Nature Photography How To

Early last month we featured a Lightroom tutorial explaining eight methods for adjusting image contrast and why some photographers may be taking the wrong approach for the specific task at hand. We're following that up today by explaining three types of contrast to look for when shooting in field,

Instructor Scott Davenport is a professional outdoor photographer specializing in landscape and seascape imagery, and in this episode he demonstrates why contrast is so important for adding visual interest to all sorts of outdoor scenes by conveying a sense of depth and dimension.

Here's how Davenport summarizes today's nine-minute lesson: "In this video I'll talk about the three essential types of contrast you should consider for creating visually striking landscape photos." The first is "light and shadow contrast," often employed when shooting in b&w, and he demonstrates the power of this approach for adding drama to images by emphasizing shapes, lines, and contours.

Davenport explains why scenes full of "color contrast" provide another great opportunity to capture compelling landscape photographs. Here he demonstrates how to leverage situations like this to highlight different focal points and "add emotional depth" within the frame. One important consideration when taking this approach is to look for and emphasize complimentary colors.

Last on the list is what Davenport refers to as the contrast between texture and smoothness. As he says, this one "introduces tactile variation, enriching the photograph with sensory complexity," and he illustrates the power of this less-familiar technique and how to put into practice for making compelling images with a unique look.

Each of these three forms of contrast will significantly improve the impact of photographs in different ways and contribute to the overall impact of just about every landscape image you capture. Davenport puts it like this: "Understanding and utilizing different types of contrast offer photographers versatility to craft compelling and evocative imagery" that simply can't be ignored.

Davenport's instructional YouTube channel is a great source of information for landscape photographers who want to elevate their skills. If that sounds like you, check out what he has available.

And don't miss the recent tutorial we mentioned above that demonstrates eight Lightroom methods for adjusting contrast in a photograph and why you may be sacrificing image quality by taking the wrong approach.