Many people consider landscape photography to be one of the most difficult photography styles there is. It takes a lot of time and effort to get the perfect landscape shot. There is a lot of advice available online to help amateur photographers to take the best shot they can. We have narrowed this down to ten of our top tips. In order to get an amazing landscape shot, we recommend practising these thoroughly while out and about with a camera. Many of these will also improve the quality of photos taken on a smartphone too. It’s all about the composition.
Read on and find out how to capture incredible landscape photographs.
Have A Focal Point
One of the top tips for taking great landscape photos is to have a focal point. Whether it is a certain rock or tree or animal, make sure it stands out significantly from its background for maximum effect.
Remove Any Distractions
If you do choose to have a focal point, make sure there are no other distractions in your photo. For example, you can crop out sections where someone has walked into view or when you didn’t have much choice but to include a corner or whatever item in your camera’s range.
Create Symmetry
Another thing you can do is create symmetry. An easy way to do this is to find places where the landscape is reflected in water or in a mirror. This will create perfect symmetry of the land and sky and make for a really dramatic photo.
Choose Your Timing
The time of day at which you take your photos will have a huge effect on the look of the final picture. Experiment taking photos at dawn and dusk and see how your photos compare in the different lights.
The Rule Of Thirds
This is one of the most important rules of composition. To help you can turn gridlines on your phone camera or you can imagine them. For this, you imagine your view is divided into thirds horizontally. Place the focal point or the horizon at one of the points where two-thirds intersect.
Focus On Details
Tiny details can ruin a great photo. A piece of litter in the background or a foot sticking out at the side can completely diminish the quality of a landscape photo.
Use Leading Lines
Use lines that appear in your photos to direct the focus of the viewer from one area of the image to another. Things like curved roads or markings in the landscape can work well. They can also be walls or where forests end. The only stipulation is that they are clear and seem to lead to some point.
Create Natural Frames
Use the landscape to your advantage. Create natural frames for your focal points by using things like arches, bridges, window frames and even tree branches. These can further heighten the significance of the photo’s subject.
Be Patient
One of the biggest pieces of advice is to be patient! It takes some practice, but in time you will be taking truly great landscape photos.
