Basics of photographing golf scenery

[Jason Topp]

Anyone have tips for taking such pictures?  Mine generally stink.

[Mark_F]

Jason,

Same as in any other aspect of photography.

Lighting and composition.

Best time is either sunrise or sunset, and maybe 45 minutes after and before these times.

24 or 35mm lenses are best, although don't discount a short telephoto, like 105-135mm.

As far as composition, a good general rule is to have something in the foreground, middle ground and background - this may mean some bushes/grass in the foreground, a bunker in the middle and the green beyond, for example.

Further, don't place the horizon along the centre - a little off centre is okay, but, depending on the colours in the sky, you may want to emphasise either the sky or ground.

If you divide your camera screen into thirds across, and thirds horizontally, those four intersecting points are excellent places to put some object of interest, because the eye naturally falls to those points, but it isn't a cast iron rule.

Finally, if you are shooting colour, you will generally want a grey graduate filter to darken down the sky a little, and maybe a 81 series warm-up filter to make the most of any soft yellow evening light.

A polariser is also quite good, but I wouldn't use more than two of the three at any one time.

[ian]

Jason,

Light is more important than anything else.

There is a reason why talented gentlemen like David Scaletti's don't sleep. They are in place every morning "waiting" for the sun to rise and back in place in the early evening waiting for the sun to set every day. And on many of those days, the weather sucks and they don't get a photo. His skills go well beyond that, but that is the best tip I could offer.

....and I stink too.

[Peter Galea]

Look at photographs of golf courses. Look at photographs of everything. Do a search for Larry Lambrecht, Aidan Bradley, Henebry Photography, Joann Dost, Mike Kleme, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Dorthea Lange, John Sexton and Morely Baer.
Study their work. See what you like about it. Decide what makes an impact. Go to the library and get some books on photography, composition and art history. Take a class or two at your local college. Call  a photographer in your town and offer to assist for a weekend, or two. Go to one of the many photography forums online and read and ask questions. Shoot lots of film. Practice, practice, practice.

"When someone buys a piano, they own a piano. When someone buys a camera, they're a photographer".

[Dan_Callahan]

Although I'm sure many traditionalists will disagree . . . get a good digital camera. You get instant feedback so you can check lighting, composition, etc. No more waiting for film to develop to learn that the metering was wrong or that there are ugly power lines in the background. Digital SLRs work the same way 35mm do, and the quality is amazing.

[Don Dinkmeyer]

All good suggestions and illustrations - thank you!

The art of photographing airplanes is one which has rules, rules, and more rules. Websites exist where photos are displayed and judges decide who does and does not get shown. The websites are full of "help me out -why isnt this pic good enough to be displayed?"...and, it appears anything worth displaying has been manipulated with a software package.

Sorta makes me glad I'm more interested in golf photography!

[Jason Topp]

I really appreciate the advice.  If I ever take a decent picture, I'll post it.

[Dan Herrmann]

Photography, like golf, is mostly about fundamentals.

Do you know what a F stop is?  Shutter speed?  Film speed?  Lens speed?

If you don't, I'd take a course at your local school/university/civic center.  

I'd learn how to print my own photos onto real photo paper - anything you learn here will translate well into digital if you decide to go that route.

I'd get a good tripod.  Get the camera out of your hands - it'll let you increase the shutter speed and increase the depth of field (you do this by adjusting the F stop to something like F2, or as low as you can go - this makes the hole thru which light passes much smaller, and keeps everything in focus).

And realize that most great golf photos you see are done using large format film.  Sure - there are some great 35mm golf photos, but I'd bet that the stuff you see in Golf Digest is all large-format film.  Large format film is way beyond the reach of most amateurs, though.

I'd suggest a good SLR (you don't need to pay a lot - the old Pentax K1000 is a great little camera).  Get 100 speed film, or even better try 64 speed transparancy film (slides).  Get a polarizing filter, and have fun!  Remember - in 35mm, you could take 200 shots, but only print one!

[Joe Perches]

What happened to Tommy N's excellent thirds explanation of a previously posted photo?

[Mark_F]

As an aside to Dan's post, you would generally use small aperture's - f16,f22 - for landscapes.  

Don't, though, focus on the subject in the middle, otherwise everything in front of that will be out of focus.

You want to try and focus around 1/3 of the way in - then everything from approximately halfway in front of that point to the horizon will be sharp. Hope this doesn't sound too technical, but the general idea is to have as much of the scene sharp as possible.  Not a hard and fast rule, but I'm sure if you look at many photos, you'll see it's true.

Use a slow film - Fujichrome Velvia is probably the unanimous choice of nearly all golf photographers, I would say, but it is pretty contrasty.  

