Following our series of 100 Express Tips, that you liked so much, today I come with those 100 that will help you capture the scenery more spectacular than you can imagine. Why not, photographing a landscape may seem easy, but it isn’t if you don’t know the most important keys. Here I bring them to you, sit back and take note ;).
Equipment
1. a tripod it will be your best friend (here how to choose your ideal tripod).
2. If you are going to photograph a landscape with a compact camera, make sure that it has at least manual controls.
3. Get a self-timer.
4. When you don’t have a ranged shooter or it misses you, use the shoot with the camera timer.
5. This way you will avoid unnecessary trepidations.
6. A neutral Density Filter, It will be essential for long daytime exposures.
7. Your favorite lenses in landscape photography will be wide angles.
8. Although never rule out photographing with other focal lengths. You can take surprises.
9. Some of these lenses will help you photograph landscapes at night.
10. Bring some Replacement battery.
11. If you plan to leave late (or very early), do not forget a Lantern.
12. When you discover the effect of these filters they will become your best friends on landscape photography outings.
13. A compass It should always go in your backpack.
14. Always carry a plastic bag, It can be very useful for many things ;).
15. If you are looking for maximum sharpness, do without filters, or at least low quality ones.
16. Do not carry all your photographic equipment (if it is very large) or the only thing you will achieve will be a good backache. Choose well what you may need.
Settings
17. Focus manually. The automatic mode here can fail you and since you are not in a hurry (or you should not), you can stop focus on manual.
18. If you shoot with the camera on a tripod, turn off the image stabilizer. Yes or yes.
19. block the mirror, if you have the option, when using low speeds.
20. When you include the sun in the frame, measure on one of the sides of the sky, write down the values, re-frame and adjust the previous values.
21. If there is enough light, why do you want to activate noise reduction? turn it off also, you don’t need it and it will detract from quality.
22. RAW photography, this may be a good time for it.
23. If you hesitate to load yourself with photos in RAW format, practice shooting in JPG and, when you have the more or less expected result, change to raw and take home the final photo in this format. You will appreciate it.
24. Try to adjust the ISO to the minimum. The safest thing is that you have a light or, failing that, that you carry a tripod. This will not be an occasion to upload the ISO, unless you are looking for some creative effect, of course ;).
25. Discover the Sweet spot of your target (where it offers greater precision). If you do a little wind, stabilize your tripod. You can hang the backpack on it, for example, or use the plastic bag with some stones or soil inside.
26. Check the histogram. Learn to expose correctly.
27. Always remember the formula to avoid shake: 1/focal length. In other words, if you shoot with a 200mm focal length, shoot at least at 1/200 or 1/250, if you use a 50mm focal length, shoot, for example, at a minimum of 1/60.
28. When shooting with a tripod, you will be able to use lower speeds.
29. If you are not going to shoot in RAW, adjust the white balance, it is not going to be that it corrects you that beautiful orange color of the dawn after the early riser that you have hit ;).
30. Does your camera have live view (live view)? Use it, unless you have a very bad battery (and you don’t have a spare).
31. Remember the horizon law, unless you want to skip it for a specific reason. Avoid putting the horizon in the center, leave two thirds of the image for the area that you most want to highlight.
32. When you photograph snow, offset the exposure +1.
33. Use the bracketing technique when there is a lot of light contrast and you want to achieve homogeneity.
Composition
34. Landscape lines (trails, streams, crop markings…) will help guide your gaze to the center of interest.
35. Worry about achieving a good composition.
36. When you photograph the stars or the moon, always include a portion of the landscape.
37. Look for the bokeh in your urban landscapes.
38. The horizontal frame transmits tranquility and is the most used.
39. The vertical frame is more dynamic, it will help you to isolate some element, to photograph towering trees, waterfalls, etc. Don’t forget about him.
40. Make sure there is always a center of interest.
41. Include people within your landscape can also be a great success.
42. Test different angles until you find the one that satisfies you the most.
43. First take a good look at the place you fall in love with and then frame it with the viewfinder, but if you look only through the camera you will lose opportunities.
44. Perform panoramic with a very very easy technique, trimming ;).
45. You can also take different photos and put them together later in an editing program.
46. Panoramas can also be vertical ;).
47. Avoid giving too much prominence to very clear skies because it will result in a very bland photograph.
48. Typically you’ll shoot landscapes using a lot of depth of field so the whole scene is in focus, but don’t forget to experiment with shallow depths of field as well. You will get surprises ;).
