Landscape Photography

Landscape photography - Photo of sunset and lone tree at dusk

From a technical standpoint, landscape photography really shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. With only a few simple steps in the overall technique, most of us should be well on our way to shooting incredible landscape photos in no time. In practice though, without much experience in landscape photography, our results can be less than pleasing. The most common technical problems that I see are issues with exposure, focus, depth of field and even something as simple as keeping the camera level when shooting. Technical problems are usually easy to fix with just a little knowledge and some thinking prior to taking the shot. Broader considerations such as composition and light are things that are usually learned mostly by way of experience and perhaps a little guidance.

Technical setup:

Set a small aperture. Remember that the higher you set your f-number, the smaller the aperture (or opening) is going to be, so for this scenario, you’re going to want to set your f-number to f/16 or higher if your lens allows it.  A small aperture will, in most cases, extend the depth of field out so that almost everything visible in the frame is within an acceptable tolerance of sharpness. Low f-numbers are not usually suitable for landscape photography.

A by-product of using a small aperture is that you will have to set a much slower shutter speed in order expose your shot correctly. Be aware that ANY movement of the camera at slow shutter speeds – even the minor shaking caused by pressing and releasing the shutter button – is going to induce blur into your photo. The only way to combat this is to use a camera tripod. When buying a tripod for landscape photography, make sure that your choose one that is solid and stable. And if you intend on trekking through bushland and/or climbing mountains to obtain that perfect unspoiled shot, consider the weight of the tripod too. If you need a tripod, I have included a link below to get you started.

Now that you have a stable platform to shoot from, and you’ve set your aperture and shutter speed appropriately, check to make sure your camera is level. I can’t emphasis this enough. Nothing spoils a wonderful landscape shot that an uneven horizon. I know this might come across as a simplistic gripe, but it’s THE most common issue that I see with hobbyists, and it’s not just confined to the landscape photography genre either. Don’t rely on the level built into your camera tripod either because usually, there are a lot of things that can skew between that level and your camera. A few modern DSLRs have built in digital levels and or a rule-of-thirds grid, but if you don’t have one of these I recommend getting a cheap hot-shoe level and attaching it whenever you’re shooting landscapes. By doing so, you’re taking the measurement at the camera and your results will therefore be accurate.

 Broader Considerations:

Plan ahead. In most cases, the best time to shoot landscapes is at the times of dawn and dusk – “the golden hours”. The sunlight at these times of day is naturally filtered by refraction through the earth’s atmosphere and we are treated to wonderful soft glowing light. Sunlight outside of these times is usually harsh and unappealing. Sometimes shooting in the idle of the day might be suitable for a particular scene, and in these cases, you will usually require a variety of filters. Filters such as ND (Neutral Density) to stop-down the intensity of the light and most likely a CPL (circular polariser) to remove mid-day haze – caused by reflection of light off tiny water particles in the air – and deepen the blues of the sky.

As with all forms of photography, composition is also an important consideration with landscape photography. When setting out to shoot a landscape, I always get to the location early and take number of “test shots” with my mobile phone or a compact camera. I shoot the scene from a number of different angles and from different directions to ensure that I place my fame suitably. Also, you should pay attention to colours and objects in the foreground that might distract the viewer – or better – give the photo some depth or sense of scale, and as always, keep the rule of thirds in mind.

Now for the tripod link - You can get yourself a new tripod from Amazon by clicking here. and if you’d like to learn more awesome photography secrets check out “Digital Photography Success” by Amy Renfrey – (Please note that these are affiliate links and I will earn a small commission is you choose to buy from either of these links. You are under no obligation to do so.)

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