Landscape Photography

Landscape photography rewards patience, planning, and a willingness to be in the right place at the right time — which is harder than it sounds. This section covers the full landscape photography workflow: scouting locations, reading light, choosing the right filters and focal lengths, managing long exposures, and processing raw files to reflect what you actually saw and felt when you pressed the shutter.

Start to Finish Landscape Edit Using Adobe Lightroom's New Tools

Adobe's updates for Lightroom and Photoshop have been well received, with a lot of positivity surrounding what can now be automated comfortably. In this video, Nigel Danson edits a landscape image from start to finish in Lightroom, making use of some of these new tools. 

The Different Kinds of Light in Landscape Photography

Light is crucial in any form of photography, but unlike most other genres, you do not get control of it in landscape work. Thus, it is crucial to be able to read the scene you are presented with to create photos that the light is conducive to, rather than fighting against it.

How Good Is the New Masking Tool in Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe has rolled out some impressive updates to Photoshop and Lightroom, particularly when it comes to automated tools. The new masking tool in Lightroom allows for automatic selections of skies and subjects, but how good is it? 

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark in Your Landscape Photo

Many landscape photographers love the use of high dynamic range techniques in their landscape photos. The lightest parts are reduced in brightness, and dark parts are lifted to become near midtones. Perhaps this is not the best choice to edit a landscape photo.

 

7 Common Mistakes Beginner Landscape Photographers Make

Landscape photography is a popular genre, and it takes the confluence of technical skills behind the camera, creativity, and solid post-processing capabilities. As such, there are a lot of places where things can go awry.

A Common But Easily Fixed Landscape Photography Mistake

The challenge of composition in landscape photography is that you can't control the location of any of the elements in the frame, only your position relative to them. This leads to some common mistakes, and this great video tutorial highlights one of them and how you can easily fix it.  

Traveling 1,000 Miles for a Single Photograph

Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful locations in Europe and too often goes under the radar. In this video, one photographer travels to the far north of the British Isles to see some stunning landscapes. 

The Process of Photographing a Castle in the Hills

Landscape photography brings with it a lot of challenges, but the scenes and way you can render them are nearly limitless. This fantastic video tutorial goes behind the scenes of photographing a castle in the hills and shows the photographer's process and thoughts behind his creative decision.  

How Elia Locardi Uses Circular Polarizers To Photograph Seascapes

Hello again everyone! It's time to release the third episode of our 8-part video tutorial series about long exposure photography, and how different filters can produce dramatic results. Remember, each time we release a new video, we also give away some awesome prizes. Read through this post to find out how to enter this week's contest.

 

What is the Best Lens for Woodlands Photography?

Woodlands and forests are smorgasbords of colors, textures, and interesting light. But, what is the best lens for capturing the details with the most variety and versatility? 

7 Easy to Follow Tips That Will Improve Your Photography

Continuous improvement should be at the core of every creative person's ethos, be they professional or amateur. While this video might be aimed more at beginner photographers, the tips offered here are relevant to anyone who really wants to improve their photography.

Neutral Density Filters and Exposure Times at Sea

A neutral density filter allow long exposure times, even when there is a lot of light. It flattens water surfaces when the exposure is long enough. But don’t use it at sea just because you have one. Use it only when necessary. 

7 Helpful Tips for Better Fall Photography

Fall is here, and the colors are vibrantly popping and begging to be photographed. If you are thinking of heading out with your camera and want to ensure you come home with the best possible images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you seven helpful tips that will improve your autumn photos.  

How to Make the Most of Overcast Days in Landscape Photography

Landscape photography can be discouraging when the sky is overcast with no chance of dynamic light or beautiful sunset colors. Luckily, overcast weather is actually ideal for certain types of landscape photography if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone. Check out this video to see how you can create beautiful images even when the weather is gloomy.  

10 Beginner Tips for Fall Landscape Photography

Fall is here, and there are numerous opportunities everywhere to capture striking, vibrant colors with your camera. The period of maximal color is heartbreakingly brief, though, so it is important to be prepared when you head out.

