100 Landscape Photography Tips

Paul Farace
22 hours ago
16 min read

Welcome landscape and nature photography lovers!

After many years of landscape photography adventures I have picked up a tip or two along the way. In this article (or video if you prefer) I go over 100 landscape photography tips over 10 separate categories! I cover topics like essential gear, camera settings, field etiquette and many more! Weather you are a beginner or professional I am sure you will find some useful information in this list!

If you would prefer to watch the video version click here: 100 Landscape Photography Tips in 15 Minutes!

Here are the 10 landscape photography categories I will be covering.

Preparation & Planning
Essential Gear
Camera Settings
Composition Tips
Mastering Light
Advanced Techniques
Creative Strategies
Field & Etiquette Tips
Post Processing
Growth & Inspiration

Let's dive in!

Some links on this page are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you click on any and buy. An easy way to support! Thanks if you do!

Video: 100 Landscape Photography Tips in 15 Minutes!

100 Landscape Photography Tips

Landscape photography preparation and planning tips.

Preparation & Planning

1. Scout your location in person to get a real sense of the landscape. See where and how the light falls during your expected shooting time. This can increase your keeper chances by a lot.

[Related video: How I Scout Photos]

2. Check the weather regularly. Stormy or clearing conditions often yield the most dramatic shots.

3 .Use apps like PhotoPills to track sun and moon positions for very creative photos.

4. Arrive earlier than you think. At least 45 minutes before sunrise or sunset, but even an hour or more will give you plenty of time to adapt to any changing conditions. It's better to have too much time than not enough! [Related video: Is This The Pro's Secret? Blue Hour Photography]

5. Consider researching photos from your destination online for inspiration. This is a personal choice and each photographer has a different view. Some love to get inspiration and see the landscape while others do not want to have any judgement before they visit on their own. I tend to fall in the latter group.

6. Stay overnight near the location to be fresh for early morning shoots. This turns a photo shoot into a full on adventure. Get a camp site near your location, scout the afternoon, shoot sunset, camp and shoot sunrise. You get to know a place so much better too, when you can spend a little extra time.

7. Check tide forecasts if shooting coastal landscapes. Low tide, high tide, incoming or outgoing? Tides have a very dramatic impact on any coastal location. Research the different affects the tides have on a specific location and try to optimize your visit. An app I use to check tides is Tides Near Me.

8. Pack your bag the night before to avoid forgetting essentials. I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten things by not properly packing early enough. Do yourself a favor, make a list check it twice and give yourself time. Pack the night before your shoot!

9. Use Google Street View to preview viewpoints and road access. You never know what you may run into when you arrive to a new location. Make sure you have an A, B and C plan to access the locations and viewpoints you are after. Drop location pins during scouting or print out area maps if you won't have service.

10. Tell someone your plans and expected return time for safety. This should be a no brainier, but we all think nothing will ever happen to us. I am definitely guilty of this. Always let someone know your full plans. Like where you will be, when you will be there and your expected return times at a bare minimum.

Essential Gear

11. Invest in a sturdy tripod to ensure sharp images during long exposures. You don't have to go crazy but you do need some decent stability if you want to pull off those amazing long exposures. Also when shooting telephoto at long distances the smallest amount of movement can cause images to not be sharp. [A good budget tripod that I use: https://amzn.to/3R02CRF]

12. Use a circular polarizer to reduce glare on water and boost color saturation. This is an excellent tool for coastal and woodland photography. A CP Filter will cut through glare, allow you to control reflections, specular highlights and gives a boost in saturation and contrast. [My Circular Polarizer: https://amzn.to/3PeG13l]

13. Carry Neutral Density (ND) filters to blur water or clouds in brighter light. [My 6 Stop ND filter: https://amzn.to/3R0XKf4]

14. Bring a head net for when the bugs come out. This has saved me so many times. It costs nothing to carry and will keep you out shooting when it's dinner time for midges, noseeums and mosquitoes. Which happens to usually be during the best light!

