LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY: COMPLETE GUIDE WITH TIPS AND TRICKS [UPDATED]

Can you imagine coming across an article where you can find everything, absolutely everything you need to know to start taking photos of incredible landscapes ?

A complete and highly detailed guide to landscape photography where you can find the answers to all your questions related to this photographic genre...

Well then… stop imagining. You have it in front of you .

I have proposed to make this article the most complete guide on landscape photography ever created in Spanish in the face of… the Internet.

Presumptuous purpose, yes I know.

But in these more than 10 years of life that this website has, we have published countless articles dealing with various aspects of landscape photography.

Today, I have proposed to gather all those tips and tricks in this very complete mega-guide with which I want to help you make those landscape photos that you have been dreaming of for a long time come true.

And if, in addition to the landscape, you are attracted to everything that has to do with nature photography, I have also prepared another equally complete and ambitious guide that is full of tips and tricks.

Important: before starting, I recommend that you add this article to your favourites. In this way, you will be able to resort to it in the future whenever you need to review some aspect or want to review some advice before going out with your camera to take landscape photography.

Another thing: do not be overwhelmed by the length of this guide, I have made an effort to present it in the most visual and structured way possible, so those who are in a hurry can go directly to the section or sections that interest them.

Even so, I recommend that you prepare your favorite drink, a notebook and pencil to collect inspiration and ideas, and that you sit down and spend the time it deserves with this landscape photo guide.

Ready? Let's go there.

WHAT TYPES OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY ARE THERE?

Here are some of the most popular types of landscape photography:

Natural landscape
urban landscape
night landscape
winter landscape
Rural landscape
black and white landscape
tourist landscape
misty landscape
aerial landscape
panoramic landscape
minimalist landscape
Landscape in Long Exposure

If you want more inspiration on landscape photos you can take with your camera (even for someone at an entry level), check out our article with 25 landscapes you could shoot with your camera .

Panoramic that represents a type of landscape, the urban

WHAT IS THE IDEAL CAMERA FOR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY?

Unlike other photographic genres such as sports or animal photography, for which it is appreciated to have a camera with advanced features, landscape photos are not very demanding in that regard.

Any camera (yes, with manual controls) will allow you to obtain very good results.

At the level of photographic equipment, the camera is where you will have the least problems.

The lens that you attach to that camera can have a crumb.

Let's see it.

Although before I leave you a list of my recommendations for the best SLR cameras to start photography .

WHAT IS THE BEST LENS FOR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY?

Here are the most suitable lenses for photographing landscapes:

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5
Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5
Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G
Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4
Sigma 12-24mm f/4
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G

If you hit a good target, you have half the job done.

To photograph a landscape it is essential to have a lens whose focal length is minimal, if it is a wide angle better than better.

On the market you will find an infinite number of lenses and objectives for landscape photography, for all budgets, but if you feel a little lost, take a look at this article, in it we have prepared a careful selection with the best objectives that are currently available for landscape photography .

And if you want to know more about objectives in general, types, terminology, acronyms, focal lengths and others, do not miss the mega guide that we have prepared for you.

WHAT ACCESSORIES DO I NEED TO TAKE LANDSCAPE PHOTOS?

As far as photography accessories are concerned, I am rather a minimalist, I prefer to use as few accessories as possible.

Now, if an accessory is useful, I want it with all my might and I never part with it.

If you are going to do landscape photography, in addition to your camera and lens, you will mainly need the following accessories:

Filters (especially the Polarizing Filter)
Tripod, to stabilize the shot.
Remote release, also to stabilize the shot.

For more information, we have prepared this more detailed article with accessories for the landscape photographer.

WHAT IS THE BEST FILTER FOR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY?

Filters are small crystals that, attached to the lens, add some effect or provide some extra utility.

They are very useful in landscape photography and there are endless types, each serving a different purpose.

For landscape photos, my favorite is the Polarizing Filter, I think it allows you to capture incredible landscapes, but if you want more information on the subject of filters for landscape photography, here we have dedicated a special article to it, I invite you to take a look at it.

COMPOSITION FOR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Composition is an essential element in landscape photography.