Further, never photograph a landscape with the sun behind you. Sidelighting is the best, but backlighting can deliver incredibly dramatic results - but you will need a lens hood, at least a two-stop grey grad if shooting transparency, and need to bracket your exposures, i.e. take a few both under and over exposed.

Generally, if photographing golf courses, if you get a reading from grass, you will get a pretty accurate exposure.

[Peter Galea]

As an aside to Dan's post, you would generally use small aperture's - f16,f22 - for landscapes.  

On the other hand, there may be times when selective focus is called for, using a wider aperature f4, f5.6. This will help in highlighting the green and fronting bunker while throwing that pesky cartpath and trailer park in the rear, out of focus.

While some may use Velvia, it is affectionately known as "Disneychrome" for the over-saturated, sureal, color palette it offers.
For true to life green in your transparencies, the only answer is Ektachrome (underexpose 1/2 stop).

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Joe, Once I saw Pete start posting on this topic, I knew I was way out of my range, so I removed them.

Next thing you know we'll have David Scaletta posting from down under, and well its just not right that a rank amateur like myself even suggest anything when your in that class of people!

[Kyle Harris]

Tommy,

In the pictures you had up earlier, the vertical lines seemed to be more quarters than thirds, with the center line cut out?

Does it much matter which method you use? I quite liked the photograph and try to get into golf course photography but have similar luck as Jason in the field.

[Peter Galea]

Joe, Once I saw Pete start posting on this topic, I knew I was way out of my range, so I removed them.

Next thing you know we'll have David Scaletta posting from down under, and well its just not right that a rank amateur like myself even suggest anything when your in that class of people!

Tommy, put it back up. I liked it. The rule of thirds can also be done in 6th's. The gist of it is, don't "meatball" the main subject.
You have done some good work yourself. Show it off.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Joe, Once I saw Pete start posting on this topic, I knew I was way out of my range, so I removed them.

Tommy-
I don't know why you took it down, your point was a good one, your math was a little off....

I'll paraphrase "when composing your shot, try to place the points of interest in different (not the middle) locations".

When composing your shot, move around, point in different directions.  Get high, get low, items of interest in the foreground or in the background. (do keep the sun perpendicular to your line of sight for better shadows)

I took hundreds of pictures of Black Mesa and thought about half a dozen were excellent.  I did use Velvia and agree it can be too contrasty, and it is pretty.

It is more fun with an old fashioned camera, you never know what you're going to get, from accidently exposing the film to some outstanding images - kind of like using blades - the margin for error is smaller - but something else when just right.

Patience, practice, trial and error, creativity and luck - sounds a bit like golf.  

[Jason Topp]

I agree.  The analysis of the picture was great.  My analysis in the past has pretty much been, "that picture is cool," or, "that picture stinks."

A funny story on that front.  I was at my brother in law's wedding at a house outside of NYC.  I started looking at the pictures on the wall and announced, "this guy has a great eye.  These are the best family pictures I have ever seen."  Turns out I was at the home of Gordon Parks.

No sense being stupid unless you show it.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Got it! I'll put it back up. but I erased the other text that went with it!





The reason why I had the thirds off was because of the two images spliced together. Its Neil Regan's photo, and I have always thought of it as one of may favorites. It describes Pacific Grove to a tee!

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

I would strongly recommend digital SLR if you have the money. To Dan H's point, it allows you to take the 200 shots, pick one you like, but not be on the hook for developing costs.

With a good digital, you can take hundreds of shots of one course and then go through your work, which will help you develop a more critical eye.

As Ian mentioned, I would go to Scaletti's website and look at what makes his photos so special.

[Nick Pozaric]

Its all about compostion and light.  Finding the "magic" time at each individual spot.  Try to show it in a way it hasnt been seen before

[Mark Brown]

Fundamentals are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great golf photograpy. It's about using light variety of ways, and at different times of the day. And it's about artistery and creativity involving angles and compostition. The thirds rule works well a lot of the time, but there times when you have to throw the rules aside. It

It's about being in the right place at the right time and learning by trial and error. And it's not always about shooting based on how the hole plays from the fairway. There are scores of little tricks you learn by trying different things.

A good example is shooting somewhat into the sun but getting ride of the strong rays and glare by hiding the sun behind the trunk or a leaf of a tree. Most of all it's about using dramatic shadows and contrasts of color.

You don't have to have a real expensive camera, like an old Canon AE1 using manual settings set up by the photographer.

When I figure out, and have the time I'll post some good photos. If you have an artistic eye and understand golf you can learn by just doing it. Aerial (helicopter) photography is a blast, but a lot more difficult.