In different landscape photography articles I often see a recommendation to use very small aperture like f/22 to get maximum depth-of-field (DOF) have every thing in focus from “you nose till horizon”. (This also known as “near-far composition”). While this is absolutely right I cannot agree with that advice. Why? Simply because the quality of the picture will be much worse than with using aperture f/8 or f/11. All lenses are designed to have the best possible image quality at so called “sweet spot”, which is around f/5.6 – f/11. That applies to old lenses and that applies to modern super-quality lenses like Nikon 14-24/2.8. The graph that illustrates the quality of the images at different apertures is below.

This graph is not for a particular lens. But all lenses behave in the same way Carl Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, you name it. As you can clearly se we have quality degradation at f/22. How much? That depends on the lens. Quality degradation is caused by diffraction around aperture blades. Also that depends on the medium we are using for capturing photos. Back in old film days photographers could easily use f/22 to get max DOF because the only diffraction they had was around aperture blades.

Now in modern digital world we have diffraction in CCD/CMOS sensor in cameras as well. And the amount of diffraction depends on pixel dimensions. Pixel dimensions depend on the size of the sensor and amount of pixels. The bigger your sensor the bigger pixels the sensor has and therefore the smaller aperture you can use. But at the same time more megapixels you have on the sensor then the smaller your pixels the sensor has and therefore the larger aperture you have to use to prevent diffraction. If you haven’t read about that please check article on “Lens Diffraction and Photography” on Cambridge in Colour photography tutorial site. It has a nice calculator so you can check your sensor against different apertures. Note, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera has pixel size 6.4µm and pixel area ~41 µm². It’s not in the list in the calculator, but you can use Canon EOS 20D/350D instead with roughly the same pixel area 41.2 µm². If you wonder why Canon EOS 20D/350D have the same pixel size as Canon 5DMkII please bear in mind that even if it has full-frame sensor it has much bigger resolution that makes pixels smaller.

The image above shows diffraction in Canon EOS 5D Mark II sensor at different apertures. Again as you can see stopping down to f/22 causing image quality degradation. I can clearly see the difference between f/11 and f/16. I don’t want to compromise photo quality in landscape photography and therefore I do not use apertures smaller than f/16. Usually it is f/8 or f/11. So what is the solution if we do need to have max DOF?

Well… there are 3 options:

1. Get sharp foreground and leave horizon slightly out of focus. That works quite well due to peculiarity of human perception.
2. Get closer and shoot with wide lens. By using wider lens you are increasing DOF.
3. Capture a few frames with different focus and then stack them in Photoshop. Its complicated but it gives excellent results. As an example this photo of Cascades on Eurobin Creek was made from 6 frames at 100mm and f/11. How to stack images you can find on NaturePhotographers.net site in great article “Blending Exposures in Photoshop” by John Williams.

Hopefully this information helps you to achieve better quality with maximum depth-of-field and using best lens apertures.

PS. Also if you want to read more about maximising Depth-of-Field and better understand hyper-focal distance please have a look at the following article: The best and useful “Depth of Field” explanation.

PPS. This post was already ready and scheduled in my blog when I saw an article “Lens Diffraction” by great landscape photographer Ian Plant. Well… that’s just a coincidence.

By the way he has a few great eBooks on landscape photography, composition and light. Definitely worth reading.

Have you looked at a seascape photo and wondered how to create that misty water effect or capture stunning sunrise? Here you’ll find seascape and coastal photography tips and tricks used by professionals for taking stylish and artistic landscape pictures that stand out from amongst the crowd. These tips will help you take great digital photos that go well beyond the typical snapshot.

Tip 1: Research and study the location before shooting

Do your “homework” and research Internet – use Flickr, Panoramio and Google Image Search. Drop in to a tourist information centre and read tourist brochures, books and magazines to find a nice location. Have a look at postcards, calendars, and booklets. Study maps and locations to get an appreciation of the environment your photographing before hand. Find a good spot. Identify interesting subjects and spots and decide whether sunrise or sunset light would work best. If you want to shoot at sunrise then try to visit the location the day before to get familiar with the location. Even better if you visit the location a couple of times at low tide and high tide as well (see tip 8 below).

Tip 2: Shoot around sunrise and sunset

The best time to photograph seascapes is around sunrise and sunset. Some people prefer to shoot right after sunrise and right before sunset. There is approximately 15 – 30 minutes of exceptional light after sunrise and before sunset. This time sometimes known as “Golden Hours” or “Magic Hours”. The warm color of the low sun is often considered desirable to enhance the colours of the scene. Also low angle sun rays reveal rock shapes and textures. However some people prefer to shoot in twilight – before sunrise and after sunset. Depending on a location it could be 1 hour to 30 minutes before sunrise when you can start shooting. Check sunrise/sunset, nautical and civil twilight and tide times for the location you want to photograph. Usually nautical twilight is about 1 hour from sunrise/sunset and civil twilight is about 30 minutes from sunrise/sunset. Check distance and travel time to the location and plan to arrive at the destination at least 0.5 hour prior to sunrise or sunset. One hour before sunrise or sunset is even better. So arrive early and stay late. This advice should be mandatory for any landscape photographer.