49. Also experiment with the moving landscape.
50. The negative space It is a resource that you can use when composing your landscapes.
51. Don’t limit yourself to classic landscapes, search too different landscapes.
52. The reflexes yes they can be good with him horizon in the center to create symmetries.
53. But make sure that the symmetry don’t be too boring.
54. Try not to bore either with the mountains pictures, there are tricks to make them more attractive ;).
55. Search patterns (repeating elements) to create rhythm in your landscapes.
56. Show the scale of the place with a known reference (a person, animal, a flower…).
57. for create depth, includes an element in the foreground in the frame.
58. Use the natural frames to frame the center of interest. If you like landscape photography, you have to try infrared photography.
59. Black and white landscapes can also work wonders. Here are the tricks ;).
60. Do not forget the classic and essential rule of thirds to highlight the center of interest.
61. The s-shaped lines within the landscape they are very attractive.
Light
62. Do not try to achieve the silky effect of water in bright light (in the middle of a sunny day).
63. Chase the backlights to draw outlines or highlight translucent elements.
64. A side light (dusk or dawn) will help you highlight textures, add volume and achieve very long shadows.
65. The light will determine what kind of landscape you are looking for.
66. Take advantage of golden hours.
67. But don’t forget the hard light for landscapes in black and white, with high contrast or vivid colors, such as turquoise waters or enhancing the warmth of desert areas.
68. If there is fog, get up early and take advantage. It will give you spectacular images.
69. Decorate your night landscapes with the technique of light painting.
70. Take advantage of the blue hour for your urban landscapes.
equipment care
71. Keep your goals clean Decisive factor for sharp photos.
72. If you are going to to rain, It should not be an impediment to your escape, but it should protect your camera from water.
73. If it’s been a long time cold, don’t forget to protect your camera from temperature changes.
When and where
74. Urban landscapes they are also landscape photography.
75. For nocturnal landscapes (not of stars) the best days (or rather nights) are clear and with a full moon or two or three days before or after.
76. To photograph stars better on moonless nights.
77. The forest landscapes they are most photogenic in spring and fall.
78. You can broadcast emotions using the contrast, the colors, the type of framing, depending on the weather, the season of the year, etc…
79. Use snowy landscapes to convey loneliness.
80. Breathtaking landscapes can be captured at night.
81. Have a notebook where you write down the locations that impact you the most.
82. When you find a place that you love, where there is at least one tree or some type of vegetation, and it catches you close to home, propose to take a photo in every season with the same frame.
Planning and security
83. Try not to go “crazy”, improvisation is not the best adviser in landscape photography, better a good planning.
84. A spectacular landscape photograph is not usually the result of good luck, there is usually a great job behind it.
85. Get one good backpack. Question of comfort and health.
86. It’s okay to worry about taking good photos, but so is worrying about your safety ;).
87. Before you go out, see what the weather is going to do.
88. If it’s windy and there’s sand or dirt nearby, be extra careful when changing lenses.
89. If it’s hot, don’t forget the hat.
90. If it’s cold, don’t forget the hat ;).
Protect yourself from the cold (or heat)
91. In short, it is most likely that you walk a lot looking for the most suitable places, wear comfortable and appropriate clothes and do not forget to bring something cool or hot in a thermos (depending on the season ;P) and a snack, I am not going to give you a fainting in the middle of nowhere ;).
92. It is advisable to tell a close family member where you are going to be and bring your mobile phone with a well-charged battery.
93. Use the applications that exist (Photopills,The Photographer’s Ephemeris…) to know the times of sunrise and sunset.
Other express tips for photographing landscapes
94. Do not expect to find the best landscapes of nature at the foot of the road.
95. Try the time lapse to portray the passage of time.
96. If you go on a family outing, you better forget about landscape photography and focus on capturing emotional family moments. You’ll save yourself the frustration ;).
97. Landscape photography is best done alone or with a company that has the same interests as you.
98. Haste is never a good adviser.
99. Arm yourself with patience.
100. Most importantly: The best way to achieve your best landscape is practicing.
So far my 100 tips came, yes…