Landscape Photography Tips

Just like the beautiful, sweeping landscapes painted by artists such as Monet and Hockney, the environment around us can provide a wonderful source of inspiration for photography as well. Landscape photography can be serene, powerful, exciting, or relaxing, among others. Here are six tips to help you capture the landscape photo that you desire.

Play with your focus. Typically, the depth of field, or the area that is in focus, is a narrow band with regular photography. However, if you adjust your hyperfocal distance, you can have photos that are in focus from as close as half the hyperfocal distance to infinity.
Pick a foreground. While your main emphasis may be on the mountains far, far away, choosing an interesting foreground can help make your pictures pop. For example, if you want to add extra contrast between the faraway snowy mountains, be sure to capture the lush green grass at your feet as well with a photo taken from ground level.Define your focal point. Because landscapes often take in a large amount of area, make sure you have a definite focal point. Also, because a landscape photo might be all in focus no matter the distance, it is easiest to place this focal point in the middle. You can choose an interesting cloud, a unique rock formation, or a lonely building against a big blue sky.

Work in movement. Nature does not sit still for a photo opportunity. Instead of hoping for one brief moment of stillness, capturing movement is actually a great way to set the mood of the picture. For instance, if you are trying to recreate the rush of a mighty waterfall, consider putting your camera on a longer shutter speed so that the water all flows together in the image.

Try a tripod. Whether you want movement in your picture or utter stillness, a tripod can help you in several ways. First, it can keep your horizon straight rather than letting it accidentally tilt. Also, it can help keep your natural flinches from blurring a photo the wrong way or pulling a finely-focused camera out of alignment.Consider the weather. Of course, if you want a bright picture of, say, the sun reflecting off of a pond, then you must wait for a sunny day. However, changes in weather can actually cast a whole new light on the landscape. Additionally, if you are interested in awe-inspiring sky shots, an upcoming storm can provide show-stopping cloud action.