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.

How to Photograph a Moonrise

In the wake of 2017’s only supermoon, which rose on December 3rd, NatureTTL has released a new video detailing to photographers how to plan for, and execute, a great moonrise or moonset landscape photo.

How 'The Hideaways' New Zealand Book Project Was Made

Sam Stuchbury and Hilary Ngan Kee’s enchanting new book "Hideaways" is a stunning showcase of tucked-away escape spots all over New Zealand that the creative, urban couple sourced and stayed at while researching the book — and they’re all available to the public. 

Tips for Better Composition in Landscape Photography

Good composition is paramount when it comes to landscape photography. Ansel Adams said, "There's nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." You don't need the fanciest gear or the snazziest Photoshop skills to pull off a great image, but you do need a strong composition.

National Monument Restructuring Puts Landscape Photography Treasures at Risk

Photographers across social media channels chimed in late this week as leaked documents were made public by the Washington Post on Thursday detailing the proposed size reductions and restructuring of both the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument as well as the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

The Best 14mm Lens For Astro Photography: Sigma Versus Rokinon

Nightscape and wide-angle astro photographers have a number of choices for lenses and gear that they didn't have before and NatureTTL has put together a quick rundown of 3 of the most popular lenses for astrophotography; the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art, the Rokinon SP14mm f/2.4, and the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC. 

How to Take Great Landscape Photos Even With Gray Skies

When you think of the sky in landscape photos, I bet you think of gorgeous sunsets full of luscious, vivid colors or puffy clouds floating over a blue backdrop, perfectly complementing the elements below. You probably don't think of drab, gray skies. Nonetheless, it's still possible to get great shots with less-than-stellar views above, and this video will show you how. 

Squeezing Extra Autumn Colors Out of Lightroom

If you've been out shooting recently, there's a good chance that you're now sitting down to edit a pile of photographs that capture the incredible colors that autumn brings. This brief tutorial shows you a quick and dirty trick (jump to three minutes to skip the waffle!) for getting Lightroom to make the most of those gorgeous, orangey tones. 

Why Landscape and Cityscape Photographers Should Also Carry a Telephoto Lens

When you think of landscape and cityscape photography, you likely think of wide angle lenses designed to maximize the amount of the scene you can fit in the frame. And while these are the first choice of many photographers, this video makes a great case for why you should also carry along a telephoto lens. 

The Benefits of Approaching a Shoot Without a Plan

Thomas Heaton continues to produce quality videos documenting his journeys as a landscape photographer. In this video, Heaton highlights the importance of occasionally approaching a shoot without a plan in place to keep his work interesting and to spark creativity.

Look High, Look Low: Keep an Open Mind When Shooting Photos

When we head out to shoot, we often have some specific image in mind, or if not a single photo, at least a certain way of going about the process. The great video reminds us that the opportunity for great images is often much more diverse than we might initially anticipate.  

How to Find Compositions in Drone Photography

As a newcomer to drones and drone photography, it can be a little overwhelming in the beginning. Learning all there is to know about maneuvering your new toy through the air is enough to give you a few grey hairs before you even get it off the ground. Once you’re up there, you better believe there’s some extra tension in your muscles the first few times you fly.

Star Eater Saga: The Sony a7R III Strikes Back

Despite an early report from photographer Drew Geraci last week, it seems that the Sony a7R III may still be affected by the so called “Star Eater” effect. What is really going on? 

All About Shooting Landscape Images With Your Drone

If you're a landscape photographer, a drone can offer all sorts of new perspectives and creative opportunities. This great video talks about using one, getting good shots, and working around their limitations. 

Get Your Mojo Back: Changing Your Perspective

You've probably been there before: stuck in a creative rut. I know I have. It's easy to get into when you're shooting the same subject matter over and over again. Don't believe me?

Panoramas From Capture to Post

Thomas Heaton created a new set of videos last week about one of my favorite topics and shooting styles: landscape panoramas. I love photographing night skies and landscapes this way and the technique overall is very simple yet can give fantastic results.

Keep Your Eyes and Mind Open: Finding Unexpected Images

It can be easy when you have a certain image in mind to get locked into attempting to get it, causing you to end up missing other great shots because you're either focused on the one in your head or frustrated that you missed it for whatever reason. This great video reminds us that it's important to keep our eyes and minds open when that's the case. 

Fine Art Landscape Photography (Part 2): Demons of a Diverse Portfolio

Students often ask me a rhetorical question: “What is it like to be a professional landscape photographer?” Well, it’s fantastic if you’re into the outdoors, natural landscapes, and of course photography. However, that’s not entirely the point of the question.

f/138: Taking Pictures With No Lens at All

Lenses are obviously some of the most talked about pieces of photography equipment out there. However, there's one type of photography that requires no lens at all. This neat video follows a photographer as he spends a day shooting landscapes with a pinhole camera. 

The Sony a7R III Has No Star Eater Effect

In August 2016, Sony made a firmware modification to the a7R II and a7S II cameras. Among the changes was a new algorithm designed to reduce noise during long exposure photography.

How to Pre-visualize, Shoot, and Edit a Landscape Photo

Knowing how to visualize a shot in your head before you take it is an important step in the creative process, else you're simply firing off shots and hoping for a good edit to come out of the process. This great video follows a landscape photographer from pre-visualization all the way to printed photo. 

The VAST Project: How to Capture and Edit Artistic Gigapixel Photography

Ultra-high-resolution photography has been around for years now but the technical difficulties associated with the creation of gigapixel images tend to limit the artistic output of this type of photography. People find it incredibly fascinating and like to explore every little detail of a scene, but they wouldn't want to put one on their wall as artwork.

