Landscape Photography

Salam.

Once upon a time, I was a clueless photographer. Means I just grab my gears and went on shooting stuff. From portrait to macro and sometimes underwater photography. After taking millions of shots, I realised that I am not into all those shots I've taken. Be it candid or planned, I never thought of it. Just snap and go. I've also ventured into the world of Sony, Canon and Nikon. Currently I'm with Nikon. Regardless of brands, creativity is much more important that that.

Enough bullshit for today. Rather than bragging about myself for the next twenty posts, let's get down to business. Here I would like to share on landscaping. Or landscape photography.

Landscape photography basically means taking shots of the world around us. Be it with or without people in it. I'm not going to share about any sure-fire or any easy way tips to a great landscape shots but just sharing some requirement for it. Just basic requirement within my boundaries of knowledge.

1. Get a camera
Any would do. Even a compact or mobile phone. In my case, I'm on a DSLR. Just don't kill yourself over a 10k camera. Even a basic one will do.

2. Get a tripod
If you're on a compact or smaller size camera, get a cheap tripod as it would not wobble much since your camera is not too heavy. Compared to a DSLR or other big-cam, you should get a sturdier and muscular tripod. So your camera would not shake too much to the point of you yourself tossing it in the river. On top of that, landscaping might require you to use slow shutter rather than normal shutter.

3. Push the aperture
You would want everything to be in focus. Thus smaller aperture such as f/8 and below, will be a necessity. That is why I recommend you having a tripod so it will help you with your framing and shooting.

4. Wide-angle Lens for DSLR (if possible)
Landscaping is not about getting everything in the frame but its about getting the most out of the environment. For DSLR users, it is very convenient to use a wide-angle lens to be able to get the most out of the environment. Even a kitlens would be great (if you know how) for landscaping due to its 18mm wide. Its not like you can't use a telephoto lens such as the 70-200 for landscaping but the opening is very small and not much stuff can enter the frame. But it doesn't mean you can't. Its just difficult.

5. Cloud
If the cloud is super beautiful on that day, don't hesitate.

6. Subject
Get a subject in your shot. Its essential as it will provide as a rest area for the eyes. Without any subject, the eyes will wander around the shot without knowing where to rest. Its also tiring for the viewers.

Here is some shot from my landscape collection.

I'm just stating some tips here. Your creativity would be vital in getting better shots. Get out there and have fun with your camera.

Salam.