Tip of the Day 20th January 2013

Tip 7: Sky in a landscape – is something I always try and consider carefully. I ask myself do I REALLY need sky in my landscape? If it is just blue or grey and bland, and, more importantly, adds little or no value to the picture I have composed I will always consider leaving it out.
In May, blue sky and ‘fluffy’ white clouds can re-inforce Spring and in Winter grey or black clouds can also re-enforce the season but very often the sky just provides a featureless bright band which can draw your eye up and out of that part of the shot where the real interest is. It also requires a lot of thought when it comes to metering a white sky and a darker background. So, if you hear yourself saying that you must include it “because it’s there” ask yourself again – does it contribute to what you are trying to convey?

This photo, in my opinion, would just be spoilt were I to have included the sky – it is all about a pattern in the landscape – sky has no place here.