15. Use a remote shutter release or use your camera's built in timer to prevent shake. If using the timer 2 seconds is fine for wider lenses, but make sure you up it to 10 seconds if you are shooting longer focal lengths. This is why a remote can really come in handy so you don't have to wait between shots. The remote trigger also helps a ton when timing subjects such as waves or water cascades. They are not very expensive at all just get the model for your camera system. [My remote trigger: https://amzn.to/4uuGqxA]

16. Keep spare batteries inside your coat in cold weather to preserve charge. Cold weather can quickly drain your batteries if you do not keep them warm. Store them on your person so your body heat helps keep them stable.

17. Always carry a lens cloth and cleaning kit to remove spray, moisture, dust and debris. Also a Lens Pen is a great tool to keep with you. [The Lens Pen kit I use: https://amzn.to/3PdZMYO]

18. Bring a head lamp so you can see your gear and navigate in the dark hands free. This is 100% essential if you shoot anywhere near blue hour or any type of night photography. A quality head lamp is comfortable to wear, last long and has multiple battery options so you are never left in the dark. You can go cheap, but it wis not advised. A poorly designed head lamp hurts to wear for more than a few minutes. [The Petzl Active Core is a good balance of comfort and value: https://amzn.to/4eUuiS7]

19. Pack a kneeling mat for low angle shots to stay comfortable. The true hero. Your knees will thank you so much. These pack right onto the side pocket of your camera bag when folded up making them easy to bring along. I also use it to set my bag down in dirty environments. One of my favorite inexpensive unsung hero accessories. [Kneeling Mat: https://amzn.to/4uGgzTy]

20. Use a "Jacket Loupe" hack to clearly see your LCD screen in bright sunlight. Throw a shirt or jacket over your camera and stick your head in to see the LCD in very bright conditions. Sometimes it is too hot out and my sweaty eyes won't work with the viewfinder and this works great. You only look a tiny bit silly lol!

Camera Settings

21. Shoot in RAW to capture the maximum amount of data for post-processing. This allows you to capture the maximum dynamic range of your camera sensor. You future self will thank you!

22. Use your base ISO (usually 100) to ensure the cleanest possible images. Your ISO is the last thing you should increase to get more light to your sensor whenever possible. Always shoot at your base IDO for best image quality. That said don't be afraid to bump your ISO whenever you need to. You can still come away with amazing images especially with modern software and techniques.

23. Set your aperture between f/8 and f/13 to find the "sweet spot" of sharpness. A lens sweet spot is usually 2-3 stops above wide open, but every lens is different. Try to find out the sweet spot of your lens by taking the same photo at different apertures and then comparing. A valuable piece of information to have about each of your lenses.

24. Avoid apertures like f/18 and f/22 to prevent loss of detail from diffraction. This will give you soft images.

25. Use your shutter speed creatively. Subjects like moving water, falling snow, rain, clouds and anything that has motion will be affected by the length of time your shutter stays open. Use this to your advantage to experiment and create timeless art! This is where a shutter trigger comes in handy over your built in timer, so you can time your subject perfectly.

26. Use Manual mode for consistent exposures in tricky lighting. When the light is changing fast or is difficult to full capture make sure you are shooting in manual for consistent images. This will help with any blending and editing later on. Capture everything you need, but always protect and capture your highlights most importantly.

27. Manual focus whenever possible. This will ensure you have captured the scene and frames needed for when you get back to editing. Auto-focus can fail you at the worst times and will make you lazy too! Always double check your focus, but also slow down and switch to manual to ensure you have what you need.

28. Use the Histogram to ensure you aren't clipping highlights or shadows. The histogram will show you when you are clipping either your shadows or highlights directly on your LCD screen. I always keep this enabled and in view on my camera.

29. Set White Balance manually (such as Daylight or Cloudy) for consistent color across shots. This will ensure your entire set of photos are consistent, even if "off", and can be batch changed later if needed. This can always be changed because you are shooting RAW files. And you are....right? :)

I usually leave this on 'Cloudy" myself, unless that particular setting looks way off from the scene.

30. Focus one-third of the way into the scene for maximum depth of field. To get the maximum amount of front to back sharpness shoot a higher aperture such as f16 and focus about one third into the scene. Unless you are focus stacking this usually yields your best overall results, though of course scenes can vary!

