In addition to this article, do not miss our compilation with all the tips and tricks to achieve the most spectacular landscape photographs.
Getting a spectacular landscape photography is not as simple as it may seem, in fact, it is one of the most difficult photographic disciplines to master given the large number of “uncontrollable” elements with which you must work in order to translate an incredible landscape. in one amazing photo.
The weather, the wind, the lighting conditions, the terrain, the clouds, the trees and lakes, the time to take the shots, the equipment, and a host of variables that, for the most part, you will not be able to control, come into play when time to take a picture of a landscape. These are the elements to which you must add certain ingredients so that you can prepare your perfect landscape photo.
Once you know what the ingredients are, you will not be able to stop using them in your recipe, it will only be enough for you to mix them to your liking so that you can achieve those photos that you so desire. How? Reading the next article! Prepare the apron and a good spoon that begins the cooking.
To prepare the base
- A good camera: understanding by a good camera to any one that allows you to take a photograph, that is: your camera. The only thing you need to take great photos is a camera, nothing more. You put the excellence.
- Suitable focal length: and I refer to the focal length and not the lens itself since it is always preferable that the quality of the lens is the best but this does not mean that you cannot take impressive landscape shots with the lens you have at hand. What is really important is that you can count on short focal lengths so that a large portion of the landscape fits within your frame. The optimal focal lengths for landscape photography are 8 to 25mm which correspond to “wide” lenses.
- A tripod: The ambient light present in a landscape scene may not always be ideal for you to be able to shoot your camera holding it in your hands, so if you want to prevent a photo from being ruined by unwanted vibrations from your camera, a tripod will be your great ally. If you already have one, assembling it correctly is very easy, and if you haven’t got one yet, you can do it yourself by reading the following article: “DIY Photography: How to Assemble Homemade Photographic Accessories”.
- Some extra accessories like: a bag, spare batteries and batteries, a neutral density filter and/or a polarizer, a remote trigger and a flash are some of the accessories that, if you have them on hand, you can take with you as they will help you in your search for the perfect landscape photography recipe.
The ingredients that you cannot forget when preparing your landscape photographs
1. A lot of sharpness: in landscape photography sharpness is essential. If when taking a photo, parts of it have been out of focus and are not distinguishable, it will not be possible to appreciate it. The human eye focuses on what is in focus and tends to miss what is not. That is why, if you want your landscape photography to be a success, you should work with small apertures and short focal lengths. Do you want to expand a little on these concepts? Read the following article: “11 Simple Tips for Stunning Landscape Photography.”
2. A slice of sensations: You must try to make the viewers feel what is known as a “sense of place”, and that is, the feeling that they are inside the photograph and not just seeing it. It is about breaking the limits of the height and width of the frame to place it within it.
3. A spoonful of messages: In addition to conveying a sense of place, if you want your landscapes to say more than they show, you should try to capture not only a beautiful landscape, but also a spectacular moment. What do I mean by moment? I am not referring to time but to the feelings that a certain scene can transmit to the observer: sadness, hope, joy, etc. Without the implicit messages, the photographs would not be what they are. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and a great photograph can be worth more than several books.
4. The juice of the compositional elements: For every photograph to cause the impact you want, you must make the most of your composition knowledge to work on the arrangement of the elements in the frame, locate the horizon, direct the gaze with the lines, catch the eye’s attention with the swing. How to do it? By reading the following articles: “Master The Use Of Lines In Your Photo Composition” and “9 Tips and Tricks To Improve Your Photo Composition”.
5. Protagonists, to taste: In this type of photographic discipline, the protagonist may be the landscape itself or some subject or object that you can use within the frame to reinforce your messages. Landscape photography is a whole and the elements you choose to be part of the frame should help you enhance the message that your photographs carry. According to the proportion that it occupies of the frame, it will gain greater prominence than the landscape itself, so you must pay special attention to the place it will occupy in it. Who can be your protagonist? Basically any object or subject that has caught your attention to take a picture of: a tree, some rocks, a lake, river or waterfall, etc. Other ways to give prominence in the following article “16 Ways to Give Prominence to Your Subjects”.
6. A slice of a good background: If you already have a protagonist defined for your photograph, you can well use the landscape as a background to accompany it and place it within the frame. Remember that, even if it is not the main reason for the photograph, it does not mean that you can stop working with it. Backgrounds can make or break your photos so you can’t help but ignore them. Go through the entire scene, try different types of frames, different angles, and even move your protagonist if you consider that the background is not appropriate, but never overlook it. Here you have “11 Tips to Capture Photos with Impressive Backgrounds” to put into practice.
7. An hour of illumination: As I told you in the article “15 ways to master your raw material, light”: the best times to take pictures outdoors are during the so-called “blue hour” or “golden hour”. The twilight hour, which is approximately one hour before sunset until one hour after it has hidden on the horizon, and also the first hours of the day as it dawns, are the ideal time to take advantage of the great variety of tones and colors that the sky has for you.
8. A slice of creativity: try to break the monotony of the typical “postcard” landscapes that are already so boring and get unique shots of common moments. The landscape itself is not everything, since using some special techniques you can give it a unique and special nuance. Some of the techniques that you can use to transform it into something much more spectacular are: long exposures, turning water into silk, the use of filters, high dynamic range photography, etc.
9. A dash of editing: Although you become a photographer by shooting your camera, there is no doubt about the contribution that computer processing has achieved in digital photography, so you cannot ignore the possibilities it offers you. Yes, it is true that there is no way to obtain the final photograph the moment after releasing the shutter, but not all photographers have the necessary filters and equipment to achieve everything they imagined from a landscape when it is frozen in a photograph. . Post editing where you can adjust certain parameters from the computer is key. Remember that I am not talking about retouching, where you add elements that did not exist at the time of the shot, but editing, where certain parameters such as white balance, contrast, lights and shadows, etc., are adjusted, but without adding anything to the original photograph. Photoshop? None of that: “20 online photo editing programs”.
10. A lot of desire to venture: If you don’t feel like leaving your comfortable armchair in search of spectacular landscapes, there will be no ingredient that can turn your living room into an incredible landscape by itself. For this reason, start gathering desire now and don’t stop planning your next adventure in search of that landscape photograph to put your final recipe into practice.
How to prepare the mixture?
Now that you are clear about the necessary ingredients that every landscape photo needs, it is time to start mixing them to obtain the final photograph.
How to do it? Although there is a certain sequence that you must follow to take any photograph: choose the site, choose the frame, configure the parameters for the shot, place the filters, etc. Unlike in the kitchen, there is no general rule that tells you exactly in what proportion or measure you should use each of these to obtain your photograph, which is why this art is so wonderful. The way to mix each and every one of the ingredients (even those that have been left out of this recipe book) will depend on your personal tastes, your way of working, the experience you have, etc.
The “recipe” that I just told you about is a guide or review so that you have in mind the next time you go out in search of that great landscape photograph that leaves everyone with their mouths open and, in order to achieve it, it is essential that you make mistakes . The more mistakes you make, the more experience you’ll gain and the better photos you’ll take in the future. The key to learning is to make mistakes because if you do, it means you’re doing it!
Leave the comfort of your armchair and go on an adventure. The landscapes are there waiting for you to photograph them.