23 Simple and Expert Landscape Photography Tips for Beginners (Updated Version in 2024)

Landscape photography focuses on capturing the beauty of natural environments. These photographs typically encompass various subjects, such as mountains, rivers, forests, grasslands, and other scenic landscapes. It’s important to note that landscape photography typically excludes urban areas, people, and close-up images of animals, as the primary intention is to portray the natural world in its untouched form.

What is the Landscape Photography?

Landscape photography captures the natural landscape. All these landscape pictures cover many subjects, including mountains, rivers, forests, grass, and other landscapes. But remember that natural landscape doesn’t include cities or people and some close-up photos of animals. Some travelers also often take many landscape photos with their travel lenses.

Best camera equipment YOU should have

Camera

If you aim to capture exceptional landscape photos, investing in a high-quality camera is essential. A top-notch camera can significantly aid in capturing stunning images with speed and efficiency. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when purchasing a camera for your landscape photography:

Megapixels – More megapixels means you can crop your images and make larger prints of your pictures with excellent details. Many landscape photographers love the 12MP, and you could take it as a reference.

Sensor Size – You need also to consider the sensor size. A camera has a medium format, full-frame, APS-C, micro four-thirds. Full-frame sensors could help photographers capture many images with excellent details, less noise, and more information for highlights and shadows. APS-C and micro four-thirds sensors are found in small and affordable cameras, which are also excellent choices for taking amazing landscape photos.

Weather-sealing and Easy to Carry – If you frequently capture photos in outdoor settings, it is vital to prioritize the protection of your camera. Make sure to verify whether your camera is equipped with weather-sealing features. Additionally, it is crucial to note that cameras are typically assigned an IP (Ingress Protection) rating. Furthermore, the size and weight of your camera can significantly impact its portability and suitability for various activities. APS-C or micro 4/3 cameras are often paired with compact and lightweight lenses, making them ideal for many travelers and landscape photographers.

Camera lens

Focal length – When buying a lens for landscape photography, one of the common suggestions is to consider the focal length. Wide-angle lenses are highly recommended, as they allow photographers to capture a broad perspective, encompassing many details and elements within the frame. For landscape photography, popular choices include lenses with focal lengths of 24-70mm or 14-24mm, known for their ability to produce stunning landscape images.

Aperture – Bright and maximum aperture are excellent choices, like f/1.8 or f/1.4. But these lenses are expensive and a little heavy. You should use apertures within the middle range, typically between f/5.6 and f/16.

Auto or manual –The benefits of autofocus are apparent: it could help photographers to focus automatically, quickly, and accurately, especially for some novice photographers. Manual focus also removes the potential for the camera to focus on the wrong subject or struggle to focus in challenging lighting conditions, such as long exposures.

Buy a good tripod

Many photographers aspire to capture excellent and stunning landscape images but often feel disappointed when specific details do not perform well. Therefore, it is crucial to have a superb tripod to minimize camera shake and ensure clear images, mainly when you use a slower shutter speed. Please purchase an ideal strong tripod to support your camera and provide clear and unique photos.

Get filters

Now, we are not talking about the kind of filters that you use on your cell phone or apps. We are talking about lens filters for your camera that screws onto the lens.

There are different kinds of filters that you can use.

• Neutral density filters. These filters take away light from the scene. Keeping one in your camera bag is a good idea if your landscape is too bright.
• Color filters. These act as the name sounds. They are pieces of glass that allow you to change the feel of your photographs with color.
• Warming or Cooling filters. These filters add more warm tones or cold tones to an image.
• UV filters. These filters were popular in the film days of photography to prevent UV light. But, I teach my students that they are the universal lens protectors these days. Keep one on your camera at all times on adventures. If you bump your lens, I would prefer to lose a $20 filter than a $2000 lens.
• Partial neutral density filters. These filters are usually half dark and half light. They are great for making the sky darker and keeping your image’s foreground. You screw them onto your lens until the horizon line lines up.

If you choose to use filters on your camera, buy glass and not plastic filters. They will have better optics and fewer issues.

