5 Things To Think About When Shooting Landscape Photography

1. Don't miss the shot because you get caught-up in the technical. Manual mode has it place in the hearts of professional photographers, but sometimes if you are more concerned about shooting manually then you may miss the shot all together. This is especially true for those locations where you haven't planned the shot or don't have much time to take the shot. By default I leave my camera in A mode, or Aperture Priority. This why I really only have to worry about the two other important settings: shutter and ISO. I would say that A (Aperture Priority) mode works great for about 90% of my shooting style, but also be self-aware of the lighting conditions in the event switching to M (Manual) would benefit the picture, such as when using ND filters or shooting in very low light.
2. Arguably this next one could be #1 because composition will make or break your photo. Regardless of M or A mode if your composition isn't framed properly, or is too busy, or the subject or emotion of the frame isn't present then all you have is crappy picture. I have taken plenty of these crappy pictures because I was simply rushing the shot. So remember to slow down and compose the image properly in camera. Making adjustments to exposure, highlights and shadows and contrast in post is a lot easier than trying to move your perspective 5 feet to the right which is next to impossible or having to crop your photo to a point where printing at a good quality will become difficult.
3. Think about where you stand and whether the lens you are using is the best to emphasize the feeling of the image you are trying to create. If you're standing on a mountain top over looking a valley of fog and have the option of either using your 24-70 or 14-24 think about which lens may offer the best result, or better, shoot the scene with both lenses and decide later. However let's say you are shooting a field of flowers and depth of field is important to you so you can get that creamy bokeh or a just tighter composition. A Prime lens with a 1.8 aperture may be your choice but it will definitely limit your reach from where you stand. Now it's time to become what I like to call the "human zoom". Use your feet and walk up to or away-from the subject. Even walk around it and shoot it from different angles as well as distances taking advantage of that Prime lens and capturing the composition that you envision. After all, digital photography saves each shutter click to a memory card and not exposing to a limited roll of film; 50 shots of a flower is okay, delete the 49 you don't like.
4. Nobody likes to carry around a 20 pound camera bag so sometimes a small amount of planning works to your advantage. Think about the type of shots you want to take and only bring along the gear needed for those shots. Are you planning any long exposures where a tripod and filters may be needed? Will there be possibility of wide-angle views benefiting your composition? By packing only what you need will make your adventure a little more enjoyable and hopefully result in more keeper-shots because you will be less distracted by your gear and more focused on what matters: the picture.
5. Take your time. Rushed shots are usually bad shots. Once you find the subject to shoot, quickly review in your head the last 4 things above: don't get caught in the technical, composition is key to a good picture, use the right lens for the shot and ask yourself if you need a tripod. I'm not a tripod shooter typically, but certain shots like long exposures or those you want very sharp, should never be taken without one.

If you enjoyed this please give it a cheers, thumbs-up or like below. Also, please check out my YouTube series at https://vlog.jmgalleries.com

Adventure on!