The Rewards of Patience in Photography

In a lot of genres, you have to shoot quickly and efficiently, lest you'll possibly miss an important shot. In other genres and situations, being in too much of a rush can be what actually causes you to miss the shot or come home with less-than-stellar results. This great video examines the idea of patience. 

The Beauty of Greenland: A 4K Tour of the Midnight Sun

In April 2016 I featured a video of one of my favorite places on Earth: Lofoton, Norway by the brilliant filmmaker, Dennis Schmelz. Well, Schmelz is back at it again, this time with The Beauty of Greenland in glorious 4K. Places like Greenland are revered with photographers and videographers alike for their stunning vistas and fjords, but also for their unparalleled light.

Why Photography Matters to Us

The one thing that ties us all together here is our passion for photography. For some of us, it's a beloved hobby, while for others, it's a career. This awesome video tells the story of how photography has had a positive impact in one person's life. 

A Look Behind the Scenes of an Arctic Aurora Surfing Film

Outdoor Adventure Photographer Chris Burkard has spent much of his career documenting the harmony of man and nature around the world. Best known for his surfing photography, Burkard recently directed a documentary called "Under an Arctic Sky" about a group of surfers venturing to Iceland in the dead of winter in search of waves.

The Importance of Persistence and Effort in Photography

We all like to get results and to know that our efforts have not been for naught. Sometimes, though, getting that killer shot is just not in the cards, often because of forces outside our control, which is when it's important to remember how effort and persistence will eventually pay off. 

How to Photograph Stars in a City: Photographing the World 3 BTS

The new season of Photographing the World 3 behind the scenes is now in full swing! In this week's episode, the gang heads down the Amalfi Coast and settles into the small town of Atrani. Here Elia Locardi teaches something I didn't think was possible: capturing star trails in a light polluted town.

The Story Behind a Landscape Photograph

What is it about landscape photography that draws us back into nature? Is it waiting for the perfect light to hit the mountains overlooking a vast, green valley? Is it sitting on a rocky shore, listening to and witnessing the sheer power of Mother Nature's waves crash against the rocky shore? Is it the calmness of a misty pine forest at dawn, waiting for the sunrise and hear

Fine Art Landscape Photography (Part 1): The Magically Appearing Photograph

There are two ways to photography: registration and creation. Let me be clear that, before we get into a short essay about self-acceptance in art, neither is better than the other. While I’d like to teach you today about conscious creation, registration is the inherent nature of photography.

Capturing Beautiful Landscapes in Difficult Weather

If you are an outdoor photographer of any kind, bad weather is something that will eventually affect you. In his latest video, landscape photographer Thomas Heaton ventures out to the coast of Northern Ireland in rough conditions.

How to Create a Moody Black and White Landscape Image in Lightroom

When we think of landscape photography, the default image our mind imagines is probably some sweeping view with gorgeous golden light and epic scenery. Nonetheless, that's not the only look you can get in landscape work, and as this helpful video shows, you can pull impressive images even out of the worst conditions.  

Frustration in Photography: Knowing When It's Time to Take a Break

The problem with photography (or really, any creative pursuit) is that you can have all the variables in place and have prepared yourself as well as possible, only to feel the creativity drift away from you like some nebulous cloud you grasp at only to watch your hand pass right through it. This video examines the idea of when it's time to take a break. 

You Get Four Shots: Patience and Payoff When Hiking With a Large Format Camera

Large format photography is its own beast, with all sorts of considerations and technical know-how needed to pull it off successfully, not the least of which being that the equipment is often simply unwieldy. Nonetheless, that extra work is not without a payoff, as the resultant images can be full of gorgeous detail.

'Photographing the World' BTS Episode 2: Scouting Positano, Italy

A few weeks ago we released "Photographing the World 3," the newest installment of Elia Locardi's PTW series. As with with many of our tutorials, we have also produced a behind-the-scenes series that shows exactly how we filmed and produced this landscape tutorial.

If You Have Questions About Photographing a Rainforest Watch This

Here is a great video with some tips and tricks for photography in a tropical setting. Something that I'm sure a lot of us would kill for the opportunity to travel and shoot, the folks over at NatureTTL have some advice to save yourself a headache in the event you have that chance.

How to Focus Stack with Thomas Heaton

Landscape photographer Thomas Heaton has been releasing one hit after another on his Youtube channel lately and his newest video is one of my favorites. Focus stacking is a great and relatively simple trick any photographer can use to add a unique look to your images. 

 

Why One Photographer Loves Shooting Landscapes

Landscape photography is a frustrating and rewarding pursuit (often simultaneously). It can involve hours of hard physical exertion and enduring less-than-stellar conditions for a payoff that might never arrive. Yet, sometimes, nature surprises the photographer and makes the exertion all worth it.  

Seven Ideas for Better Fall Photos

I don't care when the song was originally referring to, because fall is the most wonderful time of the year. As this great video highlights, autumn is full of inspiring creative opportunities that are an absolute joy to shoot and can yield some really impressive imagery. Here are seven ideas for fall photographs. 

Tips for Shooting Landscapes in Tourist-Heavy Locations

What do you do if that one location you want to photograph on your trip just happens to be one that hundreds if not thousands of other people also want to photograph? It can be a tricky situation to navigate. Sometimes it can be straight up frustrating.

An 8K Time-Lapse of the Dolomites

Time-lapses have become exceedingly popular over the last several years and it's easy to become numb to them after a while. It takes an extraordinarily good time-lapse to capture a viewer's attention and stand out. Martin Heck of Timestorm Films has done just that with his 8K time-lapse film of the Dolomites mountain range in Northern Italy. 

When Traveling for Photography, Planning is Key

A few months back, I was getting the feeling that I needed to start traveling to see more of the beautiful world we live in. At the time it was just a thought until my buddy Tom Harmon called me up and asked if I'd want to go out to Oregon with him.