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An Easy Guide To Photographing Mountains Successfully

Mountains are wonderful subjects to photograph. They can provide an unmistakable point of interest in any landscape or cityscape shot. The opportunities are endless, but only if you take the time to plan and execute your shot. So here is a short guide with tips and advice on how to ensure your mountain photos come out stunning.

1. Find the perfect location

There is no doubt about it, my number one tip when it comes to mountain photography is to do your research and plan your shoot meticulously. Whilst it’s always good to take inspiration from other photographers, there is no point in going to the same places and taking the same photographs of the same scenes.

So be creative and go out and explore. Find locations that no one has discovered yet but has a story to tell. Or find a different angle or time of day to give a well-known location some distinction. Try to plan your shoot for times when the light or conditions might be unique to give you a different shot that will stand out.

2. Be prepared

Needless to say, that mountain photography can have it’s hazards so if your plan is to hike into the wilderness or even climb a mountain, make sure you are ready. This includes everything from clothing to food and water and even a first aid kit.

This also extends to photographic preparation as well. Make sure that you have all the equipment you are potentially going to need. This includes tripods, filters, batteries (keep in mind batteries drain faster in cold conditions), memory cards and of course camera and lenses. But only take what you are going to need as the last thing you will want to do is add more weight to your backpack.

3. Be patient

Most photographers get frustrated at times, especially when the weather seems against you. Unless you are really fortunate, you will rarely ever get to your location and have everything in place for a great shot. Sometimes you just have to have patience and wait for that moment when the clouds disappear or the fog lifts. Mountain weather can change rapidly and unpredictably so make sure you are aware of the forecast before you set off and sit and wait if the conditions are not right.

Be patient for the right lighting too. Early morning and late afternoon light gives the scene a wonderful glow and emphasizes shadows. If the weather prevents a good shot, come back later in the day or the next morning.

4. Compose carefully thinking about the foreground

Even if you are photographing a mountain in the distance, don’t forget about your foreground. Good landscape images usually contain something interesting in the foreground. This is especially important in mountain photography when sometimes the mountain range is far in the distance.

So, the next time you are photographing mountains in the distance, think about how you can incorporate a tree, stream, people, animals or even some rocks to give your photo more depth or even a sense of scale. You can also use a mountain range as a background to a city for example.

5. Increase your depth of field

Any type of landscape photography generally requires a long depth of field as you will want as much of the scene to be in focus. This means you will need to increase your aperture (f/number) so that both your immediate foreground and background will be in focus and sharp.

But it’s really important to avoid closing your aperture too much (f/18 or smaller) as this can actually have an adverse effect on image sharpness. Most lenses have a sweet spot of f/8 to f/11. You can always test yours out to see if this is the case. So it’s a good idea to start at the sweet spot and then close your aperture if needed up to f/16.

6. Try a vertical shot

As you would imagine, most landscape shots are taken in a landscape format (horizontal). However, don’t be afraid to experiment in portrait (vertical) versions. This works especially well if you want to isolate a narrower view of the scene and lead your viewer into the distance. Do remember though that your foreground is even more vital as you might be showing more of it.

The other added benefit of a vertical landscape shot is that it often helps you cut out any clutter around your image. Remember that a vertical shot has a chance of being used on front covers.

7. Place your horizon carefully

Your horizon line is one of the most important elements of your photo. So think about the rule of thirds and avoid placing the horizon in the middle of the composition if possible. If the scene has an interesting foreground or an uninteresting sky (e.g. flat white clouds) place your horizon high in the photo (along the top line in the rule of thirds). Alternatively, if you have interesting cloud formations or light you could place your horizon lower to show more of the sky and less of the foreground.

While this might sound like a contradiction, keep in mind that rules are there to be broken. So sometimes you may find that a horizon line in the middle of your shots actually works.

8. Tell a story by using people or wildlife in your shots

One of the best ways to ensure your photos are unique is to include people or wildlife in your composition. Not only can this give your photo context, but it can also act to give your scene a sense of scale. Clearly, wildlife is a little more difficult to incorporate as you need to be lucky for it to be there. But for people, you can always ask travel companions or even put yourself in the shot.

