very nice write up. I've noticed a huge improvement in your work over the past months. Keep up the good work!


----------



## D-B-J

sscarmack said:


> Well, very nice write up. I've noticed a huge improvement in your work over the past months. Keep up the good work!



Thank you! I've learned a lot and figured I should share what I've learned so far. Still have a lot more to learn, though. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sscarmack

D-B-J said:


> sscarmack said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, very nice write up. I've noticed a huge improvement in your work over the past months. Keep up the good work!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you! I've learned a lot and figured I should share what I've learned so far. Still have a lot more to learn, though.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


We all do brotha, we all doooooo.

One of my favorite quotes.

*&#8220;It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.&#8221;*
&#8213; John Wooden


----------



## D-B-J

sscarmack said:


> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sscarmack said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, very nice write up. I've noticed a huge improvement in your work over the past months. Keep up the good work!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you! I've learned a lot and figured I should share what I've learned so far. Still have a lot more to learn, though.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> We all do brotha, we all doooooo.
> 
> One of my favorite quotes.
> 
> [h=1]It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.[/h]
Click to expand...


Oooooh that's a good one. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Derrel

AN EXCELLENT WRITE-UP!

I'd consider promoting points 15 and 16 to Lieutenant Colonel.


----------



## DevC

Great points.

Only thing, i've seen some great landscapes at 300mm. It can be done a thigher mm's and there are unique things that come out at this level, but one just must be wary.


----------



## D-B-J

Derrel said:


> AN EXCELLENT WRITE-UP!
> 
> I'd consider promoting points 15 and 16 to Lieutenant Colonel.



Thanks! Just trying to help others learn from my mistakes and such [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## D-B-J

DevC said:


> Great points.
> 
> Only thing, i've seen some great landscapes at 300mm. It can be done a thigher mm's and there are unique things that come out at this level, but one just must be wary.



Oh absolutely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DevC

Also to point, Filters need not be necessary, but 80% of the time are . Well if that didn't sound confusing, idk what does.



If any i think are extremely useful are polarizers. ND would be useful if you are always in super bright conditions. But if you are shooting at near dusk or dawn, this may not be necessary.


----------



## D-B-J

DevC said:


> Also to point, Filters need not be necessary, but 80% of the time are . Well if that didn't sound confusing, idk what does.
> 
> 
> 
> If any i think are extremely useful are polarizers. ND would be useful if you are always in super bright conditions. But if you are shooting at near dusk or dawn, this may not be necessary.



I used the Lee little stopper last night at sunset for a 2-3 minute exposure. So for me, there's always a use for ND's [emoji5]&#65039;


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## D-B-J

pthrift said:


> Good advice to the unknowing.  Thanks
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4; probably while slacking off at work



You're welcome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 480sparky

_Sticky_ Time!!!!!


----------



## D-B-J

480sparky said:


> _Sticky_ Time!!!!!



Woowoo!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## imagecolorist

Actually its a big place for me. I get a smart knowledge about this topic. Truly a heavy read for me.


----------



## Didereaux

I saved and printed this just to remind me.  MANY good points, that to often get forgotten.


----------



## D-B-J

Didereaux said:


> I saved and printed this just to remind me.  MANY good points, that to often get forgotten.



Glad I could help!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sscarmack

Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?


----------



## D-B-J

I only really shoot sunsets. I've been meaning to try my hand at sunrises but I haven't done much with them. So sunsets it is. and it always seems I work during sunrise or when id want to shoot. So I often am more available at sunset times


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sscarmack

Soon the sun will be down way before I even get out of work


----------



## D-B-J

sscarmack said:


> Soon the sun will be down way before I even get out of work


Sunrises it is then!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jsecordphoto

I definitely prefer sunrise. I have a hard time sleeping though and rarely get to bed before midnight so waking up for sunrise can be really difficult, its almost always worth it though!


----------



## D-B-J

jsecordphoto said:


> I definitely prefer sunrise. I have a hard time sleeping though and rarely get to bed before midnight so waking up for sunrise can be really difficult, its almost always worth it though!



Well I have a set of ND grads being delivered today and no work in the mornin.... So I'll be up early!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sscarmack

Do you like long walks on the beach?


----------



## D-B-J

sscarmack said:


> Do you like long walks on the beach?



Who doesn't? Although, I feel this has turned into a mock dating site, which has me unnerved...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Civchic

I've been concentrating on improving landscapes lately, and it's such an incredibly deep and rewarding and frustrating area.  When you first get going it's easy to see a pretty view and just lift the camera to your eye and snap - Nature made you a pretty picture!  Yay!