Sunrise at Cape Bailey
Kurnell Peninsula, Botany Bay National Park, Sydney, NSW, Australia
f/11, 3 seconds, ISO 200

Tip 3: Equipment for seascape photography

Having proper equipment is very important for landscape and seascape photography. The list of essential items:

• Camera
• Lenses – depending on a location and subject it could be any lens from wide-angle to telephoto, but usually a wide-angle lens is an ideal lens for the majority of seascape photography.
• Lens Hood (to eliminate glare)
• Remote Control / Cable Release
• UV Filter to protect you lens from splashes and salt. It’s much easier to clean dried salt from a removable filter than from a front element of the lens.
• Filters (see tip 4 below)
• Sturdy tripod and tripod head. A tripod is always essential when working with water, whether you want to freeze it in motion, or want to smooth it out with a long exposure.
• Extra camera battery as the long exposures drain batteries very quickly. Remember, extra batteries will, eventually, save the day.
• Bubble level to level the horizon.
• Small headlamp or torch to illuminate camera dials and find something in your backpack.
• A strong flashlight to illuminate foreground subject so that you can compose the shot and/or focus properly.
• A towel, lens cleaning cloths, lens cleaning solution. Even if there is no wind your lens and filters start to get coated in salt. Salt crystals seriously affect image quality and could easily damage your lens or filter. Keep an eye on this and clean your glass regularly. Apply lens cleaning solution and try not to scratch the lenses with dry salt crystals.
• Rain cover. Hint: You can use free shower cap from a hotel room to cover your camera. It allows you to setup and focus camera without removing it. When you need to shot then just remove it from the lens, make a shot and put it back. It saves your lens from salt and splashes.

Tip 4: Filters for seascape photography

Polarizing, neutral density (ND) and graduated neutral density (GND) filters are essential in landscape and coastal photography.

Polarizer filter not only darken the sky on a sunny day but also saturates colors by cutting through glare and reflections. By rotating the filter you’ll see reflections disappear, a general increase in color saturation and darkening of blue skies. The last effect is one of the most useful for shooting landscapes during the day, as it increases the contrast between the sky and the clouds, giving it more impact. The effect is most pronounced on areas of the sky at 90 degree to the sun, with other areas showing less darkening. Polarizer filter also adds about 1 or 2 stops to the exposure if you want to blur water motion.

Neutral Density (ND) filters simply reduce the amount of light reaching the lens, allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds. It doesn’t have any effect on the color, tone or saturation of your image, but this simplicity adds to its usefulness. Using slow shutter speeds in bright conditions you can easily blur water and waves and capture movement in the sky. The long shutter speed gives the clouds a chance to move through the shot, and the water becomes a mist with enough sea state. NDs come in varying strength, from 1-stop till 10-stops. ND filters are also very useful when shooting waterfalls.

Graduated Neutral Density filters allow you to control the brightness between the sky and dark foreground areas. Without filter if you expose for the sky the foreground will be dark, with little or no details, while exposing for the foreground will make the sky far too light, loosing the colors that you got out so earlier for. A graduated ND filter simply darkens the sky to allow you to get details in both areas so when you expose for the landscape you can record the sky as it appears to the naked eye. Grad NDs come in varying strength. ND filters are given a series of numbers – 0.3 (1-stop), 0.6 (2-stops) and 0.9 (3-stops). The GND 0.9 (3-stops) Hard Edge and GND 0.6 (2-stops) Soft Edge filters are probably most useful when shooting seascapes.

Reverse Graduated Neutral Density filters. Reverse GNDs are unique filters from Singh-Ray and Hitech. Like all graduated filters, they are clear at the bottom, however at their horizontal middle started very abruptly with either a 1, 2 or 3 stops of neutral density and then graduate to 1 or 2 stops towards the top of the filter.

Graduated Neutral Density Filters

Tip 5: Maximize your Depth of Field

The normal approach to landscape and seascape photography is to ensure that your scene is in focus as much as possible. To achieve that just use small apertures (between f/8 and f/16) for sharpness (depth-of-field or DOF) that spans the entire picture field. But also try to avoid using apertures smaller than f/16 unless there is a need for them (especially on digital cameras) as your images will be affected by diffraction. Later you can always experiment with very shallow depth of field.

Tip 6: Use a strong foreground

Sometimes it’s really difficult to find anything on a beach except water and sand. That could lead to really boring images. So try to include something in the foreground. It could be rocks, a tree, a log, shells or something that can add the depth to the image. But also try keep the center of interest away from the central area of the frame following the basic rule of composition – The Rule of Thirds. Unless you are deliberately trying to create a near-far compositions with a foreground element centered at the bottom of the image.

The Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse
The Lighthouse at Wollongong Harbour, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
f/11, 1/160 seconds, ISO 200

Tip 7: Play with Shutter Speeds

The most common way to capture moving water is to use slow shutter speed so that it records as a graceful blur. The effect mainly depends on how fast the water flows and how long you expose it for and that will greatly vary both the look and feel of the scene to potential viewers. To record waves on a rocky shore, 1/2 to one second is ideal as it records the motion of water, whereas an exposure of several seconds loses this effect and water appears as a milk which also is very beautiful. To enhance the effect of blurred water, include objects such as rocks or boulders in the frame. Although blurry or milky water looks great, it may not always be the best option and in some situations you may decide to freeze it instead. Pictures of a huge waves crashing over a sea wall or against a rock shore with water exploding into the air, tend to look more effective if water is frozen, and to do that you will need a fast shutter speed. A shutter speed of 1/500 of a second or faster will help you to freeze the water’s motion in that case.

Tip 8: Tide

At high and low tides different parts of the coast are covered or exposed. Some locations work best at low tide, while other locations work at high tide. High tide smooths and cleans a beach and covers rocks. Low tide can reveal a bounty of interest: rock pools, shells, seaweed. So check your local tide times to see when this is happening and familiarise yourself with the location before shooting.

Tip 9: What to shoot?

Coasts and beaches offer a wide range of subjects to photograph. Here are a few of them: beaches, coves, harbours, boats and yachts, piers, cliffs, wet rocks and pebbles, rock pools, clouds, reflections, patterns in sand and rocks, waves, wave movement and cascading water, waves crashing over rocks, different close-ups and details, algae/moss, seaweed, marine life and birds.

Sunrise at Pebbly Beach
Forster, NSW, Australia
f/8, 125 seconds, ISO 200, Grad ND 0.9 Hard Edge filter

Tip 10: Dress appropriately

Dress appropriately for the weather conditions and time of the year. Have a light weather-proof and fleece jackets as it could be cold and windy even in Summer. If weather allows then wear shorts but not jeans or other heavy long pants. When shooting at the beach and on the rocks, it’s very easy to get wet, so have a good pair of comfortable walking shoes with enclosed toes that can be wet, and which will provide good grip and protection on slippery rocks.

Tip 11: Don’t be afraid to get wet

Sometimes you need to get wet and stand in water with your tripod in order to get the most dramatic composition. Take some time and try to find a more interesting point of view to shoot from. Explore the environment and experiment with different view points (e.g. get the tripod down low) and you could find something truly unique. Unfortunately waves can move sand and the tripod during long exposures. To prevent this push the tripod legs as deep into the sand as possible before an incoming wave arrives. This helps herden the tripod and camera sufficiently to get sharp images. Wash your tripod legs in fresh water after a seascapes session to remove salt and sand and prevent corrosion.

Sunset at Turimetta Beach
Turimetta Beach, Sydney, NSW, Australia
f/8, 10 seconds, ISO 200

Tip 12: Safety first

Some coasts can be dangerous places at high tide or in a bad weather so check weather and tide forecasts. Always keep an eye on the tide and the waves and never turn your back on a wave. Even a slippery surface could damage your gear or much worse. As photographers’ saying goes: “Bad weather means good photos”, but if the weather looks really bad then it is best not to shoot. Always make sure that you have an escape route, and give yourself plenty of time to get back to safety when the tide turns. Also it’s a good idea to tell someone where you are going. Have a good flashlight (see tip 3 above) for navigation in the dark. Headlamp is better as it keeps your hands free.

Tip 13: Have Fun!

Yes, there are actually 13 tips. This one is just a bonus.

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself, so have fun while developing your photographic skills.

PS. All small images are clickable. Bigger picture will open in a new window.
PPS. The top photo is Long Nose Point at Twilight, Broulee Bay, NSW, Australia. ISO 100, f/11, 56 second, ND8 filter.

Picture: Flat Rock Falls, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia

Internet is full of articles explaining Depth of Field theory, Hyperfocal Distance, how to calculate DOF and hyperfocal distance, DOF tables for different lenses and even DOF calculators iPhone. They all are pretty much the same, using the same formulas and the same words. I used to beleive in all that until a while ago I’ve read a great article “Adjusting Depth of Field” by Harold M. Merklinger, an author of “The Ins and Outs of Focus” and “Focusing the View Camera” books. This article tells about three well-known myths like “one-third rule”, focus on hyperfocal distance and DOF tables. He also challenges traditional DOF theory by turning in on its head. No longer is the Circle of Confusion the basis for judging DOF. His indepth analysis of the problem will problably leave you a convert for life.

Be patient and open minded. Most of us find that his ideas sound like they are at odds with what we’ve been taught, but he provides empirical evidence (“photos”) to support his claims. Whether or not you choose to adopt his methods, it’s worth reading and it really works for all cameras, landscape shots and wide angle to short telephoto lenses.

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III
• Part IV

(as published in Shutterbug magazine in Oct. 1991 and May – July 1992)

There is one more web page that compliments this article, it is called “Depth of Field Revisited“, which you probably would want to read as well.

