Photographing landscapes in the tropics is usually a big challenge. The sunrise and sunset hours are very brief, so the window to make beautiful images is very short. The moment the sun goes up, the light becomes harsh and the charm in the landscapes quickly vanishes. The afternoon haze only makes things worse. So, the landscape photographer often needs to understand the weather as well, and needs to have a good knowledge of the conditions in the atmosphere in different seasons. The photographer should have a good idea of the seasons of rain, cloud, fog, harsh sun, flowering seasons, colours of the season and every other thing that makes up the landscape.
With this knowledge, the landscape photographer can make the best of the scenery that unfolds around him, without having to do too much of trial and error. The image below, photographed 50km outside Bangalore at Nandi Hills, was made with a clear understanding that the hill-top is foggy in monsoons and winter mornings. A summer morning on the hill wouldn’t offer the same drama at any time of the day.
Camera Data: Canon EOS 350D, 17-40L at 30mm, f/11, 1/50sec
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