Then you start thinking about it.  Oy.  This is a great write-up DBJ, thanks!


----------



## D-B-J

Civchic said:


> I've been concentrating on improving landscapes lately, and it's such an incredibly deep and rewarding and frustrating area.  When you first get going it's easy to see a pretty view and just lift the camera to your eye and snap - Nature made you a pretty picture!  Yay!
> 
> Then you start thinking about it.  Oy.  This is a great write-up DBJ, thanks!



Oh you're welcome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dennybeall

Thank you for taking your time to share. Good tips and information is always welcome.


----------



## D-B-J

dennybeall said:


> Thank you for taking your time to share. Good tips and information is always welcome.



In making this list it really made me think about how I shoot and how much I've learned in the past few months. Glad it could be of help to you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## avraam

Good tips!! will save them for my working wall. Have more such information like this one


----------



## robbins.photo

pgriz said:


> Hmmm...  Shouldn't this be in "articles"?  Lots of good points there.



Well when you put the word "manifesto" in the title people tend to shy away..

Umm.. just take my word for it.. lol


----------



## robbins.photo

Some great tips in there - I'll have to take some notes.  Haven't done much with landscapes myself yet, but then again I live in Nebraska.  We are not exactly world renown for our scenic vistas.. lol


----------



## D-B-J

robbins.photo said:


> Some great tips in there - I'll have to take some notes.  Haven't done much with landscapes myself yet, but then again I live in Nebraska.  We are not exactly world renown for our scenic vistas.. lol



So get creative!


----------



## robbins.photo

D-B-J said:


> robbins.photo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Some great tips in there - I'll have to take some notes.  Haven't done much with landscapes myself yet, but then again I live in Nebraska.  We are not exactly world renown for our scenic vistas.. lol
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So get creative!
Click to expand...


Ok, well need to get a couple of bucks in the bank for bail money first, just in case.  Lol


----------



## D-B-J

robbins.photo said:


> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> robbins.photo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Some great tips in there - I'll have to take some notes.  Haven't done much with landscapes myself yet, but then again I live in Nebraska.  We are not exactly world renown for our scenic vistas.. lol
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So get creative!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Ok, well need to get a couple of bucks in the bank for bail money first, just in case.  Lol
Click to expand...


Seems legit.


----------



## timor

D-B-J said:


> 9. Cover your Viewfinder.
> I do it out of habit now for any image over 1 second.  That way, you don't have to worry about light leakage. Which is ugly.
> 
> 
> Jake


Jake ! No kidding !? Your D800 leaks light through viewfinder ?   On the sensor ?


----------



## D-B-J

timor said:


> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> 
> 9. Cover your Viewfinder.
> I do it out of habit now for any image over 1 second.  That way, you don't have to worry about light leakage. Which is ugly.
> 
> 
> Jake
> 
> 
> 
> Jake ! No kidding !? Your D800 leaks light through viewfinder ?   On the sensor ?
Click to expand...


Well, I just spent 20 minutes and found nothing... Maybe it's a myth and I've lived a lie my whole life? I'll do some tests...


----------



## D-B-J

D-B-J said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> 
> 9. Cover your Viewfinder.
> I do it out of habit now for any image over 1 second.  That way, you don't have to worry about light leakage. Which is ugly.
> 
> 
> Jake
> 
> 
> 
> Jake ! No kidding !? Your D800 leaks light through viewfinder ?   On the sensor ?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Well, I just spent 20 minutes and found nothing... Maybe it's a myth and I've lived a lie my whole life? I'll do some tests...
Click to expand...

No!! My life isn't a lie! I put it to the extreme test in house and it proved me right. Below are two photos. In both it was a 10", f4, ISO 500 exposure with the lens cap on and lens covered by a shirt. One has the viewfinder shutter open, and one it was closed. In both I pointed a high powered handheld LED flashlight at the viewfinder... The results are clear. Granted, this is extreme, but it's not much more light (if any, it's less) than a 2 or 3 minute sunset exposure. I'll do a field test next shoot to see how drastic the difference is in the field.

Jake


----------



## timor

Interesting. With all that technology...? Seals not efficient ? I know my film cameras are leaking light, well, the age, but usually covering the VF was to avoid fooling light meter with stray light.


----------



## D-B-J

timor said:


> Interesting. With all that technology...? Seals not efficient ? I know my film cameras are leaking light, well, the age, but usually covering the VF was to avoid fooling light meter with stray light.



They do have technology for it.. That viewfinder shutter is 101% effective.


----------



## ruifo

Very good, Jake!!


