How To Take Better Landscape Photos

MY LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNEY

Before I share with you how to take better landscape photos, I just wanted to throw this out there.. landscape photography was never a plan of mine. In fact, photography in general was never something I've thought of getting into. Though to add on to that, when I first got my camera (GoPro Hero 4 Black), I just simply enjoyed being creative behind the camera. Shortly after, I decided to invest in a beginner DSLR camera and even had more fun with an interchangeable lens camera. That being said, I wanted to get better at taking landscape photos and continue growing my knowledge about it (even to this day) so I figured that the best way to go about it was through taking a lot of photos (and I mean a lot), trial and error, and just learning from other great photographers in the field as well as ongoing learninge. Fast forward to 4 years, here I am typing out this post. I'd like to share with you some bits of nuggets I've learned over the years with the hopes that you can find a thing or two that you can take away from this post and apply it out there in the field.

1) LOCATION LOOK UP

Social media has definitely played a role in terms of how I take my shots. I utilize different social platforms to see what kind of photos have been taken at a particular spot as well as to see what's in the area. I love doing things differently so I try to avoid taking a "common shot" or a "typical shot" as much as possible. If there's a shot that I really like that I happen to come across online, I'll use it as an inspiration and put my own flavour to the shot. Also, by looking at a particular spot on social, I'm able to somewhat plan ahead making my time more efficient in the location. Though I'm the type that can take hours taking photos and soaking in the place. If you don't have social media, Google would be your next best tool to scope a location out.

3) GET CREATIVE WITH THE DEPTH OF FIELD (CONT.)

You also don't want to have your f-stop too high because less light will be hitting your image sensor with the small opening meaning your image will be underexposed (dark), so you're going to have to compensate by bumping up your ISO (unless you're taking long exposure but that's for another topic). You want to avoid a high ISO because it's ideal to keep your ISO as low as possible to around 100-200 so that your image is clean and not noisy. With that in mind, you can get creative with the depth of field by focusing on a particular subject and having the rest of the landscape softened. Having something on the foreground to frame or highlight a particular area also works wonders! See the image above! I've used the roses on the foreground to highlight the temples on the back.

4) RULE OF THIRDS

One of the major contributors to great landscape photo is following the concept of the rule of thirds. A lot of the camera nowadays has the option of turning this grid on which basically divides your frame into 9 equal sections so you've got 2 vertical lines and 2 horizontal lines running across your frame. The idea is to place your subject where the lines intersect or along the lines so that your photo becomes more balanced enabling the viewer to interact with the image more naturally. Studies have shown that peoples eyes tend to be drawn naturally to the intersection points more than the centre when viewing an image. That being said, these rules (as with any rules) can be bent or broken. I've taken numerous of photos with my subject dead on the centre and the image is not horrible. By knowing the concept of the rule of thirds, it gives you a better understanding of how the human eye works and how to compose your image.

5) USE ACCESSORIES

These are essential accessories as a landscape photographer, filters and a tripod. Let's quickly talk about filters. ND (Neutral density filters) are commonly used for long exposure photography. They act as a pair of sunglasses for your camera. Check out my ND FILTERS POST to learn more about them. Polarizing filters is something I don't use as much but their purpose is to enhance the colours and contrast of your shots. It can really bring out the vibrancy of the sky or reduce the glare on a car. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I like my skies slight desaturated and it's one of the reasons I don't use a polarizer as much. Aside from these things, filters prevents your lens from getting scratches or damaged as they screw on right in front of the lens. A tripod is another great accessory to have especially if you're going to be doing some long exposure photography. They ensure your camera is mounted and still to prevent shakiness in your image. Tripods are also great if you're travelling alone and want to take a landscape shot with you in it.

6) LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING

Photography means drawing light so it's fair to say that lighting really is everything. You probably heard the term golden hour before. Golden hour is typically happens for only a short period of time shortly right after sunrise or before the sun sets. This is when the lighting is the best for photographers because it's soft, not too harsh, not too dark. A variety of colours usually pop up in the sky and all kinds of colours can be captured around this time making your landscape image that much more dramatic.

7) USE DIFFERENT ANGLES

Place your camera low to the ground, tilt it a bit, get on top of that cliff, slightly bend your knees to get on the typical photographer pose, the idea is to find an angle that best captures what's in front of you.You'd be surprised at the difference an different angles can portray whatever it is that's in front of you.

8) USE LEADING LINES

I love love using this technique (oh yeah I said love twice). The concept behind this idea is that it draws your viewer's attention to the main subject in your image. It creates movement through the image. Think of trails, highway lanes, roads, bridges etc. Wherever you want to direct your viewer's attention to, the leading lines technique is a powerful way to do just that.

9) LOOK FOR SYMMETRY, PATTERNS, AND REFLECTIONS

Aside from the leading lines technique, looking for symmetry, patterns, and reflections is a great way to add depth to how you take photos whether you're a landscape photographer, portrait or street. Looking around for these things around makes you more aware of what's around you meaning you're able to utilize everything in the area to your advantage.

10) PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION

Be patient and take your time! It's not about capturing that perfect photo, ok maybe it is somewhat but progress is way more important. Progress (to me at least) means success. A wise man said that it takes 10,000 horrible photos before you start capturing good ones. Stop worrying if your photography is not top notch yet. You will get there! Continue learning and continue improving, that is how you become an amazing landscape photographer. The quality of your output will follow right after. Trust me!