How to avoid making steep terrain from looking flat?

Back when I was wasting film on shots of motorcycle hillclimbs I was often frustrated on how the ground looked flat.

One trick I discovered is to shoot from at least a 45 degree angle and hold the camera level with some vertical / horizontal objects in the composition to give the picture some reference points.

I came pretty close to meeting that goal with this shot of a couple trucks descending a section of 7% down grade on the highway over South Pass in Wyoming. I did say close but the grade is still steeper than it looks in this example. With the heavy cloud cover, I may have dipped the lens down which flattened it out.

Any tips or advice to master this problem of keeping a steep hillside from looking like flat ground?

I know this is not what you mean but couldn't help myself...Sorry Ken..I think it is a tough task you've set yourself...Things can be done in Photoshop to help you..

Thanks pedroj, I narrowly avoided splurting tea over my laptop laughing at your little adjustment

By the way it is a very pretty pic...

I don't know if this would work...Have you tried getting directly behind the trucks and having the road lead into the image...in this image you would loose a lot of the beauty of the hills/cliffs...Just a thought

SS381 said:

Thanks pedroj, I narrowly avoided splurting tea over my laptop laughing at your little adjustment

Click to expand...

Be careful!!!Don't want our members shorting out

SS381 said:

Thanks pedroj, I narrowly avoided splurting tea over my laptop laughing at your little adjustment

Click to expand...

Be careful!!!Don't want our members shorting out

Nope, If I shot straight at them either behind or in front the perspective the camera would capture is flat looking ground.

Here is a couple of examples of different perspectives of the same section of a hill where looking downhill it appears not that steep. But from the bottom looking up at the same section of hill it is much steeper looking.



These are lousy shots from my old Fugi camera.

It has been a problem that I have encountered for years on how to capture the drama of a challenging steep hill climb.

It's some thing I've never thought about but if I'm in a similar type area I shall try a few things....