Landscape photography is popular among professional and amateur photographers.f you have decided to take landscape photos , you should pay attention to this point which is a good landscape like a story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. If you are looking to create a more beautiful frame for your photo, you should consider three parts: foreground, background and middle background for your photo; Of course, not all photos can be divided into these three parts, but you can divide many photos with your mind and creative vision in this way.
12 tips for having good landscape photos
landscape photography is really exciting, and just one mistake in the shooting will ruin the photo, so that the moment may not be repeated like a fish jumping from a river or a movement of clouds and etc. To take proper landscape photos you need to know to follow some basic steps, even some landscape photographers will have to wait several hours to take a great photo, and sometimes they may only take one photo during the day, but it will be a beautiful photo that will be worth the time in case they pay attention to these steps;
- Creating image depth
When capturing landscape photos, try to create depth of field by keeping all the elements of the image in focus. You should use small apertures such as f / 16 or f / 22 for this purpose. This clearly shows the background elements. When working with small apertures, place your camera on a tripod to eliminate camera shake.
- Using photography filters
You can use two different lenses to take a picture of a scene;
- Polarizing filters darken the sky and contrast the blue of the sky with the whiteness of the clouds.
- ND filters prevent extra light from entering the camera. These filters are suitable for bright days and when the camera can not give you slow shutter speed.
- Using a wide lens
Wide lenses are suitable for landscape photography because they can show a wider landscape. These lenses show you completely open and wide space. These lenses give you a wider depth of field, and since they allow more light to pass through, you can also use higher shutter speed.
- Using water instead of a mirror
Water in reduced light creates very beautiful effects and reflections. The best time for such images is the two golden hours of the day, one hour after sunrise and one hour before; Place your camera on a tripod and set its mode to shutter priority. Choose a slow shutter speed and let the camera select the right aperture. If you have trouble taking clear photos, you can increase the ISO. Of course, ISO 125 can also be a good starting point.
- Depicting movements
If you work with running water, you can create a white water effect by choosing a high exposure time. One way to do this is to use the shutter priority mode and select an exposure time of 2 seconds or more. You can also use aperture priority mode and select closed apertures such as f / 32, which usually require more light.
If you are working in a very bright daylight, it is best to use an ND filter to reduce the amount of light reaching the camera sensor, this way you can use a higher exposure time. For this type of image, you should always use a tripod so that your images are always clear.
- Using people in photos
The landscape is not just nature, But people are also part of the landscape. You can complete a beautiful scene with a child or girl running among the flowers and meadows. Always remember the rule of one-third and place the subject outside the center of the image to get the viewer’s attention. Use fast shutter speed if you want to capture the subject still, and use slow shutter speed if you want to show movement in your image.
- Use the law of one-third
To use the rule of one-third when taking a picture of nature, imagine four horizontal lines and two vertical lines that makeup nine identical squares. Placing the focal point in the center of the image may produce beautiful images when shooting some scenes, but placing the subject off-center and at one of the intersections of these imaginary lines will often create more beautiful images. When you combine a landscape photo using the law of one-third, your eye sees the entire frame of the image, so images that are combined using the law of one-third are aesthetically better.
- Appropriate equipment
In bright light, be sure to use a lens hood to prevent flare. In addition, you should use an ND or polarizing filter to reduce light reflection and capture the beauty of the sky. Using the flash at close range will also eliminate shadows.
- Appropriate settings
When shooting landscape photos during the day, you can use smaller apertures such as f / 22 to capture a more detailed image. If you want to capture the movement of water, humans, or birds, use a filter to reduce the amount of light entering the camera. Also, try to find the right settings by working with the shutter speed. For water photography, you must select a speed of at least 2 seconds and for photography of humans or animals start from 1/60. As mentioned earlier, you must use a tripod for this type of photo.
- Get to know your camera
It is really important to know your camera’s features and it’s setting well as long as knowing how to adjust things like shutter speed, aperture and ISO play an important role not only in your landscape photos but in any kind of your photographies.
- Paying attention to negative space
negative space can sometimes make the photo so beautiful and impressive and well direct the viewer’s eye to the subject, But sometimes, the improper use of negative space can take the beauty of the photo. In landscape photography, the sky usually plays the role of negative space. The beautiful sky can direct the eye to your subject, which is usually a mountain, a muddy plain, a river, or etc.
- Use lines
Using lines instead is one of the simplest and most practical methods available in landscape photography. Convergent lines such as railroad tracks, which appear to be stuck together at a distance, or straight, curved lines that can greatly improve the quality of your work. All of these lines help the viewer gain a better understanding of what you have seen and photographed.
