The idiot’s guide to landscape photography
Landscape photography can offer some very challenging yet rewarding opportunities to be creative with your work… Here’s how to get the very best from your shots
Landscape photography lends itself to capturing special pictures if you maintain your patience. The most challenging aspects are the lighting and how you compose your shot. Pick a time that has warm light or long shadows, since that helps set a mood to the location. Having a quality tripod is also helpful, as you can use a very small aperture and slower shutter speed to give greater depth and intensity to your picture.
Get it right:
EXPOSURE
The longer exposure on landscape photography can really enhance (or detract) from the image. Steve Davey gives advice on getting the exposure just right.
COMPOSITION
Composition requires an eye for aesthetics and balance. See Tom Ang’s recent tips on composition for framing your photos correctly.
DO
- When shooting long exposures, always use a tripod and weigh it down with a small sandbag.
- Experiment with various lens sizes and aperture settings.
DON’T
- Don’t shoot in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
- Avoid tilting or skewing your horizon lines. The result will appear very unnatural.
Get creative:
Practice photographing these places to improve your images:
Sand dunes and hills • Shoot interesting rock sculptures • Trees in a field •
Snow-capped mountains • Creeks or brooks • Covered bridges • Freeway rush-hour traffic • Fields of flowers • A unique-looking plant, such as a desert cactus • Look for long, winding roads.
