Capturing incredible landscape photos can be a struggle.
But did you know that there are a few landscape photography secrets, that will have you shooting like the pros in no time?
In this article, I’m going to share with you secrets for gorgeous landscape photos. You’ll come away with the ability to capture amazing shots–no matter your current skill level.
Shoot During the Golden Hours for Amazing Light
If you want to capture incredible landscape photos then you need incredible light.
And the best light?
It’s found during the ‘golden hours.’
The golden hours are the short period during the beginning and end of the day–when the sun is low on the horizon.
(The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset.)
The warm light during the golden hours can change an ordinary vista into something extraordinary.
One of the first things you can do to improve your landscape photography?
Spend time shooting during these golden hours.
Try to avoid shooting in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky and casts long, harsh shadows. Images taken during the middle of the day are difficult to capture and process.
Whereas the soft golden light of sunset/sunrise…
…will give your landscape photography an immediate boost.
Photograph the Sunrise and Sunset for Gorgeous Colors
Do you want to capture brilliant, colorful landscape photos?
Then shoot at sunrise and sunset.
Check the skies a few hours prior to your photoshoot. Take note of the cloud cover. If the sky is partially (but not completely) covered by clouds, that’s a good sign the sky will look incredible.
The problem with shooting dramatic sunrises and sunsets, however, is that such conditions involve massive dynamic range.
That is, there’s a huge difference between the brightest parts of the sunset and the darkest parts of the foreground. And your camera will struggle to cope with it.
This brings me to my next tip:
Invest in Landscape Photography Filters for Perfect Exposures
Cameras are good at dealing with differences between light and dark in a scene.
But sunrise and sunset?
They’re often a bit too much to handle.
The bright yellows and whites of the sun get overexposed (blown out), while the dark parts of the foreground get underexposed (and lack detail).
This is where filters come in handy.
Because some filters are designed to darken the top half of the scene while leaving the bottom half of the scene untouched. These are called graduated neutral-density filters, and they are the staple of any landscape photographer’s filter kit.