----------



## timor

D-B-J said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting. With all that technology...? Seals not efficient ? I know my film cameras are leaking light, well, the age, but usually covering the VF was to avoid fooling light meter with stray light.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They do have technology for it.. That viewfinder shutter is 101% effective.
Click to expand...

Stone Age solution. Still better, than black electrical tape.


----------



## D-B-J

Added a few more I realized on my latest trip.


----------



## astroNikon

Here's a photo of a stream without covering the viewfinder - sunrise light to my back, ie going right into the viewfinder.  6 second exposure


----------



## D-B-J

astroNikon said:


> Here's a photo of a stream without covering the viewfinder - sunrise light to my back, ie going right into the viewfinder.  6 second exposure



Perfect example!


----------



## timor

That's really bad.


----------



## fotomonkey

D-B-J said:


> #24. Buy a L-Bracket!
> I still have yet to do this, but I wasted about 3 minutes on a recent shoot trying to change from horizontal to portrait orientation...


I'm a huge fan of the L bracket. I had Kirk brackets on my D2H and D70. I hope they come out with one for the 5300.

Along those lines, if you're shooting a 70-200 or larger it's hard to beat a good lens plate.


----------



## D-B-J

fotomonkey said:


> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> 
> #24. Buy a L-Bracket!
> I still have yet to do this, but I wasted about 3 minutes on a recent shoot trying to change from horizontal to portrait orientation...
> 
> 
> 
> I'm a huge fan of the L bracket. I had Kirk brackets on my D2H and D70. I hope they come out with one for the 5300.
> 
> Along those lines, if you're shooting a 70-200 or larger it's hard to beat a good lens plate.
Click to expand...


Yeah I really need one. It's no so much that it's expensive but I've been doing a lot of shoots lately that require my money to be spent on other things like renting lenses and such.

Soon enough!


----------



## JTPhotography

Great tips!

L brackets are great.

The d800 absolutely will light leak on long exposures in bright light. Petty sure all cameras will.

I have a few tips of my own to add if you don't mind.

Gear is a nightmare. If you want to do landcsape photography just accept the fact that you have to, and need to, do lots of gear tinkering, cleaning and organizing.

Agree on the GNDs but will go one step further and say that I only use Reverse GNDs for my landscapes. These allow you to retain the detail at the top of the frame.

THE most important thing when it comes to landscape photography IMO is this...... shoot, shoot and reshoot. You can't visit one spot and expect to get THE shot. Light and weather conditions change. When you find a scene you like, make it your girlfriend for a while.  Take my sunrise photo in the October POTM competition as an example, I waded out to that stump at least 10 mornings before IT happened.


----------



## D-B-J

JTPhotography said:


> Great tips!
> 
> L brackets are great.
> 
> The d800 absolutely will light leak on long exposures in bright light. Petty sure all cameras will.
> 
> I have a few tips of my own to add if you don't mind.
> 
> Gear is a nightmare. If you want to do landcsape photography just accept the fact that you have to, and need to, do lots of gear tinkering, cleaning and organizing.
> 
> Agree on the GNDs but will go one step further and say that I only use Reverse GNDs for my landscapes. These allow you to retain the detail at the top of the frame.
> 
> THE most important thing when it comes to landscape photography IMO is this...... shoot, shoot and reshoot. You can't visit one spot and expect to get THE shot. Light and weather conditions change. When you find a scene you like, make it your girlfriend for a while.  Take my sunrise photo in the October POTM competition as an example, I waded out to that stump at least 10 mornings before IT happened.




Excellent add ons! You're right, there's always a ton of gear and much work to be done keeping it tip top. I use reverse GND's in combination, because I think I sometimes like the dark top of the frame look. And definitely! Shoot places over and over and over [emoji5]️

Jake


----------



## runnah

How about

Get up early
Nothing good is found on the side of the road so hike your lazy ass.


----------



## JimMcClain

D-B-J said:


> #24. Buy a L-Bracket!
> I still have yet to do this, but I wasted about 3 minutes on a recent shoot trying to change from horizontal to portrait orientation...


Although most of my shots are on a tripod, a great many are also hand-held - and usually both ways in the same session. An L-bracket would add more weight to the camera/lens combo (my D810 is already pretty heavy). My tripod, as well as most I've seen, can easily tilt from landscape orientation to portrait very quickly. Is there something about an L-bracket that makes this easier?



runnah said:


> Get up early
> Nothing good is found on the side of the road so hike your lazy ass.


Well, some of us are not so much lazy as somewhat disabled. Lung disease limits me considerably. I use a Segway for a mobility aide, which helps me get off the side of the road some, but 90% of my pictures are within 10 yards of my car. On a good day, I can go maybe 20-25, but there's no hiking for me and I find lots of beautiful pictures.