Street food stall, Shanghai, China

During my last trips to Japan and China I had to shoot a lot with low light and without a tripod so after that I decided to put down a few notes on how to shoot photos with handheld camera and at slow shutter speed.

Here are a few tips for better handheld shooting. Following these techniques will help you take sharp photos in shutter speeds as low as 1/10s or slower with a normal lens. To achieve that use the classic army approach to sharpshooting. Good shooting is a HABIT – proper Holding, correct point of Aim, controlled Breathing, Instinctive body position, and gentle Trigger control.

H – Holding. Holding your camera must be firm enough to support it in the most comfortable position, but must not be so tight that you are straining your muscles. When you strain your muscles, they start to shake. The result is that your camera will shake and this makes aiming more and more difficult.

A – Aiming. Take a moment to properly aim your shot. This particular rifle-shooting tip does not really apply to the camera shooting as with aiming a rifle you have many factors to consider, such as distance, wind etc. But anyway having time for proper shot planning helps reducing shake.

B – Breathing control. As you breathe, the sight will naturally move up and down the target with your body. The trick is to take a couple of good breaths to relax and to steady your heartbeat. When you are ready to pull the trigger, take a deep breath, exhale half way and then hold the breath. Now you can gently squeeze the trigger. Be careful that you don’t hold your breath for too long, or your vision will start to blur and you’ll have to start all over again.

I – Instinctive positioning. Instinctive body positioning is just getting comfortable. The more comfortable you are, the less muscle pressure you have to use. Your body should be in a natural position, a good way to check this is to close your eyes for a moment, relax, and then see if you are still aiming at the same point after you open your eyes again. Use your surroundings to steady your body. Leaning against a solid object is as useful as using a monopod. You can lean against a tree, a wall, a lamp post or anything else you can use while shooting your photo. Use your surroundings to steady your camera. You can lean your camera on the top of a fence or a car or a rock or pretty much anything that is around you.

T – Trigger control. This is very important skill and is one of the hardest skills to master. When the trigger is pulled properly, the camera will not move. Shot should come as a surprise to you, apply steady pressure on the trigger until the action fires, after the shot has been fired, hold the trigger down and “follow through” on the target, holding steady aim, this avoids the body’s natural tendency, to “jerk” in anticipation of the recoil. So hold the camera still after shooting.

And here are a few non-rifle tips:

Use stabilised lenses (VR, IS or OS) if possible. These allow you to shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds while compensating for any camera movement that may be induced. Combine a stabilised lens with a good handholding technique and camera shake should be virtually eliminated.

Adjust the shutter speed/aperture combination for low light shooting. Try to open up the aperture to allow shooting at a higher shutter speed. You can also change the ISO value on the camera. If you normally shoot photos at ISO 100 or ISO 200 and the camera indicates this photo will be shot at 1/15sec then increasing to ISO 800 will allow you to shoot at 1/125 or 1/60sec respectively. And of course the higher the shutter speed the less camera movement is visible in the image. This tip is a well-known tip but many people afraid shooting at high ISO (like ISO 800 or ISO 1600) or open aperture too much. Modern DSLRs have less noise at the same ISOs as film has. Fujicolor 400 NPH was standard de-facto for wedding photographers for years. Modern DSLRs have less noise at ISO 400 than NPH has. So don’t be afraid shooting at high ISOs. Noise is nothing – picture is everything!

Set your camera to continuous high-speed shooting and take a series of shots. Pressing the shutter moves the camera, but keeping it held down for a couple of seconds keeps the camera steady.

Learn how to hold your camera properly. You can use Joe McNally “Da Grip” technique.

Or as alternative you can use similar camera grip technique shown on the following photo by travel photographer Dima Chatrov.

Photo by Pavel Kosenko

And the last very important tip:
Practice! Nothing is more important than shooting more and more. Practice makes perfect.

I’m often asked by people who are travelling to Sydney what to photograph there. So I’ve decided to write down some notes about shooting Sydney. Sydney skyline to be precisely. It’s not a comprehensive Sydney city photography guide but it will give you a good idea of shooting locations around Sydney CBD (i.e. downtown), when to shoot there and how to get there. It could be very useful if you have limited time but still want to get some nice photos. By browsing through the images in this guide you can decide where to go to get the view you want.

Photographers, whether they are hobbyists or professionals, oftentimes explore a place much differently than a typical traveller. With camera in hand and in search of the best photo opportunities, they are looking for better lighting and better compositions. They want the angle, the mood, the light and some magic. You can find all that in Sydney as well but if you’re a first time photographer to Sydney, this photographer’s guide to Sydney skyline could be useful to you so you can head straight to the photo booty, so to speak.

These 12 spots cover almost all classical Sydney city views. However there are endless possibilities and angles to shoot Sydney and famous Sydney icons along the shorelines. All these places and lookouts are easily accessible by foot, by public transport or by taxi/car.

