LESSON 12: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHS
Ever admired the sweeping vistas immortalized on your Instagram feed and wondered how you could capture such beauty yourself? Look no further than this lesson, full of the essential landscape photography tips for beginners.
From snaps of mountain peaks and pristine shorelines to photos of alpine forests and desert expanses, we’re outlining the best practices for taking truly stunning landscape photographs.
Equip A Good Lens
While you can make any lens length work for landscape photography, a 24mm to 35mm is your best bet; this lens is wide enough to capture broad scenes and is also versatile for photographers who want to capture a variety of subjects.
Define Your Subject
First off, determine the focus on the photo. While most landscape photographs have large depths of field (meaning that most of the image’s elements are in equal focus), you may also experiment with shallow depth of field, highlighting a single element instead of all of them. While a deep depth of field will create a detailed image, a shallow depth of field can make a scene especially striking.
Play With and Learn Manual Settings
Experiment and shoot with both fields of focus to see what results you get. For deep fields of focus, photograph with a small aperture (a large f/stop like f/11 or f/16); for shallow fields of focus, photograph with a large aperture (a small f/stop of f/1.8 or f/3).
After you determine your aperture based on your desired depth of field, set your ISO. A good rule of thumb is that a reading of 100 or 200 is best for outdoor photography in settings with good lighting.
Practice Good Composition
With landscape photography, you should always search for a visual point of interest. Use the Rule of Thirds to frame a scene in an engaging way. Focal points can range from mountain peaks or tiny cabins to dead trees or unusual cloud patterns. Be sure to add visual interest in your image’s foreground, as well. Whether it’s a field of wildflowers or undulating hills, be sure that every part of your photo is compelling.
Use Filters and Tripods
If possible, consider incorporating movement into your photo. When photographing ocean tides, river currents, waterfalls, or even fields of swaying grasses, set your camera to shutter priority mode and photograph a long exposure — it’ll add a dream-like quality to your images. If you decide to shoot long exposure, you’ll need a tripod or another kind of stabilizing mechanism.
One of the best ways to incorporate movement is to use a neutral density filter, which filters out excessively bright light and allows you to use slower shutter speeds (and therefore, longer exposures) to capture things like moving water in that dreamy, wispy way.
You’re My Golden Hour
While you can photograph landscapes at any time of the day and get striking results, note that doing so in the early morning or early evening usually yields the best results. The light is best during these times of day, as there are no harsh shadows from direct sunlight that could detract from the composition.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Shoot with a 24mm-35mm lens to easily capture wide vistas
- Photograph in the early morning or early evening for the best light
- Find a focal point and frame your image
- Decide whether you want your image to be entirely in focus, or have specific elements highlighted
- Experiment with movement using long exposure (with a tripod)
Header image by Angelo Mendoza