9. Use a tripod

Tripods are an essential piece of equipment for landscape photography. If you are shooting in low light, such as sunset or sunrise, due to a slow shutter speed your camera needs to be still to achieve complete sharpness. A tripod is the only way.

You could try boosting your ISO higher to be able to shoot handheld, but this could mean losing image quality through excessive noise in your image. Simply put, if you want to capture the best landscape images possible, a tripod is a must.

10. Use filters

Most photographers use filters to instantly improve their photos. I would very rarely take a landscape shot without using some sort of filter. For mountain photography filters can be useful. For example, a graduated neutral density filter can help in situations when you have a high contrast scene (the sky is too bright and the foreground is too dark).

Or a polarizer can help boost colours such as blues and greens and cut haze and reflections in your shots. A polarizer can also be useful if you are photographing winter scenes to cut reflection on the snow. So, make sure you invest in some good quality filters and learn how to use them.

This short guide to mountain photography will help you improve your photos. The 10 tips above are not difficult to follow or master and like anything, with more practice you will become a better photographer. So, get out there and look to incorporate these into your next mountain shoot.

How To Capture Great Landscape Photos In Overcast Conditions

Landscape photography like all kind of outdoor photography is reliant on the weather. Great conditions will enhance your chances of being able to take a great photo. But as anyone who is interested in landscape photography has discovered, for every day that you get great weather, there are plenty of days where you are faced with overcast conditions and flat light. So what do you do on these kinds of days? You can either head inside and wait for better conditions or you could keep taking photos. You may have to try a little harder to capture great photos but you may just be surprised by the results. To help you here are a few tips that you could try out.

Use filters

Filters (along with a tripod) are by far the most important accessory that I carry with me. In great conditions, they are invaluable in helping you achieve the photos that you want to capture. But they can be equally useful in overcast conditions. The big problem when trying to photograph landscapes in overcast conditions is trying to make them interesting enough for the viewer. The flat light makes scenes seem uninteresting and colours muted. Filters can give you some creative options in these scenarios. For example, by using a graduated filter you may be able to pull out some shades of grey in the clouds. This can make your sky seem a little more interesting than just the same colour all over.

Another option is to use a neutral density filter to be able to take long exposure shots. Take a shot at several seconds and you might capture the movement of the clouds, people, cars and water. This sense of movement and motion can make your image more interesting. There are also other creative filters such as mist filters, coloured filters and more that you can use to bring to life a mundane scene.

Take flight

One of the best innovations of the last few years for photographers has been drones. These now offer opportunities to photograph places in ways never before possible. They are also useful to use when you have overcast conditions as you can focus the attention on looking down rather than up. The obvious way to do this is to be directly over the subject so that you are looking down on it. But you can also position your drone so that you are capturing more of the ground and less of the sky. Because you are higher up this is easier to do but also more interesting for the viewer. Your angle of view is creating the interest so can worry less about the light in the scene.

Go black and white

The lack of colour and light means most landscape scene will look fairly muted. So one way to combat this issue is to convert your photo to black and white and changing the importance to contrasts rather than colours. Black and white photos on overcast days can look very good, but they do still need the same level of attention as colour photography. Try to take the photo with black and white in mind rather than just taking a photo and then later deciding to convert it. Look for interesting textures, patterns, lines and shapes to bring your black and white photos to life. Your subject and the composition becomes even more important in black and white photography, so take your time and really think about the shot before taking it.

Find the right treatment

There are times that you can still have a colour photo but just need to treat it differently in post-production. You need to accept the conditions you are working with and tweak your photo to match the scene. For example, if your scene is lacking colour and contrast, dull the colours down even more to just off white. This can give a nice surreal feel to the image. Or alternatively, if you have got a blanket of white cloud, crop your image down so that you are making more of the foreground. You may also add things like vignettes to make even more of the moody conditions.

Do something creative

Another option to you for photographing a landscape in poor conditions is to try and do something different. For example, if you have a pet you could take a photo looking through their legs. Or if you are travelling with a companion you could ask them to put on a colourful pair of wellies or clothes to stand out in the muted scene. You could also try zooming in or out slightly as the camera is taking a shot for a but wonderful effect. There is also a technique called tilt and shift (which is achieved naturally by using tilt and shift lenses) whereby you can mimic the effect of a miniature model scene. You’ll need something which will be your main point of interest like a person or a building. By blurring the image apart from a strip or a circular area on your point of interest, it will look unusually small in the scene. Almost like you are looking at a miniature scene.