Other key accessories

In addition to the aforementioned camera and tripod, here are some other camera equipment and accessories that can be useful for landscape photography:

1. Camera Rain Cover: To protect your camera from rain or adverse weather conditions
2. Make sure to have enough power and storage capacity to avoid missing out on valuable photo opportunities
3. Camera Bag or Backpack: Invest in a camera bag or backpack that is comfortable to carry and provides sufficient protection for your gear
4. External Hard Drive: Back up your images

Find potential locations in advance

Extensive preparations are necessary to capture outstanding landscape photos, starting with identifying and researching potential locations. Utilizing tools such as Google Maps can aid in studying the landscape’s geometry, enabling you to pre-select the ideal spots that incorporate excellent elements for your composition. Understanding the sun’s trajectory is essential for identifying the best shooting positions.

View excellent images from different famous photographers

To capture breathtaking photos, it is essential not only to understand the fundamentals of your camera but also to possess the ability to observe and appreciate the beauty around you keenly. Engaging in the regular practice of capturing landscape photos is essential to enhance your skills. Simultaneously, you should seek inspiration by exploring the works of renowned photographers to broaden your creative horizons. Such as Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell.

Learn some basics about camera settings

Indeed, if you want to capture unique landscape photos, you must learn the basics of using a camera. Although it may be initially challenging, a solid understanding of camera fundamentals will enable you to take photos efficiently and effectively. You must learn the exposure triangle: shutter, aperture, and ISO.

• Shutter Speed -Shutter speed determines the duration the camera’s shutter remains open after the shutter button is pressed, choosing how fast or slow the image capture process occurs;
• Aperture – Aperture is the theoretical value expressed as an f-number or “stops” that determines the size of the lens iris opening. It regulates the amount of light that enters the lens and affects the field depth in the resulting image;
• ISO level: Measures the camera’s sensitivity to available light.

Check out this video to learn more: 

Choose the time of day wisely

It is very tempting to go adventuring into the landscape when you have the time. However, you encounter most fantastic landscape images because the photographer did it purposefully. They did not wake up one day and get lucky. They know that the time of day works wonders for landscape photography.

The times of day that you want to take your photographs are:

• Early morning or dusk. This is an excellent time of day for landscape photographers, which gives a very directional and warm light. If you like sunrises and sunsets, this is also for you.
• 10 am or 4 pm. These times of day will give you a 45-degree angle of light both East and West. This can provide great textures on trees, mountains, or rivers if you choose your angle to photograph.
• High noon. Avoid this time of day to take your landscape photos. It is a very harsh and unforgiving light. If you have no choice, try to find an open shade under a large tree to shoot at this time of day.
• Night time. Some landscape photographers enjoy shooting at night time. This can give you creative lighting like the moon or introduce you to long-exposure photography. Bonus tip: take a tripod with you.

Shooting modes to make the best images

On the top of your camera, you will see a mode wheel. If you are new to photography and took your camera out of the box, the landscape mode is a good start. This mode is a photo of mountains on your mode wheel, or you will find it by accessing SCN on the mode wheel.

Macro mode can also be great for capturing details. In this mode, you can photograph close-ups of things like flowers, leaves, or textures very well. If you are already familiar with the automatic modes on the camera, the next step is P mode.

You have one job in this mode: setting your ISO. For developing your ISO, the general guideline is 100 for sunny days, 400 for cloudy days, and 800+ for nighttime. Aperture priority mode is helpful for depth of field in your photography.

This mode is A or Av on the mode wheel. You must set the ISO and the aperture in this mode to control your images. A lower F-stop/Aperture will allow you to make the background blurry.

A higher F-stop/Aperture will get everything sharp, like Ansel Adams. If you are familiar with partial modes, you can embrace manual mode. A helpful way to start with manual or M as a new photographer is to take a photo in another mode first.

View your image, and then use info, display, or down arrow to display technical information. This will give you the F-stop, shutter speed, and ISO that the camera chose. You can copy those numbers and plug them into manual mode to begin to play.

If you play in manual mode for the first time, play with one set to learn what it does before others.

Try a shutter release

This prevents camera shake to get the best out of your photos. One way to use a cable release is to buy an infrared trigger. You can set the correct mode for your camera to use the trigger, which allows you to work wirelessly.

