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Landscape photography isn't just about aiming your camera at something pretty and pressing the shutter button.

Instead, good landscape photography requires that you develop the scene, compose the shot such that you guide viewers through it, and tell a story about what you've captured.

If that sounds hard to do, it is!

Becoming a master photographer takes a lot of time, patience, and practice, but there are steps you can take that will make that journey shorter and more fruitful.

Below, I've outlined a few of my favorite ways to improve your landscape photography.

Photograph the Same Subject at Different Times of Day

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I have a few favorite photography spots I like to visit, and I find that I tend to visit them at the same time of day each time.

Part of that is due to scheduling, but even on the weekends when I'm free, I go to the same places at the same time and take very similar-looking shots.

An easy way to change things up for you and me both is to try visiting your favorite photography spots at different points throughout the day.

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The beach you love to photograph at sunset will look completely different at sunrise. Likewise, late morning, noon, afternoon, and evening offer different looks as well. Just look at the two images of Half Dome above - you can see how dramatically different it looks at different times of day!

Granted, sunrise and sunset are usually the best times of day to photograph landscapes, but you never know when more direct sun might actually benefit the photos you take.

For example, black and white photos are a great option for those days when the sun is bright and harsh. The contrast the sun creates can make for a beautiful black and white image.

Learn More:

• Simple, Yet Impactful Landscape Photography Tips
• 3 of the Best Places for Landscape Photography in the U.S.
  

Improve Landscape Photography by Shooting From a Low Angle

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If you look at landscape photos on Flickr, Instagram, and other storehouses of images, you'll find that many of them are taken from the same point of view - a normal eye level.

That's all well and good, and often an eye-level shot works just fine.

However, to create a more impactful and unique image, getting down low to shoot your landscapes is a great tip.

^{Image Credit: Scacciamosche via iStock}

By shooting from a low angle, you bring more foreground into the shot. The details in the foreground can adds tons of depth and dimension to the image, which, in turn, gives the image more visual appeal.

You can pair the low-angle trick with using a wide-angle lens to maximize your results, too.

Learn More:

• Best Camera Settings for Landscape Photography
• Top Tips for Photographing Waterfalls

Participate in a Photography Workshop

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I'm obviously a huge advocate for learning photography online via tutorials, videos, and so forth.

But there's extreme value in taking part in photography workshops as well.

Think about it...

You get to learn photography in a beautiful location, often with a very small group of other photography enthusiasts.

What's more, if you choose the right photography tour company, you'll be led by a professional photographer that's invested in helping you learn how to get better at photography.

^{Image Credit: ApertureXplorer}

Take ApertureXplorer as a prime example of why a workshop is an ideal learning tool.

For starters, they offer photography adventures the world over, from Utah to the Swiss Alps, the Pacific Northwest to Norway, and various points in between.

While in these stellar locations, you'll learn skills related to using your camera, composing the shot, post-processing, and more.

Additionally, ApertureXplorer keeps its workshops very small, that way you have more one-on-one time with the instructor.

^{Image Credit: ApertureXplorer}

The amount of learning that takes place during a photography tour is incredible as well.

The intensive nature of these workshops means that you can end the tour having grown by leaps and bounds - something that happens in the course of a few days rather than a few weeks or months.

It's also nice to travel with other photography enthusiasts - people that won't complain about stopping the car to get out and shoot!

There are tons of landscape photography tips that will help you get better results, but at the top of that list should be taking a photography tour!

Learn More:

• Why Every Photographer Should Attend a Photography Workshop
• Why Every Photographer Needs to Visit Iceland