Top 7 Dreamlike Landscape Photography Tips

Through my photography work I aim to convey a sense of wonder and respect for nature, and I was recently asked by ViewBug to provide some tips on how to create dreamy landscape images. While I do often incorporate a sense of mystery or fantasy in my images, I prefer to stay grounded in reality while pushing the limits of creative post processing. Landscape photography has allowed me to explore the way nature evolves, grows, and adapts; I hope it is able to do that for you too. Without further adieu, here are the tips for creating dreamy landscape images:

1. Wait For The Light

Fine art landscape photography is all about capturing beautiful light in a scenic location. Photographing a stunning landscape in harsh light will unlikely yield a dreamy looking shot no matter how much post processing one knows. The light during golden hour, blue hour, and twilight is best for this. Often this means getting there earlier and staying later when most people are not around.

2. Have Everything Tack Sharp

This is a general tip for most landscape photography, but it’s worth including here because the details are what really makes the image stand out. Learn how to squeeze every bit of sharpness out of your equipment by learning basics such as shooting with a tripod, cable release, as well as advanced techniques such as maximizing depth of field using hyperfocal distance, and focus stacking.

3. Capture Periods of Time

One of the techniques I love is using long exposures to capture extended periods of time, and compress it into a single image. A long exposure is beyond what is seen by the normal eye, so it has a sense of mystery and fantasy. I shoot a lot with a circular polarizer to enhance colors and cut reflections, but also this cuts down some light, making longer exposures possible. When I need to cut more light out I use neutral density filters. I recommend at least a 3 stop ND filter. Be aware that a 10 stop ND filter will allow you to take long exposures during the brighter parts of the day, but you probably won’t be able to see enough to focus or compose your shot with it on. I will also shoot well after the sun has dropped below the horizon when light levels are low and exposures times are extended.

4. Use the Orton Effect

If you haven’t heard of the orton effect, you’ve probably seen in used in images and not known it. It’s a technique in post processing that blurs the image slightly and adds contrast. This has the effect of making things appear to glow. It is very handy to create a dreamy look. There are many resources out there on how to do this in post processing. If you do start using orton, remember, less is more. Stay classy.

5. Travel to Interesting Places

This one is challenging but also a bit obvious. This planet has so many fascinating natural phenomenons that feel like they cannot exist, but they do. So go take a trip and experience them for yourself. One of the best things about being passionate about landscape photography is that it naturally leads one to amazing places. It’s easier to create a dreamy looking shot when you are standing in front of something that is simply unbelievable.

6. Shoot in Strange Weather Conditions

Dreams and fantasies are weird, strange and unusual, so why not shoot in strange conditions? The stranger and more unique the better. I seek out interesting weather conditions to photograph, and plan my trips around the weather for this reason. Check the forecasts often and plan accordingly. Don’t be afraid to go in “bad weather” just be prepared and stay safe.

7. Get In Touch With Your Imagination

As we grow up we become conditioned by our society and culture, and for many of us this has the effect of stifling our creative imagination. A common theme is imagination is child-like, and to function (and succeed) in this world as adults, one must abandon imagination and instead get serious. This subtle social pressure over time erodes our ability to think wildly and creatively. I encourage you to get back in touch with your inner child and tap that youthful curiosity and playful imagination that all children have.

If you want learn these techniques in great detail, join Dustin Wong for a seascape photography workshop down the Oregon Coast in May.

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In Focus: People in Beautiful Landscapes

Recently I got asked by Media Drum, a UK based editorial photo agency, to feature images with people in beautiful places on their site where they market to publications around the world. To go along with this they asked me a series of questions that I'm sharing with you here.

How did you become involved in photography? Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
My interest in photography grew when I started traveling to places like the Dominican Republic, Central America, Vietnam, Fiji, and Australia. I would also take a camera with me on backpacking trips in Hawai’i, where I grew up, to capture natural scenery and the beauty of the islands. I currently live in Seattle, WA and do photography full time. Last year I traveled all over the west coast of the US living out of a van for 5 months, visiting as many national parks as I could. This year I will be focusing on the Pacific Northwest.

