Canadian Landscape Photographer David Koonar

They say a picture is worth a thousand words; and in every picture lies a story for the ages. If that holds any truth, then the stories that David Koonar, an expert Canadian photographer tells through his pictures are the stuff of legends.

David describes his photography work as “taking images and freezing moments,” and a simple look at his landscape photography, definitely makes you feel immersed in the atmosphere.

Landscape photography, after all, is an eye into the world as it is; whether it’s detailing nature at its core or man-made influences and if there is any portfolio that encapsulates truly the ideals of landscape photography— it’s definitely David’s.

But what exactly makes landscape photography stand out? With so many staking a claim to the art, what would make one person deliver that cutting edge above all others?

Here are the ways David Koonar makes sure his landscape photography is top-notch:

By Putting in a lot of Work

For David, it’s in understanding first that capturing landscape is a two-sided coin. Some landscape shots have obvious compositions— while some simply do not.

Scene capturing can be straightforward, but if your goal is giving viewers of your work a means of escapism, then you should put in as much effort as you can.

Think Big. Think Wide

David advises, “go big or go home.” A large field depth is especially useful for vast sceneries. It puts everything in focus all at once.

You can achieve a large depth of field either through infinity focus, where your lens’ focus is a point in the distance, or hyperfocal distance focusing, which places what’s the object in even more focus. You can never go wrong with wide lenses.

By Asking the Right Questions

David’s stellar work is a product of his creative mind, and thinking is a big plus to making your photography stand out. A careful planning of your composition requires a lot, and to arrive at this, questions need to be asked.

The questions you need to ask yourself before the shoot vary, depending on the object of your focus. Are there any objects that distract from the scene? Is the frame complete? What are the alluring aspects of the scene? If this scene has been captured before, how do I process it uniquely?

By Leaving No Stones Unturned

Considering other aspects of the shoot also contribute to the quality of David’s photography. He cites having more than one view of the shoots, which helps him tick off several boxes.

A traditional viewpoint covers all the basics of photography. You should have an idea of what the shoot should be like. Preparations should be made with regards to timing, location, and materials needed.

A creative viewpoint lets you tap into techniques like bracketing, filtering, and the use of focal lengths. These show your creative side. After shoot editing is also pivotal; choosing which images to publish, modification of tones, clarity, temperature, color, and saturation all contribute to getting that perfect landscape shot.

By Investing in the Right Equipment

Finally, David’s work wouldn’t be what it is without the necessary equipment. Talent is great, he says, but without the tools to make the perfect shot happen, then it doesn’t even matter if you’re a great photographer.

Investing in great cameras, lenses, tripods, and editing tools is the icing on the cake that is a quality landscape shoot. It’s all in the details.

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