Landscape Photography for Beginners
We all love landscape photography! It just makes you feel like the entire expanse of Earth is confined within your canvas – one that you can paint as bright and as wild as you want. Don’t get us wrong, even the dull landscape images when done right turn out to be absolutely breathtaking.
The keywords here are: “done right!”
For most amateur photographers, landscapes are probably the first subjects they capture in their photographs. Of course, they’re comparatively easier to capture unless you’re trying to get the perfect shot of moving water – the raw beauty of nature is just RIGHT THERE waiting for you to capture it – isn’t it?
So, whether it’s sweeping meadows, silent hills, majestic mountains, or expansive oceans that you wish to capture through the lens of your camera, there are a handful of tips that always work for landscape photography.
Make Sure You’re Prepared
Before you go on and shoot a location, visit it a couple of times to get an idea of the natural elements and light progression there. To make your final images look sharp and professional, it is important to pre-visualize the image, determine the optimal lighting, and get the general feel of the area that you wish to capture in the image.
For that, here’s what you should do:
- Inspect the area properly. Before you do that, try and find some inspirational shots online to get an idea of how much you can make out of the place.
- Set your camera ISO to the lowest for “cleaner” shots – grainy images don’t impress.
- Fix the aperture between f/11 and f/22. See what works better for you. This will guarantee everything is in focus.
- You can experiment with the shutter speed. Sl
- ower ones work well when photographing landscapes with moving water.
- Shoot all images raw. It gives you greater freedom for post-processing.
Tripods Help
We’re not against hand-held camera shots, but since we’re talking about stunning landscape images – using a tripod can make a world of difference to them. Tripods are an excellent way to eliminate any possibilities of camera shake that may end up blurring or ruining your picture. If you’re already thinking of buying a tripod for crisper, sharper images of your favorite landscapes, get one that is lightweight and sturdy! This is the one we recommend.
Know the Secret to Natural Lighting
Landscape photographs turn out best when shot in natural light. However, there is one small problem – this light cannot be adjusted as per your requirements. So, you’ve got to wait for the right light. The best time to capture landscapes in natural light is during the evening before sunset or morning after sunrise. Don’t shoot at midday when the sun is right on top of the subject and you too – it makes your pictures lack texture and depth with high contrast.
However, the rule doesn’t apply to water. As weird as it may sound, water turns out to be the brightest shade of blue or turquoise in midday sunlight. Don’t miss out on that!
Make the Foreground Count
What’s common in all the stunning landscape pictures you come across? They all have a powerful foreground element that anchors the whole image. Your foreground is an introduction to your image that captures the beholder’s eyes and leads them deeper into the rest of the image. Unless you have a strong foreground, your image will always lack the depth that makes landscape photographs so spectacular.
Don’t Forget to Experiment
While you’re at it, the most important thing to remember is that you’re still learning. Don’t shy away from experimenting with different perspectives, shutter speeds, and apertures. The more you experiment, the more you will learn and grow as a photographer.
So, take your camera and your tripod; point at and shoot landscapes and just have fun.
We hope you find these tips useful. Do you have any tips that have helped you photograph landscapes better? Do share them with us!