Want to learn some beginner landscape photography tips? Watch This: Landscape Photography Tips for Beginners

Composition Tips

31. Follow the Rule of Thirds as a starting point for balance. A great starting place for composition.

32. Incorporate leading lines like rivers or paths to guide the eye. Natural and man made lines such as rivers, streams, roads, walking paths and more. Anything can be used to direct your eye through the landscape and used as a strong compositional element..

33. Include an interesting foreground to add depth and scale. Get low, get close and fill your foreground with interesting subjects to create interest and depth in your scene.

34. Use natural S & Z shapes to make the frame feel alive.

35. Simplify the scene by removing distracting elements. One of the first thing you should always try once you find a compelling composition. Try to think about what you can remove other than what you can add.

36. Change your height and get higher or lower to the ground for a unique perspective. Even small movements can have a dramatic effect on the composition.

37. Watch your horizon to ensure it's perfectly straight. I still come back with my horizon so far off on most of my photos. Always double check your level as it is easy to overlook.

38. Don't center the horizon; place it on the top or bottom third. Unless you are specifically going for that look such as a still water reflection photo. Always try to put your horizon near the top or bottom third of the composition.

39. Look for natural frames like overhanging branches or rock arches. Natural frames can really enhance the depth and interest in your scene.

40. Include a human element to provide a sense of scale. Sometimes the landscape is hard to translate through a photo and adding a person for scale can really tell the full story. Try to include a model or even yourself into a wide scene.

Mastering Light

41. Prioritize the Golden Hour, just after sunrise or before sunset, for soft, warm light. Arguably the best time to shoot to get the most magical light on the landscape. Though blue hour is right there too...

42. But don't forget blue hour for moody & cinematic shots. This is my favorite time to shoot! You can get the most cinematic and otherworldly images during blue hour. The colors and soft even light make every scene transform for a shot time. You also get to play with different shutter speeds due to the low light. Just a blast to photograph.

43. Look for sidelight to emphasize textures and shapes in the landscape. If you have a lot of texture or lines and ridges in your foreground use side lighting to get the best drama and detail.

44. Embrace overcast days for soft, even light. This is an excellent time for woodland and waterfalls.

45. Shoot into the sun to create starburst effects with small apertures. Anywhere from f16 and higher will produced a pronounced sun star when shooting into a bright point source such as the sun. Especially when the light is on a contrasting border. Every lens is different so try your out and see how it looks!

46. Use a lens hood to prevent unwanted flare and maintain contrast. Or when you forget your lens hood just use your hand to shade the lens while the shutter is open.

47. Look behind you when the light is good. The best shot might be the backlit scene right behind you.

48. Search for God rays during misty and foggy mornings and the sun backlights an amazing scene.

49. Wait for light to hit specific peaks or valleys for spotlight effects.

50. Learn to love bad weather like fog or storms for epic dramatic images. Some of the best photographs you will find are on the cusp of storms and drastically changing conditions. [Video: Lightning Photography - How Long Will It Take To Capture A Shot?]

Advanced Landscape photography techniques tips.

Advanced Techniques

51. Learn focus stacking to get everything sharp from 2 inches to infinity. This is a must learn in flatter environments to create depth in your images. You usually have to get very low and close to your foreground and focus stacking will help create amazing sharpness throughout your scene.

[Check out my ebook Extreme Focus Stacking: https://amzn.to/4eLYTkx]

52. Bracket your exposures, capture several exposures of varying brightness to capture high dynamic range scenes. This is very useful when shooting into the sun or other bright point source lights.

53. Try high strength ND filters for extra long exposures to blur waterfalls or moving clouds. Even during mid day light you can create compelling long exposures so experiment with high strength or stacking multiple filters if needed.

54. Use telephoto lenses to compress distant layers like mountain ridges. [Related video: The Best Budget Telephoto Lens? Tamron 70-300]

55. Experiment with panoramas to capture vistas that are too wide for one frame. Capture a wide scene by combining multiple photos into a pano.

