Affordable Photography

There are so many beautiful landscapes. You don’t even have to travel outside of the United States, just visit a local or national park! These tips will help you take wonderful photographs of landscapes. Whether you are a beginning photographer, or a professional, these are simple tips to keep in mind when photographing landscapes.

1. Be cognizant of light quality. Figure out whether the lighting is soft or harsh. Is the light bright, or are you photographing at sunrise of sunset? What is the weather like- is it overcast or cloudy? Typically you will want to avoid mid-day light and photograph before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m.

2. Always be on the lookout for interesting lighting. If you are photographing mountains, look for back- or side-lighting. If you turn 90 away from the sun, you will create side-lighting. For a dramatic effect using back-lighting, you can create silhouettes with the sun behind the mountains.

3. Compose your photograph. For landscapes, symmetry works. Remember, simplicity is beautiful. Do you have lakes, streams, trees, or mountains? Look at the different shapes formed by the landscape in your frame.

4. Try to include bridges, paths, and roads. Use their shapes to draw the viewer in and lead them around the photo. If you photograph them at an angle, you are able to create that effect. Place the start of a road or path in the corner of the photo.

5. Try using infrared film for your landscape photography. Infrared film is more sensitive to infrared light. This means that your photographs will have darks skies and light/ bright leaves and vegetation. It’s awesome!

6. Generally, you will want your entire photo to be in focus, so use a large depth of field (small number, large aperture). Increasing exposure time also increases depth of field.

If you have water in your landscape (waterfalls, ocean, lakes), experiment with short and long exposures. Have fun with landscape photography and don’t forget to take a tripod along with you!