SUMMARY
Matt Shannon advocates for using harsh midday light in landscape photography, particularly when converting images to black and white. He demonstrates on New Zealand's South Island how washed-out colors in flat light become an asset, emphasizing composition, contrast, and shapes over color. Shannon suggests setting cameras to monochrome preview while shooting RAW to train the eye for tonal composition, a technique that can yield stronger images than relying solely on golden hour light. The article also touches on balancing family travel with photography and finding unique angles on popular subjects.
TAKEAWAYS
Harsh midday light can create strong black and white landscape images.
Converting to monochrome in-camera aids composition by focusing on tone and shape.
Shooting RAW with monochrome preview allows for tonal composition without losing color data.
Finding unique angles and perspectives is crucial for distinctive landscape shots.