How can I photograph distant mountains more clearly and with better contrast?
Asked 1/7/2011
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I want to photograph a mountain range about 20 miles away from my shooting location. Depending on the time of day, I run into different problems: at sunrise/sunset the mountains are much darker than the sky and lose detail, while later in the day they often look blue and hazy because of the atmosphere. At noon there is very little contrast. I can drive closer, but the change in viewpoint makes the mountains look different from what I want. What techniques or gear can help reduce haze, improve contrast, and make distant mountains look better from my chosen vantage point?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
20
If you're not using a polarizer, try that first - it will often help to cut through some of the haze.
Heres a link with an example close to what you want even: http://www.dslrtips.com/workshops/How_to_use_polarizing_filters/reduce_haze_deep_blue_sky.shtml
Originally by user1917. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1917
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Try a circular polarizer first: it can reduce atmospheric haze and improve contrast in distant landscapes. It won’t remove all haze at 20 miles, but it often helps noticeably.
Weather matters a lot. The clearest conditions are often just after a storm or strong wind has cleaned particles out of the air. If calm conditions persist too long, haze tends to build back up.
Also consider using a telephoto lens instead of a wide-angle. A longer focal length lets you crop out bright sky and distracting foreground, concentrate on the mountain itself, and emphasize detail, shadow, and shape. Reducing the amount of sky in the frame can also make exposure easier when the sky is much brighter than the land.
If needed, some post-processing can further improve contrast and color, but the biggest gains usually come from shooting in clearer air, using a polarizer, and tightening the composition with a longer lens.
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