$5,000 Pro Camera vs iPhone 13 Pro: Can You See the Difference?

Apple boasts that their new phone's cameras are better than ever, but how good are they? In this real-world comparison, I capture multiple challenging scenes with very impressive results. Can you identify which photos are from the iPhone 13 Pro and the Canon R5? 

7 Helpful Tips for Better Black and White Landscape Images

When you think of landscape photography, you likely think of images full of rich, vibrant colors. And while there is certainly nothing wrong with that style, a well-crafted black and white landscape photo can be just as compelling. It takes more than simply desaturating the colors in a photo, though.

How Neutral Density Filters Work With Seascapes

Hello again everyone! Elia Locardi here and it's time to release the second episode of our 8-part video tutorial series about long exposure photography and how to use different types of filters to create unique results. Remember, we are also giving away awesome prizes with each new video release. Read through the post to find out how to enter each contest.

 

3 Tips for Better Edits of Fall Landscape Photos

Fall is here, and vibrant colors are popping up everywhere, waiting for you to capture them with your camera. And while your technique behind the camera is, of course, important, fall photos also demand strong post-processing abilities to get the most out of them. This excellent video tutorial will show you three helpful tips for enhancing the color in your autumn images. 

A Beginner's Guide to Photographing Waterfalls

Waterfalls are a popular and classic subject, making for compelling images and giving you a chance to explore your creativity. If you are interested in learning how to photograph waterfalls, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will get you on your way to creating better photos in no time. 

5 Useful Tricks for Editing Landscape Photos in Lightroom

Creating a compelling landscape photo often takes just as much work in the editing process as it does behind the camera, and there are many ways to go about getting the look you want. This awesome video tutorial will show you five useful editing tricks for working in Lightroom that will make your workflow more efficient and help you craft better images.  

How to Blur Water Using Photoshop

When it comes to landscape photography, using a long shutter speed to create smooth blurs of water is a highly popular technique. Occasionally, though, you might not be able to do that, as you might have forgotten your ND filter or you are just out on a quick walk.

How to Improve Your Woodland Photos

Fall is here, and it is one of the best times to head out with your camera and capture some woodland photos. Before you do, be sure to check out this great video tutorial that features a seasoned photographer discussing a variety of tips that are sure to improve your photos.  

How To Get the Most Out of a Landscape Photography Location

It is always fun to just grab your camera and head out for a walk, but landscape photography is a genre that really benefits from careful knowledge and planning if you want to get the best photos possible. There is a lot you can do to ensure better images before you ever leave your house, and this excellent video tutorial will show you what you need to know.  

Some Simple Ideas to Improve Your Landscape Photography

Landscape photography can be a mentally taxing thing at times, with a variety of different things to keep track of, all while trying to be creative as well. Sometimes, the answer is to try some simple things to reinvigorate your work, and this fun video will give you a few ideas.  

How to Capture Sharp Landscape Photos Handheld

When it comes to landscape photography, tripods are normally the tool of choice, but there are plenty of situations in which you might be without a tripod or when using one is too much work. That does not mean you can't get sharp photos, though, and this helpful video tutorial will give you a range of tips to show you how. 

Take Photos About Things as Opposed Just ‘Of’ Things

It might seem like innocuous, vague advice at first, but it's not. Photography is a difficult craft to stand out in, partially through the depth of the subject, but more down to the sheer number of people taking photographs. This advice can help you on that front. 

The Quality That Will Make You a Better Landscape Photographer

Landscape photography takes the confluence of technical skill, creative vision, the ability to plan, and often, just a bit of luck. And while we can spend a ton of time both at the computer and behind the camera improving our skills, one of the qualities that can help you make better images has nothing to do with either of those.

