Whether you are taking photos of the waves on the Gold Coast, or trying to capture the perfect mountaintop sunrise, here are a few of the best and most useful tips for capturing beautiful and unique landscape photos.
Plan Ahead
The first thing you need to do is plan ahead. Whether you are using film cameras, or digital cameras, it’s daytime or nighttime, etc, planning is the only way to ensure you are in the right place at the right time for your shot.
This is particularly important if you are going to an area you have never been to before. Looking at the shots other photographers have taken will also give you a great idea of location, timing, weather, etc.
Choose the Right Time
While this will be completely dependent on what you want your photos to look like, there is one rule that many landscape photographers follow to ensure they are shooting at the best time: the golden hour.
This is the small window of time just after sunrise and just before sunset. This is the time when the light is warm but not too bright, which lends itself perfectly to landscape photography.
The Weather
When it comes to weather, don’t be scared to go out when it is cloudy or stormy. While sunshine is a goal for many, clouds or a storm offer a unique opportunity, such as capturing the rain in the distance or a lightning strike.
Because of this, never be put off by the weather, and instead, see it as a chance to shoot something that has possibly never been seen before.
Experiment with Perspective
While the typical landscape perspective is popular for a reason, it doesn’t mean it should be the only one you use. Depending on the landscape, focal points, lighting, and weather, your perspective can and should change.
For example, a photo of the ocean from the angle of right in front of it can capture its vast expanse of it, while a photo from a cliffside overlooking the shore can capture the strength and size of the waves.
Choose a Subject
Having a subject to focus on gives you two main benefits, the first being that it provides the viewer with something to focus on and draws their eyes in, and secondly, it allows you to control over how the rest of the photo is perceived.
For example, taking a photo of a mountain from low down can make it feel massive and give the viewer of a feel of its enormity.
Leading Lines
Leading lines are well-known to seasoned photographers, but this concept may not be well-known to others. In simple terms, a leading line is a feature that draws the viewer’s eye to a particular subject.
For example, a road that runs along the coast to a lighthouse or something similar is a leading line; the shoreline of a beach can also act as a leading line.
Don’t Forget the Foreground
Much like every other type of photo, every element of your landscape image is important, including the foreground. This is because it can be difficult to add depth to a photo when you exclude the foreground, and you lose the “3D’ effect of it.
Because of this, pay as much attention to the foreground as you do your subject, as both of these aspects need to shine for a “complete” photo.
Include Movement
One of the best parts about landscape photography is that you don’t have to shy away from capturing beautiful, natural movement. Whether this be in water, trees, clouds, or anything in between, you should look to include this, not avoid it.
Using slower shutter speeds, for example, can strengthen the movement in a photo, while leaving the shutter open for too long smooths it out. The point is, that movement is part of the landscape, and therefore needs to be part of your photo.
Keep it Simple
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your photo is boring or uninspiring because there are only a small handful of elements in it. The best landscape photos are the ones that make two or three elements look their best.
Therefore, keep your images simple, but do the elements you do include justice. Make them look their absolute best, and you will quickly realise that the simpler your photo is, the better.
Be Patient
Finally, don’t expect to capture the perfect image within the first twenty minutes of reaching your location. Much like nature photography, you may have to spend a few hours, even multiple visits, to get the shot you are looking for.
Additionally, don’t be content with the shots you do get. You never know when the clouds will break and a beam of sunlight will hit the perfect spot, or as mentioned earlier, packing up your tripod and gear and missing a lightning bolt. Be patient; it will almost always be worth the wait.
In conclusion, landscape photography can be challenging, but these tips will put you on the right path to getting the shots you want. While it will take time and effort, once you start understanding what you are looking for, you will be an expert in no time.
