Landscape Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots

6. Sky

Working to Bring Out the Best in the Sky

Landscapes are rarely just about the land. Often, the sky is as important as the rocks, mountains, trees, water, or whatever else is below the horizon. This isn’t simply “having something interesting” in the sky, though that can help. It’s also about a feeling of place. The sky interacts visually with the ground, affecting shadows and colors. The sky doesn’t exist in isolation from the ground. That’s why when people “add” a sky to a photo in Photoshop, it often doesn’t look right.

In addition, weather isn’t the same across the country, so skies vary dramatically over landscapes in different locations, ...