Introduction

One element of the photographer’s art is to make each picture unique. In landscape photography that often means shooting at the precise moment when the natural light is at its best for each individual subject. The following pictures illustrate some examples of “capturing the moment”.

Photography is all about light. In fact, the word “photography” means drawing with light. In this picture, the sun bursting through the trees demonstrates how natural light can be used to dramatic effect.

Sun Rays (Oregon, US)

The gentle morning sun casts a softer shadow. The resulting low contrast allows the subtle tones and rich hues of the stone to come through beautifully in this picture. Catching the elephant walking through the gate added an element of depth and interest to the photograph.

South Gate of Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

Shooting toward the setting sun will put your subjects in silhouette. When photographing silhouettes it’s important to make sure each figure is separated as the men and cows are in this picture, which was taken at the exact moment when the cow was in line with the sun.

Sunset (Burma)

Conclusion

Learning how to “capture the moment” can turn your pictorial subjects into great photographs.