Landscape photography is one of the most beautiful photography genres. We have put together some creative ideas that you can try to help improve your landscape photography.
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Use a drone Use a drone to capture aerial shots of landscapes from unusual and unique angles. Drone aerial photography provides a unique outdoor perspective of our world that captures the shapes, colours and delicate details within the landscape or structures below. Shop now at Amazon.com and find the perfect drone for your needs!
Shoot during golden hour Golden hour is the period of the day just after sunrise and just before sunset. The sun is just above the horizon at this time, and it usually produces a golden glow as the sunlight passes by molecules and particles in the atmosphere that scatter the light.
Long exposures Take long exposure shots of waterfalls and other moving objects and scenes to build an unusual effect. Long exposure photography often produces some of the most dramatic and unusual creative images. From the capture of lightning bolts to night sky star trails, the softening of ocean water as it crashes onto a beach or over rocks, and to the blurry movement of vehicles as they speed by on a freeway, long exposure photography is a very visual and creative technique.
Reflections Capture photography reflections of a landscape in a still body of water, such as a lake or pond. Also try taking reflections of a sunrise or sunset at the beach by using a mirror and photographing into it to produce artistic effects.
Low angles Photograph from a low angle to make the landscape appear larger and more impressive. This can be especially effective if you can find a still body of water to frame in the foreground.
Foreground elements Find a location with an interesting foreground element, such as rocks, still or moving water or wildflowers. This will add some depth to your photography.
Wide angle Use a wide-angle lens to capture a vast landscape and to give a sense of scale. Where the sky has interesting color or beautiful clouds try framing the landscape in the bottom third of the frame whilst framing the other two-thirds of the photo with sky. Shop now at Amazon.com for the perfect wide angle lens!
Seasons Photograph the same landscapes in different seasons or at different times of the day to capture changing colors and moods.
Landscape photography winter scene
Shutter speed Experiment with different shutter speeds to create unique effects, such as blurring clouds or creating a sense of motion in the landscape. Introduce panning the camera while taking the shot can produce amazing results as well.
Patterns Look for unique patterns and textures in the landscape, such as lines in a rock formation, the texture of a tree bark or the shapes of buildings in a city.
Night photography Photograph the landscape at night to capture city lights, or stars using astrophotography techniques. Astrophotography is an outdoor genre of photography where cosmic objects are photographed and imaged including the stars, planets, auroras, comets, galaxies, eclipses, the moon, the sun and more.
Polarizing filters Use a polarizing filter to reduce glare and make colors more vibrant. These are very effective when shooting clouds against blue sky. Shop now at Amazon.com for polarizing filters.
ND and IR filters Use a neutral density filter to allow for longer exposures in bright light, which can create interesting effects in moving water or clouds. Variable ND filters can have anywhere from one extra stop to complete darkness. The variable filter is especially useful for capturing long exposures during daylight. Infrared (IR) filters will create very unusual and dramatic daytime landscapes. Shop now at Amazon.com for a range of Neutral Density Filters and Infrared Filters.
Rainstorms Shoot during or after a rainstorm to capture moody, dramatic images. The calm early morning after a storm has passed is also a good time.
Zoom in Use a zoom lens (telephoto lens) to isolate a specific element of the landscape, such as a mountain peak, animal or a lone tree.
Cloud formations Look for interesting cloud formations or weather patterns to add drama to the photo. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and shoot during the early morning or late afternoon for best effect.
Aperture Use a wide aperture to create a shallow depth of field and blur the background, drawing attention to the foreground element. This is most effective where your subject is in the near foreground.
Contrasting colors Look for landscapes with a good contrast of colors or tones to create a striking visual impact. Examples are: a rocky outcrop of dark stones against the stark white of early morning snow, or the shadows of a city building against the bright sky of day.
Landscape photography church with contrast
Black and white Experiment with black and white photography to capture the texture and contrast of the landscape. Although true black and white photography would be photographed using 35mm black and white film. However, using film is rare these days and black and white photography is almost always shot using digital cameras and is post-processed using software to drop out all colors except black, white and shades of grey.
Wildlife Incorporate people or animals into the landscape to add a sense of scale and narrative to the photo.
Have fun with our 20 creative ideas for landscape photography!
