Best times for
landscape photography

Early morning and late afternoon are usually the best times for landscape photography. Low-angle sunlight creates warm colors and contrasting shadows. Midday sun casts hard light.

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Visual distractions

Few amateur travel photographers attempt to eliminate elements from the scene that do not lend supporting interest. Their pictures contain irrelevant objects, such as a mundane railing in the foreground or a nondescript vista on the side of a spectacular mountain peak.

There are proven ways to purge those distractions, including zooming in or scouting out an optimum vantage point.

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Dealing with
tourist crowds

Unless their existence is part of your photographic story, keep clusters of tourists out of your landscape photos. Their visual presence can undermine a landscape's desired qualities.

Tourist counts are usually lowest in the periods just after a site opens and just before it closes. Other good times include lunchtime, weekdays and non-peak seasons.

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Panoramic shots

Some cameras (and photo editing software) can merge two photos, creating an extra-wide one.

This is not a gimmick feature. Sooner or later in your travels, you will encounter a landscape with a sweeping grandeur that only a panoramic shot could capture. If your camera or software has that feature, it pays to learn how to use this landscape photography technique.

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Click PAGE TWO for more advice

on photographing landscapes

People

Composing

Flash

Using no flash

Other situations

After your trip

SLR or compact?

Lens

Battery

Memory

Features

Tripod

Other accessories

Photo tips - home page

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