Fundamental Tips and Tricks for Landscape Photography

From focal points and lighting, to weather, foreground, shutter speed and more, Professional photographer David McLain provides tips for capturing great landscape and nature photography:

Follow the Rule of Thirds

Beginners often place their subject right in the center of the frame. Make your photos more interesting by placing your focal point off to one side.

rule of thirds landscape photography

Avoid placing your subject in the center of the frame.

Wait for the Golden Hour

Whenever possible, shoot in dramatic light. The most flattering light tends to occur at the beginning and end of the day when the sun is low in the sky.

Shoot Even When the Weather’s Bad

Just because it’s not a perfectly sunny day doesn’t mean you won’t get great photos. Some of the most eye-catching photos are taken during storms or on cloudy days.

photography during a storm

Bad weather often leads to great photos.

“Bad weather can be a good thing…”

Create Depth

Add layers and dimension to your photos by creating an interest point in the foreground that relates to the background.

Shoot at a Slow Shutter Speed

A slower shutter speed captures anything that moves as a blur. Use this motion blur to add mood and a sense of time to your images.

slow shutter speed photography

Use motion blur to illustrate movement.

Change Perspective

Use creative angles and different lenses to photograph your subject from different perspectives. Experiment until you get something interesting.

change-perspective-with-lens-and-angle

Change your viewpoint for more interesting photos.

Sticking with these basic landscape photography tips will give your photos an instant boost.

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2 responses to “Fundamental Tips and Tricks for Landscape Photography”

  1. Debbie says:

    I am unable to access sony.com/howdini anywhere. Only the sony website.

  2. Debbie says:

    What camera is being used for this video? David stated it has interchangeable lenses.

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