There are plenty more techniques and styles you can try, so don’t be afraid to try something different, you never know, the result might surprise you.

Ultimately though, nothing will replace great conditions. Whether that is a beautiful light, a dramatic sunset or even some moody storm clouds, these will give you the best photos. But these conditions don’t always happen and sometimes you have to make the best of what you are given. When that happens use the tips above to see if you can come up with a great landscape photo, even in poor conditions.

How To Use Scale In Landscape Photography

In landscape photography, one of the most challenging things to get right is to capture the scene so that it looks like it did to the naked eye. For newbie photographers, this can prove extremely frustrating as you take photograph after photograph of a jaw-dropping landscape and not capture the awesomeness. Not knowing how to capture the depth or the scale of the scene is the most common mistake. This is not always easy to do as you’re essentially trying to depict a 3-dimensional scene in a flat, rectangular image.

Here are some tips and tricks on using the scale in landscape photography that will go a long way to making your photos capture what you witnessed and felt. Essentially, what you need to learn is how to put the size of the scene into perspective.

Use people

The easiest way of adding perspective to a landscape is by including a person or people in the shot. Some regard this particular technique as being overused, but that’s because it is the simplest method to show the size of a majestic landscape. The other reason is that people are generally easy to find. The exact scale of a scene can be difficult to judge but, because people are similar in height, having a person in the picture will instantly give the viewer an idea of the landscape scale. The farther away from the person, or people, are from the camera, the larger the landscape will look. Some of the most dramatic landscape photographs are ones where the people in the picture are only just visible, making it easy for the landscape’s vastness to be perspective for the viewer.

Find wildlife

Capturing wildlife in a landscape photograph has the same effect as having people in the picture. They provide a point of reference and thus make it easier for the viewer to judge the landscape scale. The problem with wildlife is that you can’t exactly ask a lion or buck to stand where you want them to stand. So, although animals help provide scale, it is rare to capture them and the picturesque landscape in the same frame. Or rather exactly when and how you want to. Of course, when you are presented with this opportunity, your picture will be far more ‘natural’ or less staged than one with humans. Trees and other natural objects can also provide scale to a photograph but, because trees and plants, and rocks vary in size, they are not quite as effective as people or animals.

Include manmade structures

Non-living, manmade structures can help add scale to a scene. However, the size of a manmade structure can be deceiving because they vary in size and don’t offer a definite scale. As a result, they make it possible to add depth and scale to a landscape photograph but it may not be as easy as using people or wildlife. Roads, houses, buildings, signs, fences, and other inanimate objects included in a landscape image will provide perspective and add to the overall composition of the photograph.

Use a drone

Drones have been a great addition to many photographers. The great thing about drones is that they allow you to capture new angles but also get up high to capture a view that can often help give a sense of scale. For example, an imposing mountain range from the ground may not seem that huge. But by capturing it from above with drone everything else in the scene will appear smaller whilst the mountains will keep the size. This help extenuate the sense of scale. The downside of drones is that there are many places that they are not allowed (such as US National Parks). But if there are no restrictions in place, think about flying a drone and see how it can add a sense of scale to your photos.

Think about your composition

Although some landscapes are impossible to reflect the scale, unless a person or animal, or building is included, many landscapes can be given perspective by how the photograph is composed. You can show the size of the scene by framing it carefully. One way is to keep more sky in the picture. A wide-angle shot of a vast sky, especially if there are some large clouds included, will give the viewer a good perspective of the landscape scale. Try to use leading lines such and cliffs and rivers to help the viewer navigate the scene and also to add scale as well.

Use different lenses

Camera lenses have different focal lengths. The longer the focal length, the more magnification there is because the viewer’s angle is narrowed. The shorter the focal length, the less magnification there is because the angle of view is wide. Different focal lengths can show scale in a landscape. Wide-angle lenses can make a landscape appear more expansive and more extensive than telephoto lenses.