56. Shoot at night for astrophotography or star trails. Experiment with night photography and master capturing the stars.[Video: Darkest Skies I Have Ever Seen! Milky Way Pano]

57. Try intimate landscapes by zooming in on small patterns, textures and details. Get close and zoom in to find unique detail images of the landscape. Even get a macro lens or macro reverse ring to try.

58. Use the horizon level in your camera to keep everything level. I am one of the worst at checking and even when i do I still get it wrong haha. Always double check your level!

59. Compose while out of focus to see only the light and shapes. This is a very cool technique to compose a scene. Give it a try sometime!

60. Try to experiment with light painting. This can be subtle to extreme and is very fun to see what you can create.

Magic Button for Photographers! Never miss a moment. Watch Here: https://youtu.be/hbxibosyZrU

Creative Landscape photography strategy tips.

Creative Strategies

61. Shoot throughout the seasons to show how the landscape changes in your area. The same scene can take on many different looks throughout the year.

62. Convert to Black and White to emphasize form and texture over color and subject.

63. Give yourself a local project to shoot the same location every month or more.

64. Look for reflections in still lakes, ponds or even small puddles. Any water source can offer creative opportunities.

65. Wait for the perfect moment when light and conditions align. Instead of firing away like an automatic weapon, slow down and be intentional about your shot and timing.

66. Experiment with aspect ratios like 16x9 for or 3x1 for a wide epic feel. The aspect ratio will affect the feeling of an image in a dramatic way.

67. Move with your feet. If a shot is not working don't just sit there trying to recompose an inch this way or that. Get up, pull your camera off your tripod and find a better composition.

68. Look for symmetry in patterns or mirror reflections. Find repeating patterns in the details or use reflections for an artistic look.

69. Use shallow depth of field occasionally to isolate a specific natural subject. This is great for closer shots to isolate a section or subject in the landscape.

70. Own a local location by visiting it so often you know all its moods. Become a local authority of an area by consistent visits and posts. Before you know it you will have an amazing collection and be an expert on the area ready for anything. [Check out my guide to my personal favorite local spot right here: Epic Marineland, Florida]

Check out my book! 100+ Ideas for Landscape Photographers Book: https://amzn.to/4cinISm

Landscape photography field and etiquette tips.

Field & Etiquette Tips

71. Dress in layers to adapt to changing temperatures. Wear multiple layers instead of one item such as a large jacket. Hypothermia can set it quick if you are hiking, sweating and then the temps drops fast.

72. Wear waterproof footwear so you don't hesitate to step into a stream for a shot. I honestly get my shoes soaked about half of my landscape trips (I shoot the ocean a lot). Always wear waterproof or resistant footwear when shooting near water, mud or any other difficult terrain.

73. Pack extra food and water for long hikes or waits. Obvious, but easy to forget! We have so many things to pack, don't forget to fuel yourself!

74. Carry bug spray swatting mosquitoes is the enemy of a steady shot. Midges, noseeums mosquitoes and more. Also have a physical layer such as long sleeve shirt to create a barrier.

75. Leave no trace. Better yet leave it better than you found it and carry out any trash you may come across.

76. Be patient and wait until the end, sometimes the best light arrives after everyone else leaves. Always wait before you pack up. I can't tell you how many times I've got my gear all ready to go and then BAM the after glow kicks off. I've even been driving away and then look into the rear view mirror only to see the most epic light ever. It's worth the few extra minutes!

77. Use your phone to quickly test compositions before setting up your tripod. This is a great way to check comps before fully getting all your gear out.

78. Keep your lens warm to prevent fogging when moving between temperatures. This is a big one in Florida when going from cool inside to fully 100% humidity and heat. Your lens WILL fog up so it's best to let your gear acclimate for a while.

79. Carry an extra plastic trash bag as an emergency rain cover for your camera bag.

80. Carry extra SD cards and batteries in your camera bag. The thing I sometimes do is leave my card in the computer before the next trip and having all the extras I need has saved me more times thanI can count.

Landscape photography post processing and editing tips.

