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5 tips for budding landscape photographers

Manuel Bachmann
1.10.2016
Translation: machine translated

It's that time again! Many of your friends have been on their autumn holidays and romantic pictures of the sea, including romantic sunsets and picturesque towns, are being shared on social media. Two thoughts immediately come to mind. Envy and "Let's go on holiday, I want to take photos like that too!".

But please keep calm first. Great landscape pictures don't necessarily have to be taken abroad. Great pictures can also be taken here in Switzerland with patience and good planning. I'll explain the procedure, what equipment you need and what you need to look out for.

1. planning

Planning is one of the most important aspects when it comes to taking beautiful, atmospheric and successful landscape photos. Some of the best photos are the result of careful planning and plenty of time. The motto "At the right time, in the right place" can be taken literally! Rarely are sunsets on the beach in Lucerne taken at 13:00. But I am happy to be proven wrong.

2. equipment

A camera with a lens, preferably wide-angle. As you usually work with longer exposure times, you don't necessarily need fast lenses. 18-55mm kit lenses are completely sufficient here. A tripod is actually a must, as you can't or shouldn't always shoot handheld in landscape photography. The tripod keeps the camera steady, which is particularly important for longer exposure times, as otherwise photos will be blurred or blurred.

3. image composition

The "golden ratio" or the "rule of thirds" help when composing the image. With the rule of thirds, the image is mentally cut into nine equal parts. Two horizontal and two vertical lines are drawn so that all nine parts are the same size. The subject to be photographed is placed at one of the four intersections or along a line.

The focus adjustment aids of many cameras are arranged in the centre of the viewfinder, which means that the main subject is often in the centre of the picture. Such images often look less harmonious, boring and static. Here, the rule of thirds serves as a simple tool to counteract this.

4. settings

For the settings on the filters:

The polarising filter can be rotated until the desired effect is achieved. Mostly to reduce unwanted reflections or to increase contrast and saturation.

For setting on the camera:

5. image editing

And now out with you!

So those were my 5 tips for photographing landscapes. I hope they were understandable and help you to take (even) better photos! I'm also happy to receive any feedback in the comments.

Attached you will find my recommendations for Nikon and Canon fans, each in three different price categories. I wish you lots of fun and great hours behind the camera. And don't forget, practice makes perfect.

Nikon - The equipment

The favourable price category

The medium price category

The "I'm not interested in money" price category

Canon - The equipment

The favourable price category

The medium price category

The "I'm not interested in money" price category

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