The Importance of Revisiting Landscape Spots in Iceland

Trying to create the most unique photograph of a landscape is hard to do, especially if it's a well-known photo hotspot like Iceland. But these two local photographers revisited the same spot over and over to produce wildly different and stunning images.  It's hard to get landscape photography right at the best of times.

What Makes a Truly Special Landscape Photograph?

Landscape photography is a wildly popular genre. Hop on Instagram, and you can quickly find thousands upon thousands of jaw-dropping images. But what is it that separates a really good image from a truly world-class photo? This excellent video essay examines the topic.  

6 Pieces of Camera Gear That Improved a Landscape Photographer's Work

Landscape photography requires a fair share of specialized gear, and knowing when to upgrade or what to splurge on can make a big difference in both your image quality and the ease and enjoyment of the experience. This excellent video features an experienced landscape photographer discussing six such pieces of gear that improved his landscape photography.  

Is This the Best Lens for Landscape Photography?

The workhorse lens of choice for a huge range of photographers is the 24-70mm f/2.8, and while it is an extremely useful optic, there might be better choices for certain genres and photographers. For landscape work, an interesting alternative is a 24-105mm f/4 lens, and this great video discusses why it might be the essential lens for such imagery.  

3 Key Things I Keep in Mind for Every Fall Photo

The season of red, orange, and yellow leaves is just about here. Whether you’ve already gone out and taken some photos or are just about to, it can be really helpful to keep a few key concepts in mind. In this guide, we'll be taking a look at what to do when you’re behind the camera, as well as in front of the monitor editing those shots. 

For Seascapes, One Setting Can Make or Break the Shot

Seascapes can be beautiful and it's almost impossible to shoot the same image twice, so the genre can keep pulling you back in. However, one setting almost rules them all when it comes to the final image; get it wrong and you can leave with nothing. 

Elia Locardi's New Eight-Part Long Exposure Tutorial Series Is Here

Today, Fstoppers has teamed up with NiSi filters to launch a brand new, free tutorial series with landscape photographer Elia Locardi. Not only are we releasing new video lessons every week, but we are also giving away over $600 worth of free gear with every video. Welcome to our long exposure adventure in Puerto Rico! 

3 Helpful Tips for Better Colors in Your Fall Photos

Few events bring more photographers out with their cameras than the leaves changing in fall, and no matter what you shoot, it is a fantastic opportunity to capture beautiful shots of dramatic colors and landscapes.

Helpful Composition Advice for Landscape Photography

Effective compositions are something we all struggle with at one time or another, and with so many ways to construct a frame, it can be tough to know how to fix things. If you are struggling with your landscape compositions, this excellent video tutorial will offer some useful advice that is sure to improve your work. 

10 Helpful Tips for Woodland Photography

If you are used to creating landscape images of wide-open views that stretch for miles, stepping into a forest for the first time can be a bit daunting and tough to tackle. Nonetheless, it is well worth taking the time to learn, as you can create fantastic, compelling, and unique photos in the forest.

A Filmmaker's Review of the Apple iPhone 13 and Its Cinematic Mode

The video specs, both software and hardware, of the new iPhone have caused a bit of a stir as we have seen some impressive upgrades. It is clearly gearing more towards, if not professional videographers, then professional quality and features. But, how good is it really? 

Can You Compose Landscape Images by Feel?

Landscape images are often composed according to some sort of established method, such as the rule of thirds, the golden spiral, or some other rule. And while those rules exist because they can help you, certainly, they are not the only way to work.

7 Simple Tips for Creating More Impactful Photographs

There is nothing worse than seeing an attractive scene, creating a photograph of it, and then when you sit down at your computer, you realize it's boring. This can be the result of a number of mistakes and this video offers seven actionable tips to make sure your images grab viewers' attention. 

Landscape Photography Opportunities Are Closer Than You Think

If you look at a lot of the work of top landscape photographers, you might get the impression that the subjects of their photos are hidden away in hard-to-reach locations that require significant time and resources to reach. And sure, that is true sometimes, but you might be surprised by just how much is available to you close by.