Post-Processing Tips

81. Don't over process and try your best to maintain the natural feel of the scene. Editing is where things can go wrong very quickly. It's very easy to over do it. Be very intentional but subtle with your edits. Emphasize the light that is already there and edit localized areas once you have a bas exposure to work from. But also don't hold back, this is your art. Balance is the key to dramatic yet natural looking images.

82. Use the dodge and burn technique to lead the viewer’s eye with light. Enhance bright areas, darken shadows and increase the contrast between. Use with localized selections to target specific areas.

83. Clone out dust spots on your sensor that appear in higher f/stops. Just when you think you got them all, there they are in your print! Get a sensor cleaning kit too, it's easy to do. My Sony users understand!

84. Learn to blend exposures manually for more natural HDR. Automatic HDR blending often looks fake and has numerous artifacts. Learn to blend your exposures manually to get a natural look that shows the full detail in the scene.

85. Calibrate your monitor to ensure the colors you see are accurate. This will ensure you get a good representation across most mediums. Or just really get to know your monitor and how it translates to other places.

86. Correct lens distortions and vignetting in software. Make sure you have these on to correct for your lens before editing. Most lenses auto load, but some you have to set manually. Just double check.

87. Use global adjustments first, then move to local editing. Get a base exposure that is even and then target areas to create depth and bring the image to life.

88. Crop with purpose. Sometimes the right crop can save or make a photo.

89. Sharpen selectively. Only apply sharpening to details and less to areas like clouds, skies or water. You can use the sharpening mask in Lightroom or layer masks in Photoshop.

90. Take breaks during editing to return with fresh eyes and perspective. This can really help if you have been editing too long. Take a break and come back.

Video Playlist: Learn Landscape Photography Editing

Landscape photography growth and inspiration tips.

Growth & Inspiration

91. Study the work of other photographers. Local or otherwise. This can give you a ton of inspiration and help direct you to what you want to shoot.

92. Get your photos printed. This will teach you more about photography than a screen ever could.

93. Buy a printer and print at home. Even a small 4x6 printer like the Canon Selphy will help you grow so much faster as a photographer. And the print cost is so low it encourages experimentation. [Canon Selphy Printer: https://amzn.to/3R3ghHI]

94. Ask for constructive criticism from photography communities on Facebook, Instagram or forums.

95. Find a local mentor if possible. This can help you save years of wasted time and headaches.

96. Don't obsess over photography gear. Light, composition and skill are 100 times more important than gear. Especially for landscape photography. The moment is what you are chasing.

97. Try experimenting with ICM abstract photography to create art shots. These can be great fun to get into a creative zone and get some truly unique images. Try this technique subtle to extreme for a wide range of artistic looks.

98. Take a mental break if things are not going your way. Sometimes it's better to just watch the sunset. I was out recording another video just yesterday and had to do this exact thing. Everything went wrong and I just stopped and enjoyed the sunset and even the next day again. The same thing happened for sunrise. You can't win them all. [Video: My Trip Was a Total Disaster! This Is Florida!]

99. Be original—don't just copy the same shot everyone else takes. Chase the light and create art, you don't have to take the same view or photo a million others have! You can, but venture beyond that too!

100. Just go outside and shoot; experience is the best teacher! This will improve your photography more than anything else. Put in the reps and master all the techniques needed to create the art you want to create.

If you found this list useful please share it with another photographer!

Check out my Florida Landscape Photo Galleries right here!

This Is Florida! Paul Farace Photography Vlog.

Florida Landscape Photography VLOG. Check out my THIS IS FLORIDA! series on YouTube where I am exploring the full length of Florida's A1A in search of the best landscape photography spots. Be sure to subscribe to catch all the new episodes!

Watch The Series Here!

Links to items mentioned in the list

My budget tripod: https://amzn.to/3R02CRF

My Circular Polarizer: https://amzn.to/3PeG13l

My 6 Stop ND filter: https://amzn.to/3R0XKf4

My remote trigger: https://amzn.to/4uuGqxA

Lens Pen kit I use: https://amzn.to/3PdZMYO]

Hands free headlamp: https://amzn.to/4eUuiS7

Kneeling Mat: https://amzn.to/4uGgzTy

Canon Selphy printer: https://amzn.to/3R3ghHI

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