Spot 1: Kirribilli

Panorama of the Sydney Harbour and Queen Elizabeth 2 in Sydney International Terminal Before Sunrise
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

This lookout is located near Jeffrey St. Wharf (below the “intersection” of the Broughton Street and South Drive) in Kirribilli. There are a lot of parking spots there in the morning but in the evening it could be overcrowded. You can also use trains to get to the Milson’s Point station. Walk down to the wharf and continue walking to the left for a little bit. There is a nice flat place with benches at the harbor bank. It provides great view to the city and the Harbour Bridge.

The best time for photography from Kirribilli is pre-dawn, around sunrise, around sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need wide-angle lens for the Harbour Bridge shot and mid-range lens for the city.

Kirribilli on Google Map.

Spot 2: Mrs Macquarie’s Point

Harbour Bridge and Opera House at Night
View from Mrs.Macquaries Chair, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Mrs Macquarie’s Point provides two slightly different spots:

• Mrs Macquarie’s Chair
• Walking path on the Farm Cove bay bank, below the Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is elevated spot and provides excellent view to the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

The walking path below the Mrs Macquarie’s Chair provides almost the same view to the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge but from a lower point. It also provides a great view to the Sydney city. However if you want to shoot only the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge only then the elevated Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is better. Usually there are a lot of parking spots along the Mrs Macquarie’s Road.

The best time for photography from Mrs Macquarie’s Point is pre-dawn, around sunrise, around sunset and after sunset. You need full range of lenses for this spot depending on what you want to shoot. Telephoto shots from there could be also very nice as well as wide-angle shots.

The Kirribilli and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair lookouts are two the most well-known lookouts and provide the most classical views.

Mrs Macquarie’s Chair on Google Map.
Mrs Macquarie’s Point on Google Map.

Spot 3: Milson’s Point

Harbour Bridge at Sunset from Luna Park
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

This lookout is located at the Milson’s Point ferry wharf, near the Luna Park entrance. It provides a great view to the Harbour Bridge as the main point of interests and the city and Sydney Opera House in the distance. Parking is available on the South Drive, but it could be difficult to find a spot in the evening. You can also use trains to get to the Milson’s Point station.

The best time for photography from Milson’s Point is late afternoon, around sunset and after sunset. You need ultra-wide or wide-angle lens for this spot as the Harbour Bridge is very close.

Milson’s Point on Google Map.

Spot 4: Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout

View from Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Pylon Lookout is located in the South East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It offers spectacular views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the harbour and the city. Access is via the pedestrian pathway on the Eastern side of the Bridge from the city side (use the “Bridge Stairs” in Cumberland Street, The Rocks). Or if you are coming from the North side use the steps near Milsons Point Railway Station. Admission fee is $9.50 for 13 years and over.

The best time for photography from Harbour Bridge pylon is in the afternoon and before sunset (May – July).
It’s not possible to do sunrise and sunset sessions as it opens at 10 AM and closes at 5 PM. So pre-sunset shots can be done only from May till July when sunset is around 5 PM. You need wide-angle and mid-range lenses for this spot.

More information: http://www.pylonlookout.com.au

Pylon Lookout on Google Map.

Spot 5: McMahons Point (Blues Point)

Sydney Harbour Bridge, View from McMahons Point
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

These two points are located at the end of Blues Point Road in McMahons Point suburb. They are providing almost identical views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the harbour and the city. Parking is available at the end of Blues Point Road. You can also get there by a ferry. If you want to use a ferry then check Darling Harbour, Parramatta River and Balmain/Woolwich ferries timetables in advance at Sydney Ferries web-site, especially if you want to shoot sunrise or sunset.

The best time for photography from McMahons Point is late afternoon, around sunset and after sunset. You need full range of lenses for this spot depending on what you want to shoot. Telephoto shots from there could be also very nice as well as wide-angle shots.

McMahons Point on Google Map.
Blues Point on Google Map.

Spot 6: Cremorne Wharf

Sydney Opera House at Dawn, View from Cremorne Point
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cremorne Wharf is located at the end on Milson Road in Cremorne Point. It offers a great view of the city, the Opera House and the harbour. The Harbour Bridge is slightly closed by buildings. Parking is always a big problem there at any time. If you want to use a ferry to get there then check Mosman ferry timetable in advance at Sydney Ferries web-site, especially if you want to shoot sunrise or sunset. You can also use bus route #225 to get there. However the bus route #225 is local so you need to use another bus to get to your nearest #225 bus stop. For bus routes and timetables use Sydney Buses web-site.

The best time for photography from Cremorne Wharf is pre-dawn, around sunrise, around sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need full range of lenses for this spot depending on what you want to shoot. Telephoto shots from there could be also very nice as well as wide-angle shots.

Cremorne Wharf on Google Map.

Spot 7: Balls Head, Waverton

Sydney City at Dusk, View from Balls Head
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Balls Head is a beautiful bush reserve just 5-10 minutes walk (about 1.5 km) from Waverton station. It offers fantastic views of the harbour, the Harbour Bridge, the city, Darling Harbour and Balmain. There is a lot of parking on Balls Head Drive, Waverton.

Balls Head map on North Sydney Council web-site.

Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House at Dusk
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The best time for photography is pre-dawn, right after sunrise, pre-sunset, sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need full range of lenses for this spot depending on what you want to shoot. Telephoto shots from there could be also very nice as well as wide-angle shots.

Balls Head on Google Map.

Spot 8: Larkin Street Lookout, Waverton

Sydney City after Sunset
A View from Waverton, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The Larkin Street lookout is located near the Balls Head, at the end of Larkin Street, Waverton. However it offers slightly different view to the city. The Harbour Bridge is almost closed by trees and you cannot see the Darling Harbour. There is a lot of parking on Larkin Street.

The best time for photography is pre-dawn, around sunrise, pre-sunset, sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need wide-angle and mid-range lenses for this spot.

Larkin Street Lookout on Google Map.

Spot 9: Bennelong Point (Sydney Opera House)

Sydney City and Circular Quay
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Bennelong Point is the location of the Sydney Opera House. Walking path on the bank of the Sydney Cove bay and the upper level of the Sydney Opera House ground offer great views of the Circular Quay and the city. It is only a few minutes away from the Circular Quay train station. Parking is always the problem there.

The best time for photography is pre-dawn, around sunrise, after sunrise, sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need wide-angle, mid-range and short telephoto lenses for this spot.

Bennelong Point on Google Map.

Spot 10: Circular Quay (Sydney Passengers Terminal)

Sydney City and Circular Quay
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The top deck of the Overseas Passenger Terminal offers superb views of the Sydney city and the bridge. Metered parking is available in the Rocks suburb nearby. It is only a few minutes away from the Circular Quay train station.

Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Park Hyatt Hotel at sunrise
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The best time for the Harbour Bridge photography is pre-dawn, around sunrise and after sunrise. The best time for the city photography is from pre-dawn and up to 1 hour after sunset. The best time for the Sydney Opera House photography is pre-dawn (it will be highlighted from the back), late afternoon, sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need wide-angle and mid-range lenses for this spot.

Sydney Passengers Terminal South Spot on Google Map.
Sydney Passengers Terminal North Spot on Google Map.

Spot 11: Darling Harbour (Cockle Bay)

Sydney City from Darling Harbour
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The west side of the Cockle Bay offers great views of the Sydney city. There two main spots on the west side.

• South spot, in front of the Harbourside Shopping Centre and the Sydney Convention Centre
• North spot at the Pier 7, near Foxtel building

Sydney City from Darling Harbour
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The south sport provides narrow view of the south part of CBD and the north sport offers excellent wide view. You can get there by Sydney Monorail, by ferry or by car. There are a lot of parking places there – large car parks or parking spots along streets. However walking is probably better as there are number of other photo opportunities nearby.

The best time for photography from the Darling Harbour is second part of the day, around sunset, sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need wide-angle and mid-range lenses for this spot.

Darling Harbour South spot on Google Map.
Darling Harbour North spot on Google Map.

Spot 12: Bradley’s Head

Sydney City from Bradley’s Head
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Bradley’s Head is a small cape on Sydney Harbour and it provides superb views of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the city. The lookout is located at the end of Bradley’s Head Road (off Military Road) in Mosman. Bradley’s Head is now a unit of the Sydney Harbour National Park and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Vehicle entry fees are $3 per vehicle per day. The park has gates that are closed at night so check opening and closing time before entering.

Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House from Bradley’s Head
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The best time for photography from Bradley’s Head lookout is pre-dawn, sunrise, after sunrise, sunset and up to 1 hour after sunset. You need full range of lenses for this spot depending on what you want to shoot. Telephoto shots from there could be also very nice as well as wide-angle shots.

Bradley’s Head on Google Map.

Custom map with all 12 spots.

Last very important tip

It doesn’t matter where the sun rises or sets, it doesn’t matter if the the weather isn’t good, you still will be rewarded with great pictures in about half-hour before sunrise or half-hour after sunset. Half-hour after sunset even much better. The combination of illuminated buildings and darken sky creates dramatic and colorful images even on the worst days. But don’t forget your tripod as low light requires long exposure. And usually buildings are more illuminated on weekdays rather on weekends.

More images: Sydney Stock Photography.

Craig’s Hut is located on Clear Hills near Mt.Stirling in the Alpine National Park in Victoria, and was built especially for the film “The Man from Snowy River in 1981. It was called Craig’s after the lead actor, Jim Craig (played by Tom Burlinson) and re-used in the sequel. On 11 December 2006 the Craig’s Hut was burnt down by wild fire. Hut has now been rebuilt by volunteers under the guidance of builder Craig Ogier. However Craig Ogier was criticized because the new hut was built with slightly different design from the original one.

