7 Steps to Improve Your Landscape Photography

Landscapes and nature are favorite subjects for many photo enthusiasts. There are opportunities everywhere to create powerful images of nature, but it’s not as easy as simply taking snapshots of beautiful scenery.

In this article we’ll look at 7 steps you can take if you want to improve the quality of your own landscape and nature photos.

Landscapes and nature are favorite subjects for many photo enthusiasts. There are opportunities everywhere to create powerful images of nature, but it’s not as easy as simply taking snapshots of beautiful scenery.

In this article we’ll look at 7 steps you can take if you want to improve the quality of your own landscape and nature photos.

1. Shoot at the Right Times

The difference between a snapshot and a high-quality landscape photo often starts with the timing of the photograph. If you are taking photographs whenever you happen to be at a particular location many of your photos will be taken in harsh mid-day light, or at other less-than-ideal times.

If you want to improve your landscape and nature photos make sure you are maximizing the best times. Sunrise and sunset are obviously great times to photograph landscapes, but many people often ignore blue hour. The short period of time immediately before sunrise or immediately after sunset can be a great opportunity to photograph in amazing light.

In addition to photographing at the right time of the day, also consider the right seasons and the right weather. The ideal season will often depend on the specific location you are photographing, as well as the mood that you want to achieve. However, spring and fall often bring the best colors and conditions. Right after a winter snow fall is another opportunity. And weather conditions like you will find right after a storm can also be ideal.

By making it a priority to photograph at the right times you should see an immediate improvement in your results.

2. Plan Ahead

Research, planning, and scouting are crucial to getting the best out of your time in the field. This involves finding ideal locations, and knowing when and where you want to be.

If you are frequently shooting the same locations in your local area you’ll get more familiar with them and when and where you can get the best photos. Research can help you to find other good locations in your area, as well as to plan trips far away.

Online forums can be a wealth of information for planning. You can search popular forums for a location to find suggestions by others, or start a new thread and ask for advice from others on photographing a specific location. Sites like Flickr and 500px are also very helpful for finding photos taken by others at a specific location.

A big part of landscape photography involves being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes you may get lucky, but generally it requires planning ahead.

3. Slow Down

One bad habit that is easy to develop is moving too quickly. This is especially the case when traveling or when trying to photograph several different places in a short period of time.

Force yourself to slow down. I’ve found using a tripod can be a good way to force yourself to slow down and take your time. When you’re using a tripod you really have to think about the composition that you want, and get everything lined up just right.

Slowing down can have a big impact on your compositions, as well as helping to ensure that you get the exposure right.

4. Get Regular Practice

The best way to improve at anything is to get practice. Photography is no different. If you want to improve your landscape photography be sure that you are getting out on a regular basis, as frequently as possible.

One common excuse for many people is that they have already photographed the interesting locations in their area. However, going back to the same locations over and over isn’t a bad thing. In different weather, different seasons, and different times of day the same location could lead to significantly different photos. Also, getting to know a location very well will help you to find all of the best spots and perspectives.

If you are stuck and unsure what to photograph or what you should be doing to practice, try following along with this 52-week landscape photography challenge that I put together. It will give you plenty of ideas and keep you moving forward.

5. Learn Post Processing

Of course, we want to capture the best photo possible, but every image will benefit from some post processing. This can involve exposure adjustments, sharpening, noise reduction, color adjustments, and much more.

Lightroom and Photoshop are excellent resources for photographers, but you’ll need to know how to use them. I recommend Lightroom. It will do 99% of what you need and the learning curve is much smaller than with Photoshop. Aside from Adobe products, there are also other excellent options like Capture One Pro.

6. Get Feedback

Critiques and constructive criticism from others can be extremely beneficial. Be open to getting feedback and use it to improve your work. Most photography forums have a specific place where you can submit your photos for feedback. Sites like Flickr and 500px are also great for getting feedback.

7. Focus on Incremental Improvement

It’s tempting to look at the work of leading landscape photographers and want to achieve similar results very quickly. However, those photographers have dedicated many years of hard work to their craft.

Rather than comparing yourself to others, it is much more effective and encouraging to focus on your own continued improvement. Don’t expect to become great overnight. Focus on making consistent, small improvements and over a longer period of time you will see major progress.

Article by Marc Andre of loadedlandscapes.com

All written content (and most images) in these articles are copyrighted by the authors. Copyrighted material from Apogee Photo Mag should not be used elsewhere without seeking the authors permission.

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