One of my goals has been to promote tourism to Feather River Country and I like to show people the beauty they might see just by driving through. The hope is that it will look so nice from the car that they will venture out to our more remote areas. I had a picture nominated for POTM this month that was shot not more than 3' from the pavement's edge. One of an abandoned cabin that has received a lot of likes and comments was shot only 10 feet from the edge of the highway. You don't have to hike to find good pictures.

Jim


----------



## D-B-J

runnah said:


> How about
> 
> Get up early
> Nothing good is found on the side of the road so hike your lazy ass.




I will say I've found some photo-gold within a hundred yards of the road [emoji6]


----------



## dennybeall

Isn't the point of a good l bracket to keep the camera sensor in the spot on center of rotation.


----------



## D-B-J

dennybeall said:


> Isn't the point of a good l bracket to keep the camera sensor in the spot on center of rotation.



I thought it was to go from vertical to horizontal without having to adjust the ball mount of head. That's why I want one, anyways.


----------



## JimMcClain

I thought one of the most important features of a ball head was ease of positioning. I don't have an L-bracket for testing, but I'm guessing that moving the ball head and recomposing is at least as fast as dismounting, remounting and recomposing with the bracket. And far cheaper. And the camera is lighter for the hand-held shots (I'm assuming most people who use an L-bracket leave it on). It's not like you can leave out the recompose part - I haven't seen a picture through my viewfinder that didn't require a little re-composition from landscape to portrait mode.

Sorry, I still don't get it.


----------



## weepete

dennybeall said:


> Isn't the point of a good l bracket to keep the camera sensor in the spot on center of rotation.



If you are doing panoramas then a bracket can be used for rotating the lens around the centre point to eliminate distortion. 

The L bracket still just flips your camera to portrait orientation though. It's the other bracket which would move your camera on the Y axis (back and forward to normal people )


----------



## weepete

JimMcClain said:


> I thought one of the most important features of a ball head was ease of positioning. I don't have an L-bracket for testing, but I'm guessing that moving the ball head and recomposing is at least as fast as dismounting, remounting and recomposing with the bracket. And far cheaper. And the camera is lighter for the hand-held shots (I'm assuming most people who use an L-bracket leave it on). It's not like you can leave out the recompose part - I haven't seen a picture through my viewfinder that didn't require a little re-composition from landscape to portrait mode.
> 
> Sorry, I still don't get it.



With an L bracket you will keep the centre of your camera in line with the centre of the tripod, where if you flip it on a ball head it moves around the ball giving you a different centre which is then different from the centre of the tripod. Means you can end up with a slightly different angle on foreground objects and can throw off the alignment with the background. To get the same pov you'd then need to move your tripod where with an L bracket you only have to adjust the vertical axis.


----------



## JTPhotography

weepete said:


> JimMcClain said:
> 
> 
> 
> I thought one of the most important features of a ball head was ease of positioning. I don't have an L-bracket for testing, but I'm guessing that moving the ball head and recomposing is at least as fast as dismounting, remounting and recomposing with the bracket. And far cheaper. And the camera is lighter for the hand-held shots (I'm assuming most people who use an L-bracket leave it on). It's not like you can leave out the recompose part - I haven't seen a picture through my viewfinder that didn't require a little re-composition from landscape to portrait mode.
> 
> Sorry, I still don't get it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With an L bracket you will keep the centre of your camera in line with the centre of the tripod, where if you flip it on a ball head it moves around the ball giving you a different centre which is then different from the centre of the tripod. Means you can end up with a slightly different angle on foreground objects and can throw off the alignment with the background. To get the same pov you'd then need to move your tripod where with an L bracket you only have to adjust the vertical axis.
Click to expand...


Yep. Tinkering with the camera and settings is much easier when the entire thing is perched up above the tripod, and the entire rig is more stable.

Most importantly, the brackets I use, Pro Media Gear, have a curvature or cradle that hugs the camera and keeps it from twisting on the camera, as a flat mount can do. When you lay the camera over sideways with a flat mount, the camera can sag if you don't have the plate really tight. PMG makes brackets without the L part that have this curvature and will remain very stable when you lay over into vertical position.

ProMediaGear Bracket Plate for Nikon D800 DSLR Camera PBNMBD12


----------



## snerd

I've been thinking about getting an L bracket simply because I don't like all that weight hanging off the "side" of the tripod. It just doesn't seem very stable to me.


----------



## JTPhotography

One thing about it, you don't even have to remount the camera to improve stability, the camera is more stable when tipped sideways with the L bracket than without.


