A couple of weeks ago my family and I went up Cedar mountain with some friends. The scenery was too gorgeous to pass up. I am no landscape photographer but sometimes the view is too good to pass up whether you are or not. My husband, Kurt, was so good too. We were heading back home after having spent the night up the mountain. We were tired, the kids were restless but Kurt was still more than willing to pull over at every scenic stop for me to play.
Like I said no professional landscape photographer but here are a few tips if you ever want to try your hand at it
1. Big depth of field. Use a large number aperture to get more in focus.
2. Use a tripod.
3. Look for a focal point. Don’t just point in a general direction. Actually focus on something.
4. Think about what’s in the foreground as well as the background.
5. Don’t forget the sky. Landscape is not just the earth but the big blue sky as well.
6. Lines. Lines that lead to your focal point really draw your attention to it.
7. Think about movement. When using a tripod with rushing water you can get great motion in water or a bird flying.
8. The best time to shoot is around dawn and dusk. These photos were taken late in the day so you don’t always have to go with this rule but it is a great one to follow.
9. Think about your horizon. Is it straight? Where does it lie in your photo? There’s something called the rule of thirds. If you put a tic tac toe scale on you photo, your horizon or subject is most appealing falling on those lines or the meeting points of the lines.
10. Think about the weather. Just because it’s sunny doesn’t mean it’s the best time to shoot. Sometimes an over cast, cloudy day can really make the shot.
11. Change your point of view. Get down, zoom in, or get higher. You don’t have to stay straight on to really get a “wow” shot.
So these are some tips for you to try and I hope they help.
by Noelle
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