03.02.2017

4 Tips for shooting the best Landscape Photos

written by:
Katie Goldie

03.02.2017

4 Tips for shooting the best Landscape Photos

#1 Photography is the Art of Light

If you want to capture the best Landscape photo, or any kind of photo for that matter you must have light on your side. Good light can make the difference between a mediocre photo or a stunning one.

How do you know which light will be best for what you are trying to capture? Firstly natural light is best, unless it is dark and you must use an artificial source or a good tripod. Second, early morning sunrise, or late afternoon dusk is your best bet to get the photos you want. I am afraid this means that you may have some early mornings or late evenings, but it is the length you have to go if you want the best photos. Mid afternoon light is often the most harsh and should be avoided, unless there is adequate clouds. Sometimes clouds and moody rain can be your friend, the sun can peak through causing dramatic rays and creative displays.

If you are shooting early or late and the light is soft you may want to use a tripod. I use Manfrotto 190 Go Carbon Fibre tripod to ensure that I get the best possible settings for the light I am shooting, it is also lightweight to bring hiking. Sometimes it is just too dark to capture an image hand held without the noise of ISO.

This image of Moraine Lake was taken at Sunrise with my Manfrotto 190 Go Carbon Fibre tripod also used a .9 graduated filter to tone down the light on the peaks.

#2 Add Perspective

It is a style that many photographers use and a personal favourite of mine to use the perspective of a human figure to show scale to the landscape you are taking a photo of. As a viewer it can be hard to truly gage the scale of the landscape because there is a good chance your viewer hasn’t visited that place before. Using another person in the image can bring more understanding and even virtually bring your viewer to the landscape you are photographing. It also adds another dynamic so the photo is more interesting that one with out figures included. Here is an example below.

#3 Be creative

In this day and age it is especially hard to get creative, however if you want to advance in your photography it is a necessity. With Instagram photographers popping up all over your feed it can it can be a nice way to get inspired. It can however be difficult to be original. I recommend trying different angles, shooting different perspectives and don’t be afraid to try something new. With digital camera these days you can always delete photos if your idea didn’t work out as planned.

A different perspective on a popular lake shot. Through the trees gives you a sense of hiking on the trail and peeking through to glimpse the lake.

#4 Explore New Landscapes

It is wonderful if you find that one composition and get several sunsets or sunrises to improve it, but your audience may become tired of that certain Landscape. To be a good Landscape photographer you need to explore the possibility of new and different Landscapes. It may take a lot of travel, research or physical effort to find new compositions and fresh ideas but it will make you a better photographer. It will keep your audience captivated and engaged with what work you will be putting out next. I use the Manfrotto Pro Light Camera backpack to get from one spot to the next, keeping all my gear safe especially through the hardship of airports.

Katie Goldie

Photographer and storyteller from Canada. Her goal is to inspire individuals to get outside and understand why the natural world is so precious. She wants to inspire others to see the beautiful places she photographs as well as protect them.

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