The outdoors beckon

Are you one of those travellers who can’t help but stop at every scenic viewpoint on a road trip to take a quick photo? Whatever the scenery, a good landscape photo doesn’t just capture the beautiful view — it also helps you capture the memories of that amazing scene.

So, here are my top tips for getting a great landscape photo.

Most photographers are very picky about the time of the day they shoot. They know the harsh light of the mid-day sun doesn’t do their photos any favour. They prefer to shoot either early in the morning or during late afternoons when the sun is lower, has less contrast and displays a lovely palette of colours. These hours — after dawn and before dusk — are known as the ‘golden hours’ and are great for landscape photography.

Besides the beautiful golden light these hours have, the angle at which the light falls and the textures and patterns it forms when it hits the ground, all go towards creating a lovely mood for you to capture.

All good photos need a focal point, and landscapes are no different. In fact, not having a focal point will leave your landscape photos looking particularly empty – since your viewers’ attention is not drawn to any one point.

Focal points could be anything from a tree, or a picturesque rock, to an oddly-shaped mountain or even a building or structure that forms an interesting silhouette.

Once you’ve found a focal point, apply the rule of thirds to figure out where to place it. This makes the composition interesting.

One good way to create some drama and a sense of depth in your shot is by placing an object of interest in the foreground. This could be anything from a row of pretty flowers, a bit of the beach in front of the sea view you’re trying to capture... anything that tells more of a story could really set your landscape photos apart, as it gives viewers a way into the image.

Nowadays, most smartphones have a relatively large depth of field, as they have small sensors. For people who use DSLRs or cameras with a larger sensor, you may try and experiment with a shallow depth of field in your landscape photography. However, the general practice in landscape photography is to get as much of your scene in focus as possible. You can get a greater depth of field in your photos by choosing a small aperture setting. This helps capture all the details in the scenery.

Before you take a landscape shot, always check the horizon for two vital points. First, is it straight? Many a great photo has been ruined by a wonky horizon line, and while you can always straighten it in post, it’s better to get it right in camera. And the second point takes us back to the rule of thirds. Make sure your horizon line doesn’t split your photo into half but rather sits on either the top third line or the bottom one — a compositionally natural spot.

So, if you can remember all this while you’re shooting outdoors, you might just get that perfect shot. Otherwise, don’t worry. Sometimes nothing beats the perfect mental image of beautiful scenery.