In order to capture incredible landscapes, it is important to look at some composition rules and try as much as possible to be guided by them.

So that you have this part covered, here are some of the most typical mistakes that I have seen beginner photographers make when it comes to composition in landscape photography .

HOW TO SHOOT SHARP LANDSCAPES

It's easy to find yourself in front of incredible scenery, have excellent photographic equipment, and still have everything muddled with a blurry or unclear photo.

When composing your landscape photo, be sure to work on the sharpness part.

Sharp landscape photography of waterfalls and mist

In this article that we have prepared for you, you will find concrete steps and instructions on how to photograph sharp landscapes correctly .

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH SPRING LANDSCAPES

One of the seasons that lends itself the most to landscape photography, being able to give us incredible landscapes, is spring.

Here are 20 tips that will help you achieve spectacular landscape photos easily during the spring .

Spring landscape with flowers and mountain in the background

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH WINTER LANDSCAPES

Contrary to what many believe, winter with its rains, storms, snowfalls and bad weather hides true photographic opportunities that are only available to those who dare to go out and look for them.

When it's winter where you live, I recommend that you spend an afternoon going out to photograph nature and capture beautiful photos of landscapes.

Don't know where to start?

Here you have a complete article dedicated to the subject of photographing winter landscapes .

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH SUNRISE AND SUNSET LANDSCAPES

Two of the most rewarding times for the landscape photographer are sunrise and sunset.

The soft light characteristic of these two moments, the degree to which the light falls on the landscape, the color and quality of that light turn both sunrise and sunset into spectacular landscape photos that all photographers strive to find.

If you like sunrise and sunset landscape photography, I invite you to read these tips on sunrise and sunset photography .

As well as this other article, with the settings that you must configure in your camera to achieve spectacular results of sunrises and sunsets .

Landscape photography at sunrise on the coast, in long exposure

NIGHT LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Nightscape photography is one of the least explored types of photography by the amateur photographer in general, in large part, due to the apparent complexity involved.

The truth is that such complexity does not exist.

Actually it is the effect "the whiting that bites its tail".

The less you practice night photography, the more difficult it will be for you.

So if you like nightscapes, you should consider grabbing your camera and start planning night outs for nightscape photography.

If the first few times you get better photos, it is important that you do not throw in the towel. You don't expect to nail it the first time buddy, do you?

But don't worry, we'll go out a second night, and a third, and with each outing you'll see that your nocturnal landscapes are improving.

Night landscape with starry sky and Milky Way

What are you missing some inspiration? Let everything be that ?

Here you have 17 examples to fill you with inspiration for your next night landscape photographs .

PANORAMIC LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

The landscapes are the most abundant in the panoramas, for a reason.

In this guide we teach you how to get impressive panoramic photos, step by step and regardless of the camera you have.

BLACK AND WHITE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY (EASY)

Black and white never goes out of style. The absence of color in a photograph has a special charm in all photographic genres, so in landscape photography it was not going to be less.

If you like black and white landscape photography, here are a handful of very simple tricks with which you can achieve incredible landscapes in black and white very easily .

Black and white landscape photography of minimalist landscape and long exposure

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN SHOOTING LANDSCAPES

If you are taking your first steps in landscape photography, this article will save you more than one upset.

Here is a list that we have prepared with 10 of the most frequent mistakes in landscape photography (and how to fix them).

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITING PROGRAMS

The same photo editing and development programs work for your landscape photos.

If you ask me for a recommendation, my favorite program is without a doubt Lightroom.

For a very reasonable subscription price it allows you to completely transform your landscape photography.