A telephoto lens is a great lens to use when capturing a distant landscape scale. Many photographers may baulk at this idea as the traditionally wide-angle lens is considered the best option for capturing vast landscapes. However, that is the beauty of photography. There are no hard and fast rules, and some of the most memorable images are captured when experimenting. A long lens magnifies the subject and makes the scene larger-than-life because it shortens the distance between the background and the foreground. It also allows you to focus on a particular feature, like a waterfall or a farmhouse and makes the focal point more prominent.

Wrapping up

It must be remembered that it is sometimes impossible to capture the magnificence of the scale of a landscape. In this situation, the inclusion of a person, an animal, or a manmade structure is your only hope of capturing scale. If nothing can be used to demonstrate the depth and scale of the scene, then use a telephoto lens to magnify a distant object like a mountain.

Adding depth and scale to a photograph is not an exact science, and sometimes it is simply impossible to capture the grandeur of a landscape in a two-dimensional image. However, by employing and experimenting with some of the techniques outlined in this article, you are far more likely to capture a landscape scene’s drama and magnificence in a photograph.

Take Your Landscape Photos To The Next Level With These Tips

Landscape photography can be a frustrating genre of photography to be involved in. If the conditions are right you can capture some remarkable photos. If not, it can be demoralizing and a waste of time. But then, that is often the case whenever you are relying on outdoor conditions. As important as the conditions and light are to a landscape photo, there are other elements that also need to be considered. If you can get all these aspects correct, you will end up with a photo that you will be proud of.

Start with your location

Landscape photography is as much about being in the right place as it is about being there at the right time. Where you are taking a photo from can make a whole world of difference to the end result. That is why research and planning are so vital in landscape photography. But nothing compares to actually being at a location and seeing it for yourself. So if possible always try to get to locations and scout them out before shooting. This is also something that is very useful to do on those days when the weather isn’t great and it means when the conditions are right, you’ll know exactly where you need to be.

Have an idea of what you want to achieve

Be honest, how many times have you turned up at a location at the worst time possible (in terms of light and conditions) and taken a photo even though it wasn’t what you had in mind? That’s not a bad thing because you will rarely get the exact conditions that you had imagined. The point here is that you had something in mind originally. So if you don’t get that shot straightaway, be prepared to wait or even come back another day so that you are able to capture a shot as closely to your vision as possible. Of course, sometimes you get lucky and you end up with a better photo, but if you don’t, never settle for something if you have a chance to do it better.

Get some quality filters

Filters are one of the most important accessories that you will need for great landscape photos. Almost every landscape shot that I take, would be with at least one filter. I use Lee square filters as they allow for greater flexibility of positioning than screw-in filters. The reason why filters are so important in landscape photography is that they will help you be able to manipulate the light within a scene to give you the shot that you want to take. There are lots of different filters out there but the most commonly used ones for landscape photography are graduated neutral density filters. These will help you ensure the bright areas in your photos (like the sky) and dark areas (like the foreground) are exposed evenly.

You can mimic this effect in post-production or even by stacking different exposures (HDR), but I personally find the end result lacks some of the contrast of a photo taken using filters. Plus it’s a good habit to get into to capture photos correctly when you are out in the field.

Simplify your composition

One of the big challenges in landscape photography is being able to keep your scene interesting but at the same time avoiding too many distracting elements. That’s one of the reasons why landscape photographers, for example, prefer the smooth water effect in coastal scenes. As it helps clear up the scene for a cleaner image. When you are not photographing near water you can still look for ways to get a clean composition. Use some of the commonly known composition techniques such as the rule of thirds or golden ratio to ensure you frame your point of interest carefully. Try to frame your shot so that you avoid distracting elements within your scene.

Shoot in RAW and edit

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know why anyone would want to take photos in anything other than RAW file format (if their camera can do so). Sure if you are shooting in JPEG you can save a ton of memory card space not to mention quicker editing. But that comes at the price of the quality of the photo not being as good. So why would you want to compromise that amazing view for the sake of saving memory card space?

If you shoot in JPEGs, your camera will automatically add its own editing to the photo (which is irreversible). RAW files are the most flexible for editing and produce a sort of “digital negative”. You can then adjust everything from white balance to exposure, contrast, saturation and more. This is important because every photo will benefit from some level of editing even if it is some basic adjustments. So don’t be lazy about this part of the process.

