Photographing landscapes often presents a contrast problem when taken during the daytime.
You may look through many of your pictures and notice the sky is completely white and the photograph may appear to be "blown out.
" You can offset this problem by using polarizing filters to some degree, but you will often still be left with a photograph that does not resemble the way you remember the natural setting.
The best way to combat this problem is to concentrate on taking landscape photos during a period known as "the golden hour".
The golden hour refers to the time when the sun is in the optimal position for photography; an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset.
This narrow period of time allows the photographer to use the sun's golden hues and decreased intensity to capture the true essence of your subject.
I took one photo while on vacation on Truro Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts just after sunset using my trusty Canon 10D DSLR with a Canon 70-200L lens.
I did not convert the photograph in any way or apply any post production editing other than reducing the size by 85% to accommodate file size limitations.
However, I did shoot with a fast shutter speed in order to limit the negative effects associated with shooting directly into the sunset.
Sunsets are by far my favorite time of day to shoot landscapes, but sunrises also deserve an honorable mention.
I'll admit it, mornings are not my favorite time of the day, but the conditions are excellent for landscapes and wildlife photography.
I took one photograph on the same vacation while taking a side-trip through Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.
The Golden Hour also has some built in advantages while on vacation.
By getting up early you are more likely to be able to photograph landscape scenes with few distractions and you are able to leave the bulk of the day to enjoy your time more freely.
Conversely, sunsets are best shared with company and add a complimentary glow to anyone in your shot.