If, for whatever reason, Lightroom isn't your thing, here are other options that are just as good:

CaptureOne
Adobe Camera RAW
luminar
RawTherapee
darktable
DxO Photo Lab
Affinity Photo

MOBILE PHONE APPS FOR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Here are some incredible apps that are rarely talked about and that can help you in one way or another to get splendid landscape photos:

GPS Kit: Incredible app, designed mainly for hikers and people who practice outdoor activities such as hiking or climbing, but I think it can help you as a photographer to orient yourself, not get lost on the way (it works even if you don't have phone coverage /data), as well as allowing you to be able to return to a certain place accurately time and time again.
Focalware: Very famous app, very widespread among photographers and videographers. It helps you organize to plan your photographic outing when you want to capture the sunrise or sunset.
PhotoPills : Award-winning app with which you can plan your outdoor photos, monitor a specific outdoor point for a period of time, check light changes, etc. It also offers social features that allow you to share and plan outings with other fellow fans.
TrueDoF-Pro DoF Calculator: A very complete depth of field meter, one of the essential aspects in landscape photography to which you must pay close attention. With this app you have it solved.
PeakFinder AR: This app, based on AR (Augmented Reality), allows you to scan the landscape in front of which you are with the camera of your mobile phone, and the app itself shows you posters on the screen of your smartphone, in real time , identifying the mountains that you might have in sight. The app boasts a database of more than 650,000 mountains. In addition, it brings other very useful functions for landscape photography. (At the time of writing this review, the app is number 3 in the Travel Apps category on the App Store.)

BOOKS ON LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

If you were looking for recommendations regarding books on landscape photography, here are some books that are worth having in your personal bookstore at home:

How to Capture Splendid Landscapes With Your Camera: I start with the digital book that we have published right here at Blog del Fotografo, a book designed for the amateur photographer to make landscape photography even more exciting. Available for direct and immediate download.
The Photographer's Eye (by Michael Freeman): As I write this, this well-known book is ranked #1 in Photography References in the entire Amazon store. Although it covers photography in its broadest sense, it dedicates a good part to the composition of landscape photography.
Natural Paradises (A Creative Vision): A book that bears our seal of recommendation. Edited by Anaya Photoclub, this book is ideal for anyone looking to improve their photography of natural settings.

THE BEST LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Here is a list with some international photographers specialized in landscape photography, from whom you could perhaps get some inspiration at any given time.

I'm going to mix names from both old school and current young talents:

Ansel Adams : An eminence in photography in general, with an important legacy in landscape photography. He spent a good part of his life photographing the national parks in the United States, from where he was able to obtain a considerable catalog of incredible landscape photos that continue to inspire photographers to this day. You can enjoy his work on his Instagram accountcarried by those who currently manage their rights.
Justin Minns: Current UK photographer specializing in close-up landscape photography. You can enjoy his work in his online gallery and on his Instagram.
Michael Kenna: A master of black and white landscape photography. Very minimalist in his compositions. You can see his work on his website and on his Instagram.
Ted Gore: Current photographer, based in California, specializing in capturing landscapes in unconventional ways. Web pageand Instagram.
Marco Grassi: Renowned landscape photographer with various awards behind him. He works for various media (National Geographic. BBC, CNN, among others). His landscape photos are very dramatic and serene at the same time. You can see his work on his Instagram account.
Katheryn Dyer: Nature-focused photographer. Her works are characterized by a sweet point of dreaminess that often combines people within natural environments.

YOUTUBE VIDEO WITH TIPS FOR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

If you are one of those who prefer more “visual” learning, here is a video where RunbenGuo shares some of the worst mistakes a photographer can make in landscape photography:

This other video is from Joan Vendrell. In it, he teaches you, camera in hand, how to configure your camera to get a correct exposure in your landscape photos:

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS ABOUT LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Here are quick answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about landscape photography.

WHAT IS A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPH?

Landscape photography is the photographic representation of a place, whether natural (forest, landscape, etc.) or artificial (urban: buildings, etc.), taken with a photographic device such as a camera, a mobile phone, or even a drone , ALWAYS with the active intervention of a person.

In this way, an urban capture systematically taken by a security camera on a street corner would not be considered landscape photography.

Within landscape photography there can be many sub-genres.

We have listed them above at the beginning of this article.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO TAKE LANDSCAPE PHOTOS?

Landscape photography requires at least:

A camera (reflex, compact, etc.).
Tripod (for SLR cameras).
Basic notion of photography.
Examples of the line of photos that we want to obtain.
Locations previously thought or marked.
Optional: Photographic development program such as Lightroom or another.