GPS: 37.1086°S 146.5325°E

If you want to get there then have a look at this guide: Circuit Road – Mt.Stirling. This is probably the best driving guide on that region. Travel from Mansfield along the Mt.Buller Rd towards Mt.Buller. Turn left at the Stirling Rd which begins at the toll gate at Mirimbah. This leads to the Telephone Box Junction – entrance to the Circuit Road. The entrance to the Circuit Road via Stirling Rd is approximately 32 km from Mansfield. Drive along the Circuit Road for about 20 km and then turn right to the Clear Hills Track. The Circuit Road is suitable for 2WD cars but the Clear Hills Track is 4WD track. It’s only 1.2 km long so you can walk to the Craig’s Hut if you do not want to drive on Clear Hills Track. The Circuit Road is closed during snow season – first weekend of June till beginning of November.

And many thanks to Matt Lauder for letting everyone know that the hut was recently rebuilt. There is only one problem with that place – it’s really hard to find a new composition for shooting Craig’s Hut. I’ve found that this hut was already photographed from all best spots.

More images: Gallery of Alpine and Mountain Landscapes Stock Images – Landscape Stock Photography.

Do you know how to shoot waterfalls like a pro from National Geographic magazine? Have you ever wondered how those lucky professional photographers manage to shoot great photos of waterfalls that look like they are in motion? You can also take the better waterfall pictures with using a few simple tips while taking photographs. Here are 7 simple but very effective tips that will help you to take better waterfalls pictures.

Tip 1: Use a Slow Shutter Speed

Use a slow shutter speed is the most important tip for shooting waterfall photos. The slower shutter speed settings making the waterfalls look “professionally” – smooth and silky. The longer the shutter speed you select, the more pronounced the effect will be.

You also have to compensate slow shutter speed by selecting small aperture and because of that you will also get greater depth of field, thereby allowing the maximum amount of focus in your composition.

The slow shutter speed is a very relative term and it depends on the waterfall you are shooting. For big waterfalls with large water volume some times the 1/30 or 1/15 seconds shutter speed is enough. But for small streams with slow water you need to use much longer shutter speed to achieve the same effect – something like 10 seconds end even longer. Experiment and try out various speeds to see what works best for each image.

Upper Somersby Falls, Brisbane Water National Park
Central Coast, NSW, Australia
f/11, 3 seconds, ISO 200, ND8 filter

Tip 2: Use a Tripod

Shooting at slow shutter speeds requires that your camera has to be very, very steady – the best way to achieve that is to use a good tripod. Your goal is to blur the movement of the water while everything else remains in sharp focus. Without a tripod you will get a picture where everything is blurred because of the camera shake.

Also when shooting with a tripod use a remote control or shutter release. It eliminates any vibration introduced to your camera when you pressing the shutter button. It doesn’t matter if you are using wired or wireless remote control if it’s actually doing its job – preventing camera shake when pressing the shutter button.

Another thing that can shake your camera even if you put it onto a heavy-duty and steady tripod is wooden boardwalk in a tourist place or scenic lookouts. Avoid shooting when kids are running around and stamping their feet. Even a small tremble of the ground will blur the image in the same way as if you are handholding the camera.

Tip 3: Use filters

A Neutral Density (ND) filter is very useful for waterfall photography, especially when the scene is too bright. It darkens the image and reduces the amount of light from entering the camera without altering the color or tone of the light, thus decreasing the shutter speeds to accommodate the reduction of light. It can slow down shutter speed up to 3 stops. Usually ND8 filter is enough in most cases.

Circular Polarizer filter is very useful to cut out glare and reflections caused by the sun. It is widely used in landscape photography to darken blue sky, enhance colors and increase contrast. Mostly it’s used on sunny days but even on overcast days it will help you to eliminate glare on rocks. A typical Circular Polarizer will slow down shutter speed by 1.5 or 2.5 stops.

You can also stack a ND filter and a Polarizer together to get much slower speed and take off glare at the same time.

Sylvia Falls, Valley of the Waters
Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia
f/11, 1 second, ISO 200

Tip 4: Right weather

Many waterfalls are found in forest, or in heavily wooded areas. That means the same rules of lighting that apply to forest photography also apply to waterfall photos. Cloudy and overcast days are ideal for photographing waterfalls. This helps make the scene darker and the low light conditions affect exposure by slowing down shutter speed.

Don’t shoot waterfall photos in bright light i.e., in the mid-day. Bright light can create high contrast and this will overexposure white water and underexposure dark shadows. It’s also difficult to get proper slow shutter speed on bright light even with using ND filters and small aperture.

Early morning or late evening is also a good time for taking such pictures as the Sun has gone behind the trees. Early or late hours will also “remove” tourists I mentioned in the tip 2.

Lower Somersby Falls, Brisbane Water National Park
Central Coast, NSW, Australia
f/11, 6 seconds, ISO 200, ND8 and CPol filters

Tip 5: Right season

Drought or dry season without rains can spoil your photo. Waterfalls that are usually beautiful can be very bored without flowing water. I’m not talking about Victoria Falls or Niagara Falls. Such waterfalls always have enough water but small falls can suffer without rains. It’s difficult to believe that dry season can dramatically change a powerful waterfall into a small and slow stream.

