Michelle K Wood Photography

 It may seem like a funny question. Landscape orientation, in which your photo is wider than it is tall, is for landscapes, right? Portrait orientation in which your photo is taller than it is wide, is for, well, portraits and people! I invite you to try new things! Especially if there is a particular landmark feature you're trying to highlight in your composition. Honestly, I thought everyone did this but I'm learning it's rare that photographers turn their cameras on the side and take landscape photos in portrait orientation. Here are two photos of the same landscape, one in landscape orientation and one in portrait. Check them out and see what you think! If it looks like something fun to play with, try it next time you're out! Composition tip: The way to get that sapphire colored water, actually it's ice in these photos...not editing in post! It's in the timing: be on location in the late afternoon or evening, take the photo when the sun is behind you and...

You will find the most beautiful, kindest, gentlest light for your landscape photos during the Golden Hour or the Blue Hour.  Golden Hour is the 90 minutes just after sunrise and just before sunset . The light is soft and gives a lovely hue to your landscapes, and especially portraits of people taken outside.  Blue Hour , technically known as Civil Twilight, is the 45 minutes just before sunrise and just after sunset . This is just before the sun peeks over the horizon and just after the setting sun sinks below the horizon. It offers a very dim, sometimes spooky or eerie light to your landscapes. It is not suitable for people portraits unless you want the blue-ish background and have some fill light to use on your subject, or if you are doing some zombie photos! As shutter speeds will be slow due to low light conditions, you will probably want to use a tripod to steady your camera.  To plan ahead, especially if you're traveling, you'll want to determine the exact times ...