A cable-style release is a second way to use an app on your cell phone. Manufacturers like Sony, Nikon, and Canon have built apps that trigger your camera. And, if you want to go old school and do not want to invest in a trigger, the self-timer can be very helpful.

Check out this video to learn more: 

Work on your compositions

In most modern cameras, you will see a grid called ‘The Rule of Thirds.’ How can this help your landscape photography? It is a guideline of where to place your subject in your photographs.

You will see four intersecting points. If you place your subject on one of these points, you will create a pleasing photograph. You will also see that there are nine boxes. If you place your subject in one of the nine boxes, it is a minimalist approach.

Generally, keep your subject off-center for a more compelling image. Second, you can use things in your compositions as lines to lead your viewers to whom or what you want them to see.

An example is: 

You will see the front of the train first, and then your eyes follow the train into the distance. This is an exciting composition. You can also use park benches, railings, rivers, mountains, sidewalks, and more.

The Ultimate Guide (2024) – Photography Composition: 28 Techniques You Can’t Miss

Look for good light

Good light can make or break a photograph. Sometimes, we observe an exciting scene in the landscape with our eyes, but the light is incorrect. If this is the case, visiting this location at the correct time of day can be helpful.

Another way to look for good light is to understand that photography has three main types of light. They are harsh light, soft light, and reflected light. Intense light is when your scene has a lot of high contrast. This is direct sunlight in the landscape.

Soft light is when there is a lot of low contrast in your scene. This is on cloudy days. Reflected light can bounce off water, the ground, or different sources. Depending on the basis, it can be a magical light that glims like silver.

Hold your hand before you to understand what light you are working under. If the brighter part of your hand is much brighter than the darker side in the shadows, you are under a harsh light. If your hand looks very even in the light, you are under soft light. Light coming from a specific direction bouncing off of something is reflected light.

RAW vs. JPG files on your camera

There are two different file formats on most cameras. They are RAW and JPG.

As a landscape photographer, it is better to photograph in RAW if you intend to edit your photographs. A RAW file allows you to capture much more information in your pictures. This will enable you to recover more post information if you make a mistake.

A JPG file is a compressed file type. This means it is a smaller file that can be shared online. A JPG holds less information than a RAW file and will be more challenging to work with in post. Some landscape photographers prefer to photograph in RAW + JPG mode.

If you choose this, be aware that it creates two files on your camera’s memory chip. This will take up more space, allowing you to photograph fewer photos. If you wish to take up less space, photographing in RAW is the best way to approach landscape. You can convert your RAW file to JPG or other file types later. You can never convert a JPG to a RAW file. Some people love the PNG format. You could check the article PNG vs JPG to see which one is best for you.

Check out this video to learn more: 

Turn around

Some of my best landscape photographs happened because I turned around. We often set out on adventures in one direction, but sometimes, the best shots are behind us.

If you set out to a specific destination, try turning around to retrace your steps. Sometimes, you will see a better shot.

Put someone or something in the foreground

Sometimes, putting something in the foreground can give your landscape photographs extra interest. The item can give viewers a starting point to take them to a horizon or specific place in your photos. Use an item in your foreground to mask part of the frame.

Golden hour

Golden hour is when all the light in the sky becomes golden. You can discover when it will happen if you Google the sunrise and sunset calendar. This will give you the specific time that the sun rises and sets in your area of the world. Golden hour happens for the first hour of sunrise and the last hour of the day before sunset.

Embrace lens flare

Embracing lens flare can be a creative way to enhance your photographs. Play with the camera’s angle on the sun to create lens flare. 45-degree angles work best. If you are more advanced, apertures of F8 and up can make different shapes of lens flare.

Post-Process Your Images

Post-processing your images is also a vital step for photographers, and you could use professional tools ( Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom) to refine your images. Or you could use Snapseed to deal with your pictures quickly. You could learn our ultimate guide for Snapseed to teach you how to edit an excellent image.

Change your perspective

The most common intuition is to make an image from our perspective. Sometimes, changing the perspective of your camera can make a superior image. Try moving your camera to the ground. Try to the right, left, up, down, front, and back until you exhaust the possibilities. This will produce one image that you like more than the others.

