We will hold an introductory event to give all subscribers a comprehensive introduction to how the Masterclass course will work. This will include a full tour of your subscriber features, your document and recording repository, and use of the forum features. There will also be tips on the best use of Zoom to fully participate in the live sessions, and engage with Guy and your fellow course members. Guy will be present to provide a little more insight into the course content. He will also ask you for any additional topics you would like to cover during the course, with a view to including these if possible. Access to technical support by Photography Experts will continue through the duration of the entire course.

This Masterclass session is all about making sure you’re suitably equipped and have the necessary planning skills to maximise the potential of each landscape location you visit. Although quality landscape photography can be achieved using a fairly modest set of camera equipment, there are features, functions and accessories that can help to make your life much easier and therefore improve your photography experience and success rate. Guy will talk about filters, tripods, lenses, processing software and also explain how to go about planning landscape shoots, especially when working in unfamiliar locations. This will include the use of maps, apps and local knowledge.

The two most important technical challenges for the landscape photographer are achieving front to back sharpness and controlling excessive contrast. Guy will explain in detail the various techniques he uses (both in-camera and in post-production) to ensure the highest possible technical quality in his images, whilst also keeping the process as simple as possible. Topics covered will include an in-depth look at hyperfocal focussing and focus-stacking. Guy will also explain his method of shooting and blending a bracketed sequence of exposures to capture the full dynamic range of a scene. The aim of this session is to clarify both of these important skills so that you can be confident of achieving technical perfection in the field.

Achieving a pleasing composition is probably one of the hardest parts of landscape photography, and the one that takes longest to learn. It is however absolutely fundamental to the success of your images. Guy will use examples to explain his thought process when arriving at a location and deciding where to shoot from, which elements to include and exclude and how to arrange those elements in the frame. The aim of this session is to enforce the most important aspects of landscape composition to provide you with a base from which to then work on your own compositional style. This is a gradual process so Guy will be on hand to guide you via the forum over the next few weeks.

Lighting is a critical factor in achieving successful landscape images. However, it isn’t all about dramatic lighting … it’s much more about ensuring the ‘appropriate’ lighting conditions for the subject or location you’re photographing. Guy will show various examples of where certain lighting conditions can be used to good effect. He will suggest locations that work in overcast conditions, in low light and in bright sunlight. Some processing tips to give your images that little extra ‘pop’ will also be demonstrated. Beautifully lit landscape images often take a great deal of planning… it’s certainly not all down to luck! The main aim of this session is to help you plan and predict to ensure you’re in the right place at the right time!