Change your angle of view

One of the common pitfalls of landscape photography is that because you often have your camera mounted on a tripod, you end up with all of your photos from the same “eye view” level. Most of the time that is fine. But there might be occasions when just a different angle of view will give you a completely different photo. So don’t be afraid to get down low or even raise your camera higher by placing your tripod on a wall. Because you might just end up with a view that people often don’t see.

Landscape photography is an enjoyable branch of photography and one that most people will try out at some point in their life. Even if it just holiday photos, it is still worth remembering the points above to ensure that your photos stand out. With a bit of practice and a lot of patience and persistence, you will be sure to end up with landscape photos that you can be proud of.

5 Landscape Photography Tips

One of the most common questions that I get asked by newbie photographers is if I can give them any landscape photography tips? Landscape photography is a popular genre of photography and one that most people will dabble in at some point. But being able to capture a great landscape shot isn’t straightforward or always possible. Often your success or failure will come down to the conditions. But there are ways to increase your chances of a great landscape shot by learning a few techniques. So to help you on your way, here are 5 quick and easy bits of advice on landscape photography.

Take the viewer on a journey

When it comes to a great landscape photo, your composition is one of the most important elements. It is also something that often beginners don’t spend as much time thinking about as they should when on location. It is easy to carried away when you first see that amazing scene and begin to just snap away. But if you allow yourself a bit of time to really think about your composition your photos will turn out much better.

Start by thinking about your main point of interest. It might be a lighthouse or a mountain range in the distance. Then try you build your composition around it from the foreground all the way to the distance. This might mean looking for leading lines to take the viewer into the distance or various elements like rocks to help their eyes navigate around the image. So take your time and experiment with different composition and never settle for your first location. You will almost always find that your second or third locations will yield better results.

Try to find your style

One of the best things about landscape photography is that it allows so much variety that you can easily find your own style. Think of it as your calling card that people will instantly recognise. Your style doesn’t have to conform to the norm. For example, you may love stormy conditions and muted colours whereas another photographer might prefer bold or striking colours.

So try to come to a style that you feel represents you best and aim to get your photos to look like they are part of that set. Not only will your portfolio look more in sync but possibly also make you stand out from the crowd.

Tripod and filters are a must

There are very few landscape shots that I would take where I don’t use a tripod and filters. There really isn’t a valid reason for not using a tripod when it comes to landscape photography other than being lazy. A landscape photo will almost always require a long depth of field which will mean a small aperture and so less light entering the camera. So straightway you are looking at slower shutter speeds. If you then factor in that most landscape photos will be taken early in the morning or late afternoon (to take advantage of the best light), a tripod becomes an absolute must to avoid having to raise your ISO to be able to handhold a camera.

Filters are the other essential accessory when it comes to landscape photography. The reason that filters are so important in landscape photography is that you very rarely encounter conditions that just allow you to shoot without manipulating the scene somehow. Often this will have to do with light. For example, you may find that you need to balance the bright light in the sky with the darker foreground using a graduated neutral density filter. Or it might be that you need to reduce bright reflections on surfaces like water with a polarizer. Learning to use filters effectively is one of the best ways in ensuring your landscape images look great.

Use a telephoto lens

If you look through all your landscape photos, the vast majority would have been taken with a wide-angle lens. That is natural as most of the time you will want to capture the depth and vastness of the epic landscape in front of you. But a really great way to make your images of landscapes unique is to use a telephoto lens. Not only does a telephoto lens help to narrow in on a small part of the image, but it can also compress distances between things to create a really nice effect in landscape photography. So if you have a telephoto lens try it out for your next landscape photoshoot and you may just be really surprised by the results.

Invest in a drone

Drones have become a great addition to a lot of landscape photographer’s set of equipment. A drone allows you to capture shots and angles that were never possible before. You are able to not only capture aerial shots of locations but also for example from over a cliff edge. These shots allow for far more creativity than standard viewing spots. Even though drones don’t have the same quality as DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, what they offer makes them invaluable to landscape photographers. So, if you don’t own a drone it might be worth seriously considering investing in one for your landscape photography. Just be aware of where you are allowed to fly drones (for example they are banned in US National Parks) to avoid getting into trouble.

So, there you have it. These 5 bits of photography advice might not seem revolutionary but they will certainly make a huge difference to your photography. Try them out and next time you are heading out on a landscape shoot and you will notice an improvement in your landscape photos.