Avoid crowded places

Crowded places often detract from your images. In particular, finding a position in a tourist destination can be difficult. Try venturing off the beaten path away from the people (safely, of course). This will improve your chances of getting an image no one else has.

Keep an eye on your background

Always keep an eye on the background. Sometimes, something distracting can make or break an image.

Time your shots

Timing can be vital in making a better landscape photograph. The photographers positioned themselves for a centered image of the airplane. This tip is great for moving items in the landscape you may encounter.

Capture Contrast

Capturing contrast is indeed an exciting tip in photography composition. You can use this technique to capture different subjects and highlight their distinct differences, such as the contrast between a green and beautiful forest versus a boring desert or a grand and solid mountain versus tiny people.

Water Reflections

A body of water in outdoor photography offers two significant elements: movement and reflection. You could find calm water like a lake, sea, etc. Use a tripod and select a lower shutter speed of around 1-3 seconds to capture the smooth movement of the water. In addition to its movement, water also presents a captivating opportunity for reflection, making it a highly sought-after subject in landscape photography. If you want a high contrast, please buy a polarizing filter.

Bracket your shots

Bracketing is the technique of over-exposing or under-exposing your photographs on purpose. You make one image to expose the sky and then one embodiment of the landscape. You can combine the two images in the post to create the perfect landscape.

Get creative

Five tips to inspire your creativity are:

• Make things different colors than reality. This can be interesting in your landscapes and done on camera or post.
• Make a photograph close to something in nature, and then make a faraway shot.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes, mistakes can be creative wins.
• Take twenty different perspectives of the same landscape. Which one do you like the best?
• Visit the exact location at five different times on the same day. Which light works best?

Conclusion

Remember that most of us photograph digitally when we start our landscape journey. If you do not like a photograph, delete it. Or keep all of your bad pictures and learn from them.  Playing in post-editing can also make something new out of old pictures. 

Give yourself the gift of adventure. It is straightforward to get busy in life, but if you set aside time to practice, you will make incredible landscapes in no time.

Landscape Photography Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four pillars of landscape photography?

Fantastic light, strong composition, appropriate sharpness, and optimal exposure.

What is the golden rule of landscape photography?

Rule of thirds.

What is the most common lens for landscape photography?

A wide-angle zoom lens (16-35mm f/2.8) and a telephoto zoom lens (70-200mm f/2.8).

Is 16mm or 24mm better for landscape?

24mm is the best landscape focal length.

Is a 28mm lens good for landscape?

Yes.

Is 35mm or 50mm better for landscape photography?

35mm lenses are excellent for landscapes.

What is a slow shutter speed for landscape?

1/250 freeze motion of water, slow-moving wildlife, or general movement in landscapes.

What makes a good landscape photo?

In general, a good landscape photograph shares similarities with other impactful photographs by evoking an emotional response from the viewer. However, it accomplishes this by utilizing the natural world as its primary focus. It is important to note that including people, human-made elements, or animals in a landscape shot can enhance the composition, emphasizing scale, creating a desired mood, and providing valuable context to the location.

What skills do you need to be a landscape photographer?

To be a landscape photographer, several skills are must-haves for capturing stunning images of natural environments. Here are some skills:

1. Composition: Understanding and applying the principles of composition is crucial. This includes concepts such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, balance, and perspective.
2. Light and Timing: Recognizing and working with different lighting conditions is essential. Knowing how to utilize soft, diffused light during golden hours (sunrise and sunset) or the dramatic light of blue hours can greatly enhance landscape photos.
3. Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with camera settings, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
4. Patience and Perseverance: Landscape photography often requires waiting for the right conditions,
5. Post-processing: Basic knowledge of post-processing techniques can enhance the final result of landscape photographs.
6. Creativity and Vision: Developing a unique and personal style as a landscape photographer requires creativity and the ability to see the potential in ordinary scenes.

What is the difference between nature and landscape photography?

 Landscape photography is a subcategory of nature photography, encompassing various genres such as macro, wildlife, and flowers. In landscape photography, the primary focus is typically on the land or terrain rather than individual elements within the scene.