Landscape Photography Tips

Ten Tips to Take Better Landscape Photographs with Your DSLR Camera.

Here are ten tips to take better and sharper landscape photographs when using your digital SLR camera.

1) Use a tripod and make sure that it is stable. This prevents camera movement; essential when working at slow shutter speeds and low light levels.

2) Use a cable release or self-timer to prevent camera shake when you press the shutter. Cable releases enable you to respond quicker to changes in light than using your camera’s timer function.

3) Use your lowest ISO setting. The higher the ISO setting, the more digital graininess is present in the image. Setting the camera’s lowest ISO setting keeps graininess to a minimum and ensures that picture quality is at its best.

4) Set a small aperture (reasonably high F number – such as F16) and focus approximately one third into the scene. This helps you achieve a deep depth of field, whilst maintaining image quality, thereby making the image look sharp from foreground to background.

5) Take your photographs early in the morning and at sunset. The time around dawn and dusk are known as the ‘golden hours’ as the light quality is often warmer and more interesting.

6) Set your white balance setting to ‘cloudy’.

This will warm up the look of your photographs in a similar way to a ‘warm up’ filter.

7) Don’t rush to take photos. Take time to look around and think about your composition. Get into the ‘creative zone’. Observe how the scenery is being illuminated by the light.

8) Compose your photograph in a way that will take the viewer’s eyes on a visual journey through your photograph. Think: foreground, middle ground, background. Use lead in lines, such as walls, fences and footpaths to draw your viewer’s eyes into the scene.

9) Use your camera’s mirror lock up function. This locks up your camera’s internal mirror and prevents camera vibration when taking photos. It prevents camera shake, which can result from the movement of your camera’s mirror.

10) Invest in a selection of neutral density filters and a polarising filter. Neutral density filters prevent ‘blown out’ skies; polarising filters reduce glare on water, enrich colours and can make skies look more impressive. Buy the best quality filters that you can afford. Cheap filters reduce image quality.