This is why I am always on the lookout for spectacular lighting and if possible I visit landscapes several times so that I can capture them at different moments.

As a basic rule, having the sun behind you provides perfectly illuminated and clear landscapes with "stage lighting". However, when the sun shines from the side in a streak of light, this produces a quite special three-dimensional depth that is ideal for landscapes such as a line of mountain peaks one behind the other. Most of the time I use the shadow from the sun shining directly opposite me for spectacular sunrises and sunsets and depict the landscape in front of me as a black silhouette.

On my last trip to Turkmenistan I prepared intensively beforehand so I was able to plan which subject I wanted to photograph and from which location—this meant I had much less time pressure and knew I had enough time to sleep for a bit for once! It also meant that I did not run the risk of missing spectacular shots such as the "Gates of Hell" just as twilight sets in, the incredible starry sky without the disruptive light of the moon, the Milky Way above a small village in the desert or its golden sunset.

I recommend that all photographers should use a wide range of tools and options when preparing for a trip so that they can use the many different light sources and situations to "draw" their subjects as creatively as possible.

Author & Photographer: Adrian Rohnfelder