Wide shots

Shooting in Late Winter

Wide Shots

First, I'm going to set up for a shot that takes in the entire view, capturing the blanket of snowdrops from front to back. Since we're shooting in the evening I would usually shoot the wide last, when the light is at its softest, but given how soft the light was here when we arrived, I decided to shoot the wide first.

In this lesson you'll learn to:

• compose a wide shot with natural backlight
• consider your exposure and how it needs to adapt on location
• how to work with natural light that's changing
• work with a 24-70mm lens

Recommended previous lessons:

• The exposure triangle
• Understanding cameras and lenses

In My Kit

• Camera
• 24mm - 70mm lens
• Tripod
• Lens hood
• Spirit level
• Cable release

Setting Up

When scouting for any shot, try to aim for a view that is backlit. Think of a clock, and where the hands are at ten past the hour, and aim for the direction of light to be coming in from a similar kind of angle.

Choosing Your Composition

Walk round the site a few times to see whether there are any compositions that draw your attention. Look out for:

• graphic lines, uprights and structures to anchor the frame
• direction of the light (aim for backlit)
• visual appeal in the foreground, through to the background
• strong contrasts in colour and brightness
• interesting shadows and texture

Shooting Into the Light

This can provide beautiful results, but technically it can be quite tricky. When shooting into the light, you need to control the amount of light that comes through into the camera - in particular you want to avoid the light hitting the lens and causing flare. This can be done using a lens hood. The impact of a lens hood can be seen in the two images on the next page.

Pre-Visualising Your Composition

Before setting up your camera, it's always a good idea to scout and recce different angles and compositions. You can do this by eye, or you can use your phone.

To begin with, set the tripod up to your eye level, as this is the angle from which you've initially found the composition. You can then play around with adjusting the height from there.

I prefer to look through the eyepiece rather than the live view display to frame my shot, as it helps me to engage better with how the composition is working.

Using Your Spirit Level

Attaching a spirit level onto the hot shoe of your camera is a really easy and intuitive way to make sure the camera is level. After you've found your composition, you can make subtle adjustments on the tripod.

Using a Cable Release

If you want everything in your photograph to be sharp, but are shooting at a slow shutter speed, it's handy to use a cable release to fire the shutter in order to avoid touching the camera.

Refining Your Composition

Take the time to reassess and adjust your composition - it may be that you have tree trunks overlapping, or unattractive clashes of different shapes in the background. Play around with moving the camera until you feel your composition is working.

Using Flags

Even with the use of a lens hood, you might still be getting glare in your image. Combat this by using a flag to direct the light away from the lens.

You can do this by holding the flag in one hand and looking through the eyepiece of your camera, lowering the flag until you can see it and then pulling it back so it's just out of frame, then taking the shot

Using the Histogram

Once you've taken a picture, it's important to look at the histogram to check whether the exposure is correct. You want to be making sure the shadows and highlights aren't too clipped, and that you've got a gentle curve.

Choosing When to Shoot Your Wide Shot

As a general rule, the wider the shot, the softer the light should be - so you want to shoot either first thing early in the morning, or make it the last shot you take in the late afternoon before the sun sets.

There are exceptions, especially in the winter when the light has a slightly different quality. It also depends how you pre-visualised your shot, as you might prefer to have harsher and more dramatic light.