Taking Great Lake Shots

Heading off to the cottage has to be one of the most fun yet relaxing ways to spend the summer. It offers a fresh, alternative location for taking beautiful photos- how can you not get inspired by all the fresh air, water and greenery? As cottage season quickly approaches here are some easy tips for photographing amazing lakeside landscapes.

– Pick a great time of day: our shooting advice often suggests shooting just after sunrise or before sunset. The reason this rule always pops up is because light can be THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to make a great looking image and photographer’s consider these times of day as the “Golden Hour”– light is dramatic and the colours in the sky will look their best. Also try setting up your tripod and doing some great night landscapes. Only at the cottage can you see all those amazing stars!

sunrise sunset landscape photo

Photo from Getty Images, http://bingwalls.blogspot.ca/2010/10/march-10-2010.html

– Capture reflections: The interesting thing about water is that it captures reflections. Instead of just looking at what surrounds the big beautiful lake, look right into it too! Whether it’s mirroring the moody clouds above or framing someone looking into it, reflections can be a unique way to add a creative touch to a landscape.

night landscape starry sky

Photo by Ben Canales, https://www.flickr.com/photos/bencanales/6086168957/in/pool-starrynight|bencanales

– Break the ice…or water: If you’re shooting on an extremely calm day and want to add a little texture to the water, why not throw something into it to disrupt the surface? Skip a rock to create ripples and make it look like you’re really capturing a fleeting moment. On the other hand, if you want a glass like smoothness in your water, use slow shutter speeds to blur out any motion.

water ripples, lake landscape

Photo by Andrew E. Larsen, http://www.photographyblogger.net/22-beautiful-pictures-of-ripples-in-water/

– Find a subject: The best looking landscapes could always use a subject or focus point for the eye to rest. Try adding a boat, dock, building or animal to create a centre of attention. This will also help to create more depth and visual interest.

landscape with tree

Source: http://static.topandroidwallpapers.com/beautiful-lake-landscape-hd/

Want to learn more useful tips? Sign up for our Photo 101 and 201 classes today!

cottage photography, how to take landscape shots, photography classes, shooting water, toronto

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GTA Photography Classes

5.0

Based on 71 reviews

Katherine Seatree

23:10 24 Feb 20

I recently did the Photo 101 class with Lauren and it exceeded my expectations! Lauren was a great teacher - very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about photography which definitely helped boost my own enthusiasm. The class also benefited from being small, think it was just 6 of us and the content felt appropriate for a beginner. I now have a good understanding of things like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, composition etc. What I really loved was that there were practical exercises and steps explained that made it so much easier to understand and master what we learnt. My photos have already massively improved, and I can now say I feel confident shooting in manual mode! I would definitely recommend this course.

Samantha Peck

18:23 10 Feb 20

I took Photo 101, knowing very little about manual photography and left knowing the basics- and more! I'm feeling much more confident in my skills and interested in pursuing more classes. The small class size, knowledgeable instructor and hands-on learning all helped me get more familiar with my camera. I highly recommend taking classes at GTA Photography!

Fazeela Jahangir

08:50 28 Jan 20

I was very keen to end up at the right place to brush up my photography because I wanted to learn from the best. GTA Photography exceeded my expectations at that. The location is conveniently located one stop from Kings Station with lots of places to eat and practice photography around. The best part I would say are undoubtedly the instructors who are some of the top in their various fields of photography. They were very patient with students asking questions as and when they wanted, which meant by the time we got to the end of the class and QnA session all queries had already been dealt with and everyone was happy with the instruction. We got lots of opportunities to practice as well. I am so happy I found this place to connect with other photographers- I have taken 3 courses already and am planning to take 3 more. I think that speaks for itself!

Melany Tiago

04:54 20 Jan 20

I spent my time at GTA photography Classes as a Co-op Student and really enjoyed my time here! Great kind hearted Staff & 5 star classes!

Anna Medvedev

19:24 10 Jan 20

If you want to learn photography, this is the school you should go to. Knowledgeable instructors, interactive classes and very practical instruction.

Yve Benz

17:42 10 Jan 20

Best photography school in the GTA and beyond. Amazing management, nice and professional staff, great camps and adult classes. Can highly recommend it!!!

Mark Buck

15:09 14 Dec 19

As a photography and digital arts teacher with both the TDSB and YRDSB I highly recommend GTA Photography (Toronto). They teach us (students and adults) how to capture the special memorial moments of our lives. Dorothy Lange once remarked: "Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."-

Josh Kim

19:07 12 Dec 19

I spent time as both a counsellor at GTA over the summer as well as a co-op student during the school year. Super friendly staff that love teaching and helping people. Sitting in on different workshops and camp sessions, their instructors are always available to help and seeing how they teach, I'm not surprised when I see the other glowing reviews here. Would highly recommend both their camps and adult classes for anyone with an interest in photography!

Pam Robertson

00:58 10 Dec 19

The kid camps are amazing! They had very informative instructors, interactive teaching, and a so many fun field trips in a great location! The staff were very friendly and you could tell that they loved what they do and were so great with the kids!

shepherd Huang

17:05 09 Dec 19

Very knowledgeable instructors, interactive teaching and fun field trips. Lauren is so patient and I have a great time.