Tip 6: Composition

You can shoot horizontal or vertical. That depends on the waterfall you are shooting. In most cases a vertical shot will work. If it is a wide waterfall then horizontal shot may work well. Try and include some foreground if you can to create more interest.

Lodore Falls, Valley of the Waters
Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia
f/11, 1 second, ISO 200 

Get closer and look for small parts of the waterfall that make an interesting composition. A group of rocks near the bottom with the water quickly running over them can make as nice a shot as the whole waterfall.

Weeping Rock, Valley of the Waters
Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia
ISO 200, f/14, 2 sec, ND8 filter 

It doesn’t matter what you are shooting – composition is a key factor. So spend some time and read a few good books on composition in photography.

Tip 7: Practice

Practice, practice and practice again. Without practice you will not get better results. The old adage about practice makes perfect applies to photography as well. So, try and try until you get the best pictures.

Good luck with shooting waterfalls!

PS. All small images are clickable. Bigger picture will open in a new window.
PPS. The top photo is Russel Falls, Mt Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia. ISO200, f/16, 5 second.
PPPS. See a little Gallery of Waterfall Images.

The Pinnacles are located in Nambung National Park, about 25 kilometres south from the town of Cervantes and about 250 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. The Pinnacles were sculptured by wind, rain, vegetation, sun and time for many thousands of years from limestone. These limestone formations reach four metres tall of sand of varying colours. It is a favourite subject for photographers.

About 250,000 tourists visit the Pinnacles Desert every year. The entrance to the park costs AUS$10.00 per car. The park opens from 9AM till 5PM, but you can stay longer to take some sunset or night shots. Or you can arrive at night to capture sunrise and pay later at daytime. But bear in mind that camping is not permitted in the park.

You can take a scenic loop drive (well maintained and in a good condition but for light vehicles only) of approximately four kilometres from the Pinnacles car park. If you are driving a rented car make sure that your insurance permits your vehicle to be driven on unsealed roads. Heavy or long vehicles should remain in the car park in about 100 metes from the Pinnacles area. Vehicles must stay to defined tracks and parking bays.

The Nambung National Park features a variety of flora and fauna. Most animals in the park are nocturnal, but emus, grey western kangaroos, wallabies, lizards and parrots can also be seen during the daytime, more commonly in the evening or early morning.

The best season to see the Pinnacles is spring from August to October, as the days are mild and wildflowers start to bloom. The Pinnacle formations are best photographed in the early morning or late afternoon as the play of light brings out the colours and the extended shadows of the formations delivers a contrast that brings out their features. However they are spectacular all the time except at very dark moonless nights or during bad rainy and cloudy days. Using polarizer filter on you camera and low level shooting point you can get excellent results almost during entire day.

Drive the scenic drive a few times and look for good spots for day, morning, evening and night shots. There are parking bays along the track so you can stop and look around. Sometimes you need to walk well off the track to get interesting viewpoint.

Be prepared that some elevated points are well occupied at sunset by tourists watching the Sun sinking in the Indian Ocean. So if you want to capture sunset then have a few spots in mind that you can relocate to in case of emergency.

If there is the Moon during night and you have time then try to make some night shots. The large distance from big cities minimises light pollution and the night sky there is quite clear and dark.

Equipment for daylight photography

• Camera.
• Wide-angle lens with hood (to eliminate glare).
• Polarizer filter to emphasise colors and darken the sky.
• Lens cleaning cloths and dust blower as there are a lot of sand there.

Equipment for nigh photography (in addition to the daylight one)

• Sturdy tripod and tripod head.
• Camera remote/cable control.
• Extra camera battery as the long exposures drain batteries very quickly.
• Bubble level to level the horizon.
• Small headlamp or torch to illuminate camera dials and find something in your backpack.
• A strong flashlight to illuminate foreground subject so that you can compose the shot and/or focus properly.
• Food (snacks like muesli bar and small milk).
• Warm clothes as it could be quite cold in the desert at night.
• Something to keep you occupied in the dark with absolutely no light.

Don’t forget to stop and shoot Emu Downs Wind Farm and stromatolites (fossil microorganisms) colony on lake Thetis. There is also a very nice Thirsty Point lookout in Cervantes. It is situated at the end of Seville Street and offers great fishing and swimming activities. Thirsty Point lookout features crystal clear water and white sand beaches. The lookout offers spectacular views of Ronsard Bay, Hansen Bay, Cervantes Islands and stunning sunsets over the Indian Ocean.

The Pinnacles Desert on Wikipedia
The Pinnacles Desert on Google Maps
Custom map with photographic spots and parking bays for The Pinnacles Desert, Nambung National Park, Western Australia

More photos of The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park, WA Stock Images in my gallery – Landscape Stock Photography.

Hope it will help you to make good photos!

A while ago I wrote a general photographic guide to shooting the Skillion cliff located in Terrigal, Central Coast, NSW, Australia. It was created for an Open Source Photographic Guide Project. To see more photo guides in NSW please go to the NSW. Regional site.

More images: Gallery of Terrigal Stock Images – Landscape Stock Photography.