10 Good Habits for Landscape Photographers

Good habits make good photographers, and landscape photography is no different than any other genre. Getting in the habit of doing certain things every time you head out can help give you the best chances of coming home with winning shots. This great video tutorial details 10 such habits and why they can have a positive impact on your work.

Coming to you from Henry Turner, this excellent video tutorial discusses 10 important habits for landscape photographers. One that I feel particularly strong about is photographing in adverse weather condition. It can be tempting to see clouds, snow, or rain and want to stay inside with a warm glass of your favorite beverage, but if you do that, you will miss out on a lot of creative opportunities. We are used to seeing partly cloudy skies with golden rays of sunlight in landscape photography, but less-than-ideal conditions can often yield more unique and dramatic shots. Of course, take precautions to protect yourself and your gear from the elements, but don't be afraid to embrace those rainy days! Check out the video above for the full rundown from Turner. 

And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!" 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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Been at this for awhile! Have to start doing in the beginning of doing photography! Buy a book on your camera, used to be in print at a bookstore today you have to hunt for one, YouTubers do not show everything a camera can do and most just show one or two genres. I started Sony in '14 from Canon when YouTube info was limited and today reviews are never complete. If today you come across a Mod 1 or 2 of '13 and "14 there will be on camera apps like Digital Filter no need to carry any, mod 2 Bright Monitoring - like color night vision for framing in the dark, IBIS yes in '14 you can get rid of your sticks, the A7s had this Bracketing 5 @ +/- 3EV now all have it - this one thing will make great images for every capture exp. every capture is a second in time and you can never go back to get again but you can select one or all to use best for Blue or Golden hours 1. no silhouettes of trees the dark sides will be bright 2. a sun above the horizon will be small and if clouds it will be seen as just part of and will either freeze the motion of clouds/water or be milky. There is more for every camera model.
Study nature for it controls the light. Few know or realize that no matter north or south of the equator that everyday and month the sun after the shortest day Dec. in the northern hemisphere rises/sets in the south and everyday goes north till the longest day of June and the moon on full moon days will rise/set opposite and in Mar./Oct. will rise and set 180 degrees opposite each other exp. when the sun sets it will brighten the foreground below a rising moon best seen looking over your shoulder during a sunset. The full moon will rise at about the same place every month. A note the moon wobbles from rise to set so it will be different when sets, so do not take rise stock and blend as a setting. Also keep an eye for the setting crescent when the sun has set and below you will get the dark part bright with earthshine. And a PhotoPills app not only will show all this but let you know how and when to capture the milky way the season starts during 5 day before and after the new moon just before sunset in Feb to the Southeast streaming to the north and ends vertically just after sunset in Oct. and upside down in the Southern hemisphere.
Habits, keep/select camera setting for your landscape areas, batteries charged and sticks ready. As far as nature and bugs no one ever shows or talks about: Skin So Soft best keep a water mix bottle in bag, big critters Bear/Gators spray and horn, Ah sneaker country but a must Snake boots (very important) I was doing a sunset/milky way in Arizona and one on each side of me went by and during the MW one in footnote in SW USA a law if messing with the snakes. You may have every lens a camera maker has but only carry what is needed. As for everyday just driving around or going on a scouting walkabout a wide 16-35mm and a 24-70 or 105 or 240. I carry in a teardrop bag with camera/lens and other lens, blower, filter, batteries, cloth I carry even shopping in a grocery, a main habit for the unexpected for spotted place while on drive to scout or walking a nature trail and the bag can be at your feet while in a restaurant not in your vehicle.
As mentioned learn to find a subject in foreground when using a superwide things will be far away, having a 12-24mm on camera and a 24-240 or equal on another do captures with both you will learn so much.
How many weather apps do you have? If you go to a beach area Planit Pro has a section for tides for high going low you will have a clean beach no footprints learn to walk at the top and walkdown to a spot, great for doing night astro more time vs a rising tide you get wet.
1. proof the moon wobbles 2. a earthshine crescent with comet 3 and 4 need for foreground