Can you tell me how you first got the idea to incorporate people into your images?
I had been traveling to places to photograph nature landscapes, and for those photos, the worse thing one could have is a person or a man-made creation in the frame because the goal is to create a sense of the pristine natural world without human interaction. I then started to see images featuring a single person in a beautiful landscape. It help provide a sense of scale and also helped the viewer relate to the landscape in a visceral way. It was then that I started experimenting with using people in my landscapes. When I’m all alone, I use myself in the photo. I still take photos without people in them too.

Please describe what we see in your images in your own words?
The images depict people interacting with the environment and enjoying themselves in the outdoors.

How were you able to find these places and place people perfectly in them - can you tell me your method?
I am always searching for amazing scenery. I particularly pay attention to places that have a special quality to them, a place where nature has come together to form something very appealing and pleasant. I will often wander through a space, keeping an opening mind, that way I can sense when something interesting is going on. I also make sure I’m out photographing when the light is good. With regards to placing people in them, some of the shots are posed--where the person and I were working to create images, some are candid and spontaneous.

Were there any problems you had to overcome?
It’s difficult to point to a specific event or issue that I came across. From a traveling perspective, I had car maintenance issues which had to be dealt with whenever they came up. This can be a drain financially and quite frustrating when the same thing breaks that was just fixed. From a photography perspective, it has been a process of trial an error. Reviewing my work and making steps to improve the quality of the images. I feel like every time I go out and shoot or edit a new set of images I learn something new. That’s a good feeling.

What do you love about this type of photography?
I really enjoy being able to travel to incredible places. This world has so many locations where the scenery is majestic. Every now and then the light will get really good, sometimes there are people there to witness it, sometimes there won’t be. It's very similar to the question, "If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around, does it make a sound?" I often visualize places having epic conditions—"going off" is what I like to call it, and I figure if I’m out in the field enough I will encounter something spectacular.

Is there a particular message you want to convey?
I have a desire to experience the natural world and to let those feelings inspire me. I find the idea of nature evolving and thriving on this planet for millennia, incredibly humbling and satisfying. Life on this planet is older than any of us can comprehend, and there is a beauty in that history and power. However, these days our natural spaces are being encroached upon by human development. Through my images I try to convey a sense of awe of the incredibly intricate and diverse world we share. I want to encourage people to interact and experience nature for themselves. I think this way more people will care about protecting and preserving natural environments.

What do people say when they see this with their own eyes? What's the reaction?
Many times people are at a loss for words. Truly majestic scenery takes people’s breath away. They often stare wide-eyed and stumble to find a way to express how they are feeling. On the other hand, people who get outside a lot, can’t stop talking about how this and that is so amazing. I like to be around that too.

Please feel free to include any other information:
My favorite environments to photograph involve water and the night sky. I love to surf so my relationship with the ocean is very powerful. Water is incredibly dynamic and also rejuvenating. The stars and the night sky help me contemplate our place in the universe on a grand scale. So many provocative thoughts are instigated by wondering about the cosmos.

A few quick facts:
Please list the countries you visited: Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Italy, Norway, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji, & Australia (18)
How many air miles was this: I would guess around 60,000
How many months/years did this take: I’ve been traveling internationally for 15 years.

Thanks Media Drum for the thoughtful questions!

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New Beginnings

Namaste to all you beautiful people! I'm looking forward to many new experiences in 2014. Please join me in bringing more love and joy to others in this new year.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African proverb
I want to express my deepest gratitude to everybody who has supported my creative work in person and online. Your encouraging and inspiring comments energize me to do more.
This March I will be leaving my engineering job to pursue photography full time, starting with a 7 month road trip through the Western US National Parks. I hope you will enjoy coming along with me as I post updates of my adventure. Your presence and thoughts will sustain me I attempt to bring the magic of these special lands to you! Happy New Year!​​​​​​​​​​​