How to Photograph Landscapes
Filed Under camera and photo
There are so many beautiful landscapes. You don’t even have to travel outside of the United States, just visit a local or national park! These tips will help you take wonderful photographs of landscapes. Whether you are a beginning photographer, or a professional, these are simple tips to keep in mind when photographing landscapes.
1. It is important to consider light quality. Determine whether the light is soft or harsh. Are you photographing in the afternoon, or at sunrise or sunset? Is it overcast, and are there clouds? Generally, the best light is in the mornings and evening (before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m.).
2. Try to look for interesting lighting. For mountains, back-lighting and side-lighting are great. For side-lighting, you can turn 90 away from the sun. For back-lightning, make sure the sun is behind the mountains, and you will create dramatic silhouettes.
3. Carefully compose your photograph. With landscapes, often times symmetry works. And don’t forget that simple is beautiful. Do you want to photograph lakes, mountains, streams, or trees? Compose your photograph with the various shapes you see in the frame.
4. It’s great to include bridges, paths and roads. You can use the shapes to lead the viewer into the photo. You can create that effect if you photograph them at an angle. Try placing the beginning of the road or path in the corner.
5. Experiment with infrared photography. When using infrared film, it is more sensitive to infrared light. As a result, your photographs will have a dark sky, and leaves and vegetation will be light/ bright. It’s really cool!
6. Make sure you are using a large depth of field (small number, large aperture) so that your entire photo is in focus. Longer exposure time also increases depth of field.
Experiment with short and long exposures, especially when dealing with water (ocean, lakes, waterfalls). Take a tripod with you and have fun with landscape photography!
Tags: camera equipment, camera, photograph
