Setting up your landscape photos

Landscape photography is probably my favorite type of photography! Every weekend I get into my car and just go for a ride and find new places to shoot. But when you are shooting landscapes there are a few things to remember. For me the main three are camera settings, horizons and the rule of thirds! Let’s start with the easy one.

Horizons – One simple mistake and one easy fix to better landscape photography is making sure that your horizon is straight. If you are shooting a sunrise on the ocean make sure that the horizon is straight across the viewer in your camera. It really isn’t that complicated but, it will improve your photography.

Rule of thirds – This principle is used in all types of photography. Actually it is used in all types of art. While setting up a picture think of three vertical sections; a left section, a middle section and a right section. You can add a more dramatic feel to your pictures by placing the main subject on the lines of one of these sections. Meaning from left to right put your subject 1/3^rd from the middle. You don’t need to have it centered. The rule of thirds also works horizontally. Your picture is set up in 9 sections with four intersections. By putting your subject on one of these interactions you will create a picture that is very pleasing to the eye.

Use the rule of thirds in landscape but also shooting portraits. Put the person to the left or to the right of the viewer.

Here are a couple of examples.

Peggy's Cove

The last thing to worry about is your tool, the camera! There are many variables while shooting landscape photography sunny days, cloudy days, rainy days, structural, architectural and many many more! I often just carry my camera and shoot. But when you are shooting a still object such as a sunset you may want to consider a tripod. This is because you typically want a large depth of field (portion of the picture in focus) while shooting landscapes. To achieve this you will want to have your camera on a higher aperture. I like to shoot around a f10 and I may sometimes I go higher. Using a higher aperture lets in less light so your shutter speed will also be slower so that your image is properly exposed.  We humans seem to shake a bit so by putting the camera on a tripod we are able to eliminate the shakes. Experiment with higher aperture settings and check out the results, you will like them.

So in review Horizons, rule of thirds and using a higher (really middle) aperture will improve your landscape photography.

As always please feel free to ask any questions. And again I am not writer so I am sorry for any grammatical errors.

Ben