10 Landscape Photography Tips for Beginners [Infographic]

If you’re just starting out in photography, you’re probably still learning all the photography jargon, camera settings, and rules of composition. Capturing the perfect picture takes a lot of practice and patience. Landscapes are a common genre of photography, especially for beginners. Here are a few tips to get the perfect landscape picture.

1. Boost your depth of field with a smaller aperture. The larger the f-stop number, the greater the depth of field. Try f/16 or f/22 for maximum depth.

2. Use a tripod! Professional photographers can’t emphasize this enough. If you were to hold your camera the entire time while trying to adjust the settings and set up the perfect shot, your arms would get pretty tired! Make sure your camera stays still for the entire exposure.

3. Choose an appropriate focal point, like a building, tree, or mountain. This gives you somewhere to rest your eyes when viewing the photo.

4. Focus on the foreground of the image. Place your point of interest in the foreground and create a sense of depth.

5. Watch your horizon. Make sure your photo is straight and not tilted one way or another. Use the rule of thirds and make sure your horizon falls on either the upper or lower third line.

6. Keep an eye on the sky. If you have clear skies, place your horizon on the upper third line. If things are a bit cloudy or dramatic, place your horizon on the lower third line.

7. Follow natural lines in your landscape to lead the eye to your focal points.

8. Use movement to add more drama to your photo, and to create a strong point of interest. Use a longer shutter speed to capture movement and a shorter shutter speed to freeze a moment in time.

9. Always try to take photos during the Golden Hours of the day – during the first and last hours of sunlight in the day. This gives your photo more dimension and better colors and textures to work with. The lighting will be much better for capturing the perfect landscape photo.

10. Practice, practice, practice! Never be afraid to try new things. Change up your depth of field, your photo composition, your lighting. Always have fun with your photography!

Source: CMStatic2.com

For more photography tips, or to speak with one of our professional photographers, contact In Focus Studios today at 919-533-9650. With studios near Chapel Hill, NC and Washington, D.C., we travel the east coast to help with all photography and video needs.