Some of the most common tips you see online about landscape and outdoor photography seem straightforward, but they can hold you back more than help you. Sorting out what works and what doesn't in real-world shooting is what keeps you from wasting time and missing good shots.
Coming to you from Ian Worth, this practical video breaks down popular advice that often sounds right but doesn’t hold up when you’re actually out in the field. For example, you’ll hear why using auto white balance isn’t always the best option, especially if you’re planning to stitch together panoramas, do focus stacking, or blend exposures. When every frame in a sequence has a different color cast, it can turn editing into a headache. Worth explains how setting your white balance manually—choosing daylight, cloudy, or another preset—lets you keep your images consistent, so you can actually merge them later without color problems. He also talks about why shooting in raw is a better move if you want flexibility when you get home. These are the sorts of tweaks that matter when you’re working in changing conditions and want to avoid hours of unnecessary post-processing.
Another point that gets taken apart is the idea that autofocus should always be left on because it’s easier. Worth doesn’t dismiss autofocus—it’s fast and useful. But when you’re working on a tripod or building up a series of careful shots, relying on autofocus can move your focus point around just enough to ruin the set. He shares a hybrid method: disable half-press focus on the shutter, assign autofocus to a back button, and then switch to manual focus for the actual shot. This way, you can choose exactly what’s in focus and keep it there, even if you’re taking a series over several minutes. For anyone struggling with soft images or inconsistent results, this approach offers more control with minimal hassle.
Worth also tackles the rule that you should always shoot at the lowest ISO possible because “noisy” photos are a disaster. He’s blunt—he’d rather have a noisy photo than a blurry one. When conditions are changing, or you need a faster shutter speed to freeze movement, raising your ISO is a tool, not a mistake. He points out how new software can clean up noise easily, but you can’t fix blur caused by a slow shutter.
Beyond the technical tips, there’s a broader lesson about questioning what you hear online. Not every bit of advice fits every situation. Even the guidance to always “fill the frame” is challenged here. Worth explains that leaving negative space in a composition can bring more attention to your subject. He encourages experimenting with space, rather than just following old rules about composition. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Worth.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan II - Discovering Hidden Gems with Elia Locardi!”
