2014 Challenge, Week 5: LANDSCAPE – SKY

And now we’re back to my focus, landscapes. For our first landscape, we focused on finding a distinctive tree to include in your landscape. Hopefully that forced you to think a little harder than you might have, in composing your image. Many of our themes are designed to do just that, help push you a little harder at making the best photograph you can. With each of the four of us emphasizing something different, by the end of this year, I truly hope that you’ll look back at your work, and see some maturity in the results.

“Shell Beach Sunset”, by Trevor Carpenter

Wonderful landscapes do not all have exactly the same elements. Yet, they do often share many characteristics. While a landscape photograph doesn’t need to be entirely nature, most often it has captured nature wonderfully.

“Mongolia Landscape”, by tiarescott

For this week’s landscape focus, I want you to consider the sky. The sky can and should be a serious consideration for a landscape photo. That doesn’t mean that the sky is or should be one of the larger elements. You might choose to omit most of the sky, and fill the frame with a vast countryside. But the slice of sky at the top, makes all the difference. Or maybe the giant, negative-space-inducing blue sky is 90% of your image, with a simple mountain line along the bottom of the frame?

“Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.”, by Rachel Sarai

No matter how you include the sky, it is usually distinctive.

“HDR Landscape in Sweden”, by Daniel Carlbom

I want you to make the sky the majority of your image, for this week’s photograph. Please fill more than 50% of the frame with it. Obviously what’s in the sky isn’t dictated by us, the photographer, but how you frame it with your landscape beyond can make all the difference. Maybe the weather in your area will give you something dynamic to work with? Or maybe the typically vast and blue sky is all you have to work with, like me? If you really cannot get it the way you want, maybe the night time sky will give you something else. Just don’t forget a tripod for that!

“The Night of the Fireballs”, by Luis Argerich

As always, please share your one final photograph with us on at least one of our social media groups, found at Google+, Facebook, or Flickr.

About Steve Troletti

I'm a Location Scout, Editorial, Nature, Wildlife and Environmental Photographer based in Malibu, California. I specialize in Nature and Urban Nature photography including Infrared Landscapes. The Bulk of my work takes place in the Los Angeles, California area, Greater Montreal Region, Canada, Switzerland, France and Varese in Northern Italy. Ethical wildlife photography is the main priority and focus of my work. A minimum disturbance of the animals, their habitat and the environment is my top priority. This applies as much to total wilderness areas as it does to urban nature environments. Ongoing education of environmental issues and building awareness for the protection of wildlife and wilderness areas around the world is what drives me to document the beauty that surrounds us.