photo by avid_creative via iStock
When I decided I wanted to become a landscape photographer, I basically only understood the basics about the craft. I knew I was going to need some new landscape photography gear, I knew I was going to need to start taking a lot more trips, and I knew that it could be really long time until I made any money as a landscape photographer.
While all of that was true, I was still woefully underprepared to start my journey as a landscape photographer.
To help prevent you from making a lot of the mistakes I made, I wanted to write an article all about learning how to be a better photographer. I’ve got 5 landscape photography tips that you can try today.
Study Composition
photo by borchee via iStock
When I first became a landscape photographer a lot of my technique was point and shoot. I tried to take so many photos that there would be no way I didn’t get a great one.
Of course, I could have made the easier decision and studied composition in the first place. It would have saved me a ton of time and would have prevented me from trying to edit as many shots as possible hoping for something great.
Thankfully, there are a lot of ways for photographers to study composition today. If I were you, I would start with YouTube (like my video above!) because it’s one of the best free resources available.
If you can afford it, I would also highly recommend that you join a photography course at a nearby community college or community center.
Learn the basics about composition so that you can practice them in real life.
Get Critiques
photo by Peopleimages via iStock
The best thing you can do to improve landscape photography is to ask others what you need to improve.
Asking people for critiques can be a little overwhelming, if only because it can be hard to hear what you aren’t good at. For this reason, I recommend starting small. Ask a significant other what they like and don’t like about one of your photos. Try to implement some changes around those comments. Then, move on and ask people outside of your immediate friend group what they think about your photography.
There are a ton of resources online. For instance, I am a part of a landscape photographer Facebook group. Whenever I have a question about my craft, I put it there and immediately get a ton of responses.
Just make sure that whoever is giving you advice is giving you honest advice.
Learn More:
Keep Learning
photo by Drazen Zigic via iStock
Even the top landscape photographer in the world isn’t done learning. If you truly want to be a wonderful landscape photographer, then you need to get serious about pursuing photography education.
Unfortunately, some landscape photographer courses can be expensive. But, you should think about these expenses as a business cost. If you spend a few thousand dollars upfront on landscape photographer courses, ebooks, and workshops, but you end up making a ton of money as a landscape photographer in a few years, then the expenses were more than worth it.
One of the best things about landscape photography is that you can go on awesome trips around the world in a bid to continue your education.
Be Inspired By Other Art
photo by 101dalmatians via iStock
Before the pandemic began I was on a trip with my wife in Italy. If you’ve ever been to Italy, then you understand just how many art museums there are. We started our trip in Rome and then headed to Naples and Florence and, I’ll be honest, by the time we got to Naples I was flat out sick of going to art museums.
But, my wife had planned most of this trip for us and there was one last museum that she really wanted to visit: the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte. It’s situated within a gorgeous park and I figured it would be a good day to go explore after we made a quick trip through the museum.
Unlike some of the more popular art museums that we had already been to in Rome and Florence, we didn’t actually have to fight through the crowds at the Museo e Real. There was a huge array of art on display, ranging from medieval pieces to postmodern works. Whole rooms within the museum were roped off as they were a work of art in and of themselves.
Despite the fact that I absolutely did not want to visit it in the first place, I got so inspired by some of the portraits I found within the museum that I insisted on staying there for the remainder of the day.
I think that photographers oftentimes get so caught up in photography that they forget to find inspiration for their photography from real life. Don’t be afraid to find your inspiration in other artwork.
Protect Your Gear
This is a more basic tip for landscape photographers, but it is one that can make or break your shooting experience. You have to understand how to protect your gear from the elements.
Traditionally, landscape photographers would use huge plastic ponchos that closely resembled garbage bags to protect themselves and their equipment from the rain and snow. Obviously, this was really frustrating. These ponchos never worked as much as you needed them to and they got in your way.
But, we live in 2021 now and there are better options, like the Camera Canopy. The Camera Canopy is a large plastic shield that screws directly onto your camera’s hot shoe to protect it from the rain, snow and sleet.
Unlike a poncho, it’s actually easy to use. It comes pre-assembled so all you have to do is attach it to your camera and you can start shooting.
The Camera Canopy comes in two different sizes. The first is the Mini Camera Canopy. The Mini works well for mirrorless cameras. It costs $59.99. The second is the original Camera Canopy, which is designed for DSLR equipment and costs $87.99.
By buying a Camera Canopy, you aren’t just vowing to protect your expensive equipment from the weather, but you’re also supporting a small American business.