Twenty feet away from arguably the most spectacular high desert scene lay a pile of photographic detritus. Busted tripod legs, smashed lenses, and camera bodies pulverized beyond recognition, the scene looked more like a badly bungled camera store robbery than a National Park vista.
A successful landscape photograph takes the confluence of multiple factors, and because you are dependent on multiple factors, it can be easy for just one to go wrong and derail the entire shoot. It is common to overlook that phenomenon and to be left stuck, and this excellent video essay discusses what you can do to ensure you still come home with a worthwhile image.
The majority of landscape photography is done with wide angle lenses like a 16-35mm. And certainly, these are highly useful for the genre, but on the other hand, they are not the only appropriate focal length. In fact, much longer lenses can be just as useful, and this excellent video discusses why a 70-200mm lens could be just what you need for your work.
A good landscape photograph is about more than just an interesting subject and a proper exposure. A good landscape photo is able to capture and keep the viewer's attention by telling a story and evoking feelings. This excellent video essay discusses just what it is that makes a good landscape photograph and how to make them yourself.
Sky replacement used to be a very tedious process, but recent advancements in software have automated some of the most difficult aspects. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about sky replacement in three popular programs: Photoshop, Luminar AI, and Affinity Photo.
Sky replacement has been a method used in landscape photography for years but recently it has become much more accessible with AI assisted features in programs such as Photoshop and Luminar. That accessibility has ignited debates within the photography community raising the question whether or not manipulating an image in such a way is ethical.
Conventional wisdom says to get your composition right in camera, and while there are plenty of benefits to doing that, the ultra-high resolutions of modern cameras leave us a lot of flexibility in post. Lightroom offers some pretty robust features in the crop tool that many photographers do not take advantage of, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use them to improve your images.
This is one of my favorite tips that I teach in my beginning photography workshops. I’m focusing this article on nature and landscape photography because it’s mostly what I do, but I think this is applicable in almost any genre.
Landscape photography is no walk in the park. It can often be filled with challenges and frustrations. But why do we choose to do what we do?
There's an unscalable mountain of information in our hands, and while that has incredible power, it can also mean that finding profound nuggets of wisdom is difficult. Here are seven tips that one expert landscape photographer found the most useful.
When it comes to landscape photography, the standard lens of choice is the wide angle, as many scenes demand a large angle of view to get everything into one frame. And while wide angle lenses certainly have their place, other focal lengths are just as useful. This excellent video tutorial discusses how to choose the right lens for a specific landscape scene.
Landscape photography can be a frustrating pursuit at times, as you are at the mercy of what the light and weather give you, and those do not always align with your plans. That does not mean you should just pack up your camera and go home, though. You can still get worthwhile images in such scenarios, and this excellent video follows a photographer as he encounters just such a situation, providing an important lesson.
Composition is a tricky thing when it comes to landscape photography, where even subtle variations can make or break a photo. If you have been struggling with your compositions lately, check out this great video tutorial that will give you five unusual tips that will help you improve your landscape photos.
As a full-time van dweller and landscape photographer, I’ve come to appreciate the virtues of the pairing. The ability to park up in comfortable accommodations near or at your desired shooting location is tremendously valuable. To do this daily is invaluable.
Focal blending: is this a technique you use, or is it one that you consider cheating?
For the most part, landscape photographs are shot using a wide angle lens to capture as much of the scene as possible. Of course, however, that is not the only way you have to approach the genre. A telephoto lens can give a novel and interesting view of a scene. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use a telephoto lens to take minimalist landscape shots.
Mountains are by far one of the most popular subjects for landscape photography, and they require their own approach and technique to get the best possible results. This excellent video tutorial will show you some helpful tips, techniques, and settings for improving your mountain photos.
Taking something that you love to do and making it a money-making endeavor fundamentally changes your relationship to it and will require way more from you than you think. If that is something you want to do, it’s worthwhile to ask yourself: “am I really ready for that?"
We have all seen the kind of incredible images that can be captured of sand dunes. In this video, we are given an informative look behind the scenes with renowned landscape photographer Michael Shainblum, as he makes the trek out through the dunes in Death Valley National Park. Don't miss out on this exciting look into his creative process.
New locations can be challenging for all of us. How you approach them can make the difference between a successful image or a frustrating day. This excellent video tutorial features a photographer discussing his approach to working at a new location.
If winter is the season of monochrome, spring is the season of color. Spring, following a season of coma-like dormancy, reminds us that we inhabit a miraculous living organism. We are reminded that our planet is a colorful one. Absence, indeed, makes the heart grow fonder.
A lot of landscape photos are vibrant, bright, and bursting with color, light, and life, but of course, that is not the only way to create a compelling image. Moody landscapes can be just as eye-catching, and this awesome video tutorial will show you a five-step process to creating them.
Trees can be a fantastic and bountiful subject for landscape photography work, but often, they are far more intimate than the wide views you might normally work with, which can present its own set of challenges. If you are interested in photographing trees, this fantastic video tutorial will give you 10 helpful tips to create better photos.
It is easy to overthink landscape photography (as I am about to do now). For anybody prone to self-doubt, like myself, the act of landscape photography can be downright paralyzing.
Whereas things that can be quantified, like camera settings, can be learned in a relatively straightforward manner, composition is a bit more nebulous and difficult to master. If you have been having trouble with your compositions, this excellent video tutorial will show you some helpful techniques to improve your landscape images.
Landscape photography is a tricky genre to master, but it is highly rewarding when you get things right and you are able to produce a compelling photo. This excellent video discusses five common mistakes landscape photographers make or traps they fall into and how to avoid or remedy them.
There is no arguing that the camera industry is quickly transitioning to mirrorless, but that does not mean every photographer has to immediately jettison all their DSLR gear. In fact, many genres really do not need all the benefits of mirrorless cameras. This excellent video essay features a landscape photographer discussing five reasons why a switch to mirrorless would benefit him and five why he might just hang on to his DSLR a little longer.
Adobe Lightroom has become more and more powerful over the years, devouring some of its sister software's territory, Photoshop, in the process. This landscape photographer still has to use Photoshop for these six adjustments, however.
Composition is one of the subtlest and trickiest aspects of landscape photography, and it is something we all struggle with at one time or another. If that is something you have trouble with, be sure to watch this great video that follows an experienced photographer as he works through a difficult composition of his own.
Landscape photography is a fairly unique genre, requiring loads of patience and often, a bit of luck. Whether you are new to the genre or a seasoned pro, there are some hard truths we all have to hear from time to time, and this excellent video essay discusses them.