Candice Pollack

15:56 15 Oct 19

Our organization rented this space for a two day meeting. The team at GTA Photography was incredibly helpful and the space was clean, well-kept, and made for a great workshop space.

stephanie grace

16:15 16 Sep 19

Great location and clean and light filled rooms for smaller groups. We came here for a management meeting and it was perfect for our needs.

Senthuran Kopalakrishnan

15:14 09 Sep 19

Learned so much in a short period of time. Knowledgeable friendly instructor. Highly recommended for anyone interested in photography.

Sandra Nagy

02:21 25 Aug 19

My 9 year old son had an unbelievable week of camp at GTA photography. He went on amazing field trips, had amazingly passionate counsellors and raves about every day. He also learned a ton and gained tremendous skills and confidence. There were tons of older kids as well, up to 15-16 year olds and they all seemed to love it as much as him. A unique and fun experience. I highly recommend it.

Agnes Roter

19:10 06 Jul 19

My daughter absolutely loved this camp. It was her first intro to photography and she quoted techniques and instructions from day one. She also quite enjoyed exploring downtown Toronto with the crew. That was a great part of the program. Highly recommend GTA Photography camp.

Anson Wong

05:20 27 May 19

I received a nice camera for Christmas but did not know how to use it properly while on vacation. Decided to take an introductory course and it provides me with the tools to understand my camera. Alex is a great instructor. Not only is she very knowledgeable but her class was very well structured. She provided me with the confidence to use my camera and highly recommend this to anyone who finds cameras intimidating.

Culham Anderson-Brodie

15:41 12 Mar 19

I took the photo 101 course through gta photography and i must say my experience was amazing. My instructor Donovan was extremely knowledgeable and I left with all the skills necessary to properly operate my camera in manual mode. Since taking this course my photography skills have continued to improve and I will MOST DEFINITELY be back for more classes!

Greg Leung

19:56 11 Feb 19

Very professional, patient instructors. Perfect balance between fun & informative. I've taken Photo 101 & 201 and will definitely be enrolling in future courses! GTA Photography has ignited my passion for photography.

Tricia Anderson

16:37 11 Feb 19

I took a couple of weekend sessions (Photography 101 and 201) to get me going with my new Digital SLR camera. They provided a great foundation to help me progress with my photography. The small class size and enthusiastic instructor made for a great learning environment. Tricia A.

A Woods

22:07 17 Dec 18

Took the Portraiture 101 class. The Instructor was very informative and had some really great tips for making my photos better. She clearly is very experienced and has a great eye. It was part function and part art course and I loved that! The school was well designed and felt very warm and inviting. I loved that they took us outdoors to practice in real life conditions. I would definitely recommend this course and am looking forward to taking another!

troy bacchus

16:00 26 Nov 18

UPDATE: Took the Photo301 lighting class this past weekend with Shayne and it was fantastic. Shayne was an excellent instructor and gave us a good grounding in lighting techniques and tips and tricks that really save a lot of time. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to advance their skills working with natural, and artificial light. Just finished the photo201 class this past weekend and it was great. The instructor Neil made the class enjoyable while conveying all the necessary information. Material is good, they may want to consider having it printed for note taking. Overall a great class and I have already registered for photo301.

Danial Mirzakhani

21:42 17 Jul 17

I haven't ever gon ther..but I think it's so good

Kristen Valente

19:00 14 Jun 17

Yesterday I took the Travel Photography workshop and it was awesome! It was such a small class that we really got to fire off questions whenever needed. Neil was a very extremely knowledgeable, engaging and patient teacher. He is clearly passionate about his craft and he did an excellent job of preparing us for future travel endeavours.

Jason Hopkins

19:30 24 May 17

I took the Lightroom class which is a 4 week class every Thursday for 2 hours. The class was taught methodically and left me feeling confident using Lightroom. The teacher was very friendly and kept the learning environment fun and relaxing. I highly recommend gta photography, I've been around the owners and other people who work there. They all really care about their job and the students who come to learn.

Tess Vardy

13:10 20 May 17

I took classes last year in the fall and winter, and I learned so much!!!! I really feel like I have gained a lot of skill and confidence with a camera that I will carry with my for the rest of my life. I definitely missed having the classes once they were done because they were just SO much fun and the instructors really know what they're doing. I would recommend to anyone!!!

Jennifer Qu

20:25 19 May 17

GTA Photography Classes is a really amazing camp for kids of all ages. I was 15 when I took teen camp 1 and teen camp 2 in the fall and winter. The instructors are amazing and I learned so much. The classes were really informative plus the instructors did a really good job making everything as clear as possible. I had Laura and Kylie as my instructors. They were amazing and really knew what they were talking about. Each class was accompanied by a field trip every other week. Because the camps location is in the centre of Downtown Toronto, the field trips were pretty cool if I do say so myself. We went to Kensington Market, ROM, Nathan Philip Square, etc. I highly suggest GTA Photography Classes if you're a beginner and even if you have experience and you want to get a little more creative with your work, it's definitely worth the money.

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