Last Updated on April 2, 2021
Landscape photography is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding careers a person can have. It requires a fascination with nature and is remarkably simple to break into if you have a passion for photography, patience, dedication and talent. In this post we’re going to discuss how to become a better landscape photographer.
First, let’s define landscape photography. A landscape photo is any photograph taken outdoors that contains a view from multiple angles and focal points. Landscapes are typically shot in natural settings such as the forest, mountains, beaches and more. However, landscapes can be taken in the city as well. Landscape photographers are not limited to specific locations or subject matter. The landscape photo can contain a variety of images and elements.
How to Become a Better Landscape Photographer
1. Study the Art of Photography
The best way to start your photography career is to study photography. There are many resources online that will help you learn about the history of photography as well as various techniques and skills needed for success in this field. If you want to learn photography from the ground up, then read some book on landscape photography. Books should be a part of your photography education.
2. Start Taking Photos
The best way to start taking a lot of great photos is to start shooting. Keep taking photos when you’re out and about doing your regular activities. Practice photography by shooting photos of things that interest you, or what people ask you for. Take lots and lots of pictures. Shoot from different angles, focus on different subjects and try out all the different features that your camera offers you.
3. Write About Your Photography
Write about your photography. Write blog posts on your photos or share them to social media and forums. Talk about your favorite shots and post links to them in comment threads of other photography related articles. Tell people why you like your photography so much. Take some pride in your work, it will help you as a photographer get more publicity and recognition for what you do and the fact that you’re getting out there and shooting more often.
4. Develop Your Skill with Your Camera
Practice makes perfect. The more you shoot, the better you’ll be able to use your camera. Learn how your camera works and especially its limitations. Try to mimic the techniques of experienced landscape photographers by studying their photographs and learning how they did what they did. Find a good landscape photography website or forum online and ask people how to improve your skill as a photographer?
5. Take Photos with a Specific Purpose (with a Vision)
The best landscape photographs are deliberate. The most talented landscape photographers find and shoot great locations with a specific purpose in mind. They want to take photos of a specific subject or scene that is interesting to them, and may even have something special in mind for how they want the photo to look when it’s done. These photographers know the exact image they want to create before they shoot the picture and will use all of their photography knowledge (skills) to achieve this end result.
6. Keep Learning and Taking Photos
A good landscape photographer will never stop learning. They’ll always be looking for new and better techniques, improving their skills as a photographer and ultimately becoming a better and more skilled photographer. Reading different photography blogs is an excellent way to keep learning all types of information including how to improve your photography skills.
7. Portraits will Help Boost Your Reputation as a Landscape Photographer
Many landscape photographers take photos of regular people in normal situations on the street or around town. This is a great start, and these photos will definitely be helpful to your landscape photography career, but they still don’t help give you that “professional” look. If you want to really stand out from other landscape photographers, then it would be helpful for you to shoot some portraits. Portraits are generally more popular than landscape photographs and many people enjoy viewing them on sites like Flickr and the popular social media sites. This can help you get your work in front of more eyes.
8. Be Creative with Your Photos
Do you take landscape photos that are similar to hundreds or thousands of others? Or, do you find ways to be creative with your photography? There are many ways that you can make your photography stand out from other photographers. For example, try shooting from an angle that is not typical for many photos. Or, shoot during a time of day when there’s great lighting in the area that you want to shoot. Be creative and be unique.
9. Get a Flickr Account and Use It Often
Flickr is a popular site for people to share landscape photography as well as other types of photography. If you have a Flickr account, get active on the site and take advantage of all that Flickr has to offer. Share your photos on your own page, but also follow other photographers that you like and see what they’re doing. There are millions of photos on Flickr, so it’s hard to get noticed unless you actively participate on the site.
10. Get Involved in Your Local Photography Club
Find a photography club in your local area. Most cities will have at least one photography club or society that you can join. These clubs are free and offer new photographers a great way to meet new people and attend regular meetings and events where there’s also great opportunities to take photos of landscapes while you’re out exploring with other photographers.
Conclusion
Landscape photography is a great hobby to have if you’re passionate about taking pictures of nature. There are many photographers who specialize in landscape photography and most of them started out as casual photographers who got into the hobby after taking photos of landscapes and other natural objects. Take the first step to become a professional landscape photographer by learning about the top ten ways you can develop your skills.