Starting Landscape Photography

“There are many styles of landscape photography to choose from, such as urban, rural, farmland, mountains, nature, lakes etc. So even if you live in the city you will be surprised at how many amazing views there are around you”

I just love landscape photography because you can get so many different effects from the same scene - the time of day and weather conditions can change the picture you are taking quite dramatically.

Don’t forget to set your alarm clock to take early morning scenes - they can be quite “breathtaking”

As a general rule, because of the light, early morning or evening is the best time for landscape photography (especially when taking pictures of mountains or hills).

If you have decided that landscape photography is going to be your niche then before you venture out, especially in the winter months, it pays to make sure you have adequate clothing to keep you nice and warm. Wear a padded jacket or fleece (or both!) and don’t forget to take a scarf, hat and gloves with you. I normally wear my fingerless gloves; they keep your hands warm but allow you to use your fingers freely. (Actually, fingerless gloves seem to be very trendy at the moment!).

It is also a good idea to take a flask of hot tea, coffee or soup in case you have to wait for an hour or so to catch that “mind-blowing” landscape picture.

Tip: Lens filters can be really useful when taking landscape photography. There are absolutely loads of different filters to choose from. I always take my polarizing filter and a selection of graduated filters (these are great, especially when the foreground is much darker than the background). I also usually take some colour correction filters. The single colour correction filters in either blue 80 or 82 will cool down your landscape picture and the brown 81 or orange 85 will warm up your landscape picture. (Combining a polarizer with a graduated filter is a popular technique that many photographers use when taking landscape photography).


Below are some of my tips and hints to help you improve your landscape photography:

• Try taking the same scene in spring, summer, autumn and winter

  A good idea is to find a picturesque scene and take your picture using the same spot but at different times of the year and/or with different filters (don’t forget to keep a record of all your different settings for future reference).
   
• Look out for overhead power cables and telephone cables and make sure they don’t stray into your landscape photography; these can spoil your picture so reposition your camera to eliminate them from the frame.
   
• Using tree branches to make a frame around your scene can make it more interesting – but don’t overdo it!
   
• When taking landscape photography also consider foreground interest such a gate or some rocks.
   
• Compose your scene so that there is a centre of interest – try using lines of trees or hedgerows that will lead the viewer’s eye into the picture.

  Practice using the “Rule of Thirds”

  
   
• Try creating a different composition by placing the centre of interest “off-centre” as in the “Rule of Thirds”. The "Rule of Thirds" is not actually a rule it's just a guideline to help you decide where to place your subject in a scene.

Tip: Make sure your flash is turned off in landscape photography, especially if you are using a slow shutter speed, otherwise your DSLR will automatically want to use it’s flash mode.
 

• If you decide to take a picture when the sun is low in the sky make sure that you use a lens hood or shade the lens with your hand to avoid any lens flare.
   
• Try different apertures and shutter speeds to see the different effects, especially with waterfalls.
   
• Don’t forget to take your tripod – you will need this to eliminate any “camera shake” and get that pin-sharp picture, especially in low light conditions. A camera tripod is an essential tool when taking landscape photography.
   
• Use your self-timer with your tripod – again to avoid “camera shake” or if you are lucky enough to have a remote release then this would be a perfect time to use it.
   
• Always check your battery before going out to do any landscape photography.
   

Tip: The capacity of batteries tend to decrease in cold weather - so if you are using your DSLR camera when the weather is chilly be sure the camera battery is fully charged before going out on your adventure! Ideally keep a spare fully charged battery with you and make sure it is kept warm and dry.
 

• Lastly, don’t forget to take all your lens filters with you and a lens cleaning cloth.

Snow or frost can change an ordinary scene into a picture postcard image

Seize the moment! - don’t let the weather prevent you from capturing some stunning landscape photography.

Frosty mornings can make your pictures really magical and rain will add some softness to your photos.

Tip: Sudden changes in temperature can cause condensation inside your camera. So if you are shooting landscape photography in cold weather, BEFORE you return indoors or into your warm car you can either pop your camera into a plastic bag and tie a knot in the top of the bag or put your camera into your camera bag and leave it in there for about half and hour to 45 mins. Any condensation will then form on the outside of the bag and not on the camera.










p.s. I hope my tips and hints will be of some help to you. Don’t forget to submit your landscape photography pictures to the gallery.

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