Five Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photography

Stuck in a rut when heading outside with your camera? Watch this informative video by Apalapse to help improve your landscape photography. 

Landscape photography takes much more than just a pretty view to create a beautiful image. You might be in a scenic location, but that doesn't mean you'll create breathtaking photographs. At the very minimum, you need to understand the basic settings and limitations of your camera. How slow can you make your shutter speed and still get a handheld shot? Will increasing your ISO add too much noise to your nighttime sky photograph? The list goes on and on.

I enjoyed this video from Apalapse because many great image examples are used for each tip given. Plus, each tip is thoroughly explained with an in-depth description. Additionally, there is a strong emphasis on the fact that landscape photography is a deliberate process, not just a quick shot of a pretty scene or vista. 

My favorite tip Apalapse gives is to use longer focal lengths. Many photographers assume that wide angle lenses are the way to go when shooting landscapes. But personally, the telephoto is my go-to landscape photography lens. I enjoy the compression that telephotos offer and I enjoy separating one individual mountain, tree, lake, river, etc. from the rest of the landscape to create an intimate portrait of a natural subject. 

One thing the video mentions is that there are many cheap and affordable filters on the market. Purchasing and using ND and CP filters for landscape photography is a great idea, but be aware that cheaper filters often can negatively change the color of your image. Many cheaper filters cast a dark red or warmer color on your images. 

What are your best landscape photography tips? 

Tim Behuniak's picture

Timothy Behuniak is a Salt Lake City-based landscape and outdoor adventure photographer who's passionate about getting lost in the woods with his camera. Tim's hope is that his viewers, like him, will one day love and fight to protect the beautiful locations he is fortunate to photograph.

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2 Comments

Definitely agree! It helps to know your camera inside and out.