TIPS FOR TAKING LANDSCAPE PHOTOS
1. Cameras & Lenses
”The best camera is the one you have on you”. You can do a lot with phone photography these days! But if you really want to hone your landscape skills, a DSLR or Mirrorless are going to be your best options. For focal length (Lenses) consider your end goal. If you want to take a single shot of a landscape, a wide angle lens (35mm or wider) is going to be your best best. If you plan on stitching multiple images together to create a panoramic shot, any focal length will work!
2. Settings
File Format: RAW will allow for best editing capabilities
Aperture: best to shoot with an f-stop number that’s about two to three stops higher than the lowest possible (a mid-range aperture, like f/8 usually works well). Using an aperture too far toward either end of the spectrum, such as f/2.8 or f/22, can cause a subtle reduction in clarity.
Tripod: helps stabilize cameras allowing for longer/slower shutter speeds. Ever see a photo of a waterfall and the water looks magical and misty? Long exposure! Or gorgeous star trail shots? Really really long exposures! Anything slower than 1/60th of a second will require a tripod. But tripods also allow for HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography which is the process of layering multiple exposures of the same image to showcase all the best highlights and lowlights.
*TIP: The AV mode (aperture priority) can be a great mode when experimenting with depth of field. It allows you to choose your F-stop while the camera chooses an appropriate shutter speed for a balance exposure. Start at F/8 and work your way up (f/11 and higher).
3. Move it!
Part of the beauty of landscape photography is being in the great outdoors. Don’t be lazy! Walk around and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Pay attention to how the lighting changes based on your position. Sometimes the award winning shot is just an inch or two away from your current location!
4. Composition
Go back to the basics! Implement your knowledge of elements and principles of design. When in doubt, the rule of thirds is a great go to for a dynamic composition. Other considerations: Framing, leading lines, and unique perspectives like wormseye!
5. Make it Golden
Photographers call the time just after the sun rises and just before the sun sets the “golden hour” for good reason! The light during this time is nicely diffused creating lovely lighting. Sunny bright days aren’t always ideal for photography so next time you see rain clouds (same diffusing effect) forming, grab your camera! If you are shooting in high contrast lighting, play up the interesting shadows!
”The best camera is the one you have on you”. You can do a lot with phone photography these days! But if you really want to hone your landscape skills, a DSLR or Mirrorless are going to be your best options. For focal length (Lenses) consider your end goal. If you want to take a single shot of a landscape, a wide angle lens (35mm or wider) is going to be your best best. If you plan on stitching multiple images together to create a panoramic shot, any focal length will work!
2. Settings
File Format: RAW will allow for best editing capabilities
Aperture: best to shoot with an f-stop number that’s about two to three stops higher than the lowest possible (a mid-range aperture, like f/8 usually works well). Using an aperture too far toward either end of the spectrum, such as f/2.8 or f/22, can cause a subtle reduction in clarity.
Tripod: helps stabilize cameras allowing for longer/slower shutter speeds. Ever see a photo of a waterfall and the water looks magical and misty? Long exposure! Or gorgeous star trail shots? Really really long exposures! Anything slower than 1/60th of a second will require a tripod. But tripods also allow for HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography which is the process of layering multiple exposures of the same image to showcase all the best highlights and lowlights.
*TIP: The AV mode (aperture priority) can be a great mode when experimenting with depth of field. It allows you to choose your F-stop while the camera chooses an appropriate shutter speed for a balance exposure. Start at F/8 and work your way up (f/11 and higher).
3. Move it!
Part of the beauty of landscape photography is being in the great outdoors. Don’t be lazy! Walk around and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Pay attention to how the lighting changes based on your position. Sometimes the award winning shot is just an inch or two away from your current location!
4. Composition
Go back to the basics! Implement your knowledge of elements and principles of design. When in doubt, the rule of thirds is a great go to for a dynamic composition. Other considerations: Framing, leading lines, and unique perspectives like wormseye!
5. Make it Golden
Photographers call the time just after the sun rises and just before the sun sets the “golden hour” for good reason! The light during this time is nicely diffused creating lovely lighting. Sunny bright days aren’t always ideal for photography so next time you see rain clouds (same diffusing effect) forming, grab your camera! If you are shooting in high contrast lighting, play up the interesting shadows!
STITCHING PANORAMIC IMAGES IN LIGHTROOM
Interesting Reads:
panorama_retouching.pdf | |
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