If you’ve been into photography for long, then you don’t need to be told how powerful an experience it can be when you stumble across exactly the right shot and nail it to perfection. This is especially the case with landscape photography. There’s just something about being out there in nature, breathing the fresh air and feeling the sun on your back, that just can’t be topped in any way, shape, or form.
However, it’s one thing to know that you’d like to explore landscape photography further and another to know how to do it well. The following are just a few tips that could really help your nature photographs go from “good enough” to “positively stunning”.
- Find a Focal Point
So many of today’s truly legendary landscape photography shots feature solid focal points to help fill the visual field and anchor the viewer’s line of vision. A focal point can be absolutely anything that strikes you or catches your eye from a curious-looking tree, to an interesting rock formation, to a building. Place your focal point within the shot strategically. Don’t be afraid to experiment with several different ideas either. You can decide later on which one works best for you.
- Don’t Neglect Your Foreground
Stunning landscape photography is about the big picture. That said, don’t forget how important your foreground really is. Frame your shots in such a way that they showcase stimulating points of interest as focal points, but pay attention to what’s closest to the viewer as well. Good foregrounds provide an onlooker with a way to mentally and emotionally enter the shot and potentially get lost in it. It should nevertheless be interesting in such a way that it anchors and balances the shot at the same time.
- Consider the Weather
Don’t underestimate how drastically the weather on a given day can change a particular shot. Each weather pattern comes attached to its own distinct look and mood. Sure, a sunny day may be fantastic for capturing clear, crisp, cheerful images. However, a misty or rainy day presents the perfect opportunity to explore moods that are more pensive or emotional. You’d be wise not to let them slip away. Dedicated landscape photographers learn to seize the moment and make the most of it. Landscape photography is an adventure in that way.
- Hours Matter
Any seasoned landscape photographer will tell you that the time of day you choose to shoot absolutely matters. Many never shoot during broad daylight. In fact, they’ll swear to you that the dawn and dusk are the “golden hours” – your best chance at capturing the world’s most beautiful scenes when they truly comes alive. Dawn and dusk are the times of day when the light is at its most dramatic and artful, just the right catalysts for capturing eye-catching textures and patterns that really bring a scene to life.
At the end of the day, landscape photography is a potentially rewarding pursuit for any dedicated photographer with a keen eye for beautiful imagery. All it takes to start generating the shots of one’s dreams is a little imagination and know-how.