----------



## dennybeall

I guess I misspoke when I simply said a "good" L-Bracket. I was thinking the difference between a simple L-bracket, just a single piece of metal and relatively cheap, versus an L-bracket with horizontal and vertical adjustments that allows the sensor to be centered over the rotation point of the tripod.


----------



## D-B-J

dennybeall said:


> I guess I misspoke when I simply said a "good" L-Bracket. I was thinking the difference between a simple L-bracket, just a single piece of metal and relatively cheap, versus an L-bracket with horizontal and vertical adjustments that allows the sensor to be centered over the rotation point of the tripod.



Oh oh that makes sense. When I meant L-Bracket I meant the fancy ones built for a certain DSLR.


----------



## Tailgunner

Great stuff!


----------



## D-B-J

Tailgunner said:


> Great stuff!



[emoji106][emoji106]


----------



## Tailgunner

D-B-J said:


> Tailgunner said:
> 
> 
> 
> Great stuff!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [emoji106][emoji106]
Click to expand...


So you still digging the 16-35 F4?


----------



## TreeofLifeStairs

What's this mirror lock up? My NEX-7 doesn't seem to have that.


----------



## D-B-J

Tailgunner said:


> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tailgunner said:
> 
> 
> 
> Great stuff!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [emoji106][emoji106]
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So you still digging the 16-35 F4?
Click to expand...


Oh my, I absolutely love it!


----------



## D-B-J

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> What's this mirror lock up? My NEX-7 doesn't seem to have that.



There's a large amount of body shake as a result of mirror slap, which can sometimes effect shorter (say 1/2" or 1") exposures. It's just another way to minimize body movement/vibration on tripod-shots.


----------



## TreeofLifeStairs

I was joking with you because my NEX-7 is a mirrorless camera.


----------



## D-B-J

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> I was joking with you because my NEX-7 is a mirrorless camera.




TOTALLY missed that. Hahahah.


----------



## alv

thank you for your understandable post .i believe its what i learned that helps.as i told my kids "ive made all the mistakes this is what works" thanks al


----------



## D-B-J

alv said:


> thank you for your understandable post .i believe its what i learned that helps.as i told my kids "ive made all the mistakes this is what works" thanks al



Glad I could help!


----------



## jcdeboever

Wish I would have read this before going out yesterday. I have no idea about filters. I would have to decide for either my 35mm prime or the sigma 17-55mm.

Are these the ones to buy?

Nikon 35mm: 52mm Circular Polarizer II from Nikon

Sigma: 77mm DG Wide Circular Polarizer


----------



## D-B-J

jcdeboever said:


> Wish I would have read this before going out yesterday. I have no idea about filters. I would have to decide for either my 35mm prime or the sigma 17-55mm.
> 
> Are these the ones to buy?
> 
> Nikon 35mm: 52mm Circular Polarizer II from Nikon
> 
> Sigma: 77mm DG Wide Circular Polarizer




Yeah, one of my first filters was a 77mm circular polarizer.  It's a good filter to start out with--boosting colors/contrast, reducing glare, and giving you a native ~1 stop reduction in light. 

Jake


----------



## jcdeboever

D-B-J said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wish I would have read this before going out yesterday. I have no idea about filters. I would have to decide for either my 35mm prime or the sigma 17-55mm.
> 
> Are these the ones to buy?
> 
> Nikon 35mm: 52mm Circular Polarizer II from Nikon
> 
> Sigma: 77mm DG Wide Circular Polarizer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, one of my first filters was a 77mm circular polarizer.  It's a good filter to start out with--boosting colors/contrast, reducing glare, and giving you a native ~1 stop reduction in light.
> 
> Jake
Click to expand...


Cool. I get one in the near future for the Sigma. I thought tripods were mainly for night shots / long exposures, good to know and so much to learn. This is turning into an expensive hobby....


----------



## jake337

Feel free to add this.

If possible bring a friend or two.  Spotters come in handy.  Want to take a picture from the middle of a road/train tracks etc you have people watching your back.  Slip on some rocks in that stream and crack your head open,  you'll have someone there.   Want to dangle your feet off of a skyscraper....

Well you get the point.   No image is worth losing your life.


----------



## D-B-J

jake337 said:


> Feel free to add this.
> 
> If possible bring a friend or two.  Spotters come in handy.  Want to take a picture from the middle of a road/train tracks etc you have people watching your back.  Slip on some rocks in that stream and creak your head open,  you'll have someone there.   Want to dangle your feet off of a skyscraper....
> 
> Well you get the point.   No image is worth losing your life.



Oh really good point! I actually turned around in NH the other day knowing that it wasn't safe and I was alone. 

I'll add it.

Jake


----------

