Landscape photography is the art of taking pictures that perfectly capture the beauty of nature and the world around us. It usually includes nature photography, though in many cases, urban photography can also be classified in this category. Learn 7 Scandinavian landscape shooting tips for amateur photographers.
Nordic countries are filled with beautiful locations for landscape photography – from peaked mountains overlooking the fjords and traditional red cabins to splendid masterpieces of modern architecture.
In this guide, we’ve prepared a list of practical pieces of advice on how to plan your shooting trip, compose photos, prepare equipment, and utilize post-processing software. Regardless of what you want to capture during your next adventure, just follow these simple tips to shoot stunning landscape photographs.
1. Plan Your Location
Planning your shooting location can be one of the most interesting parts of landscape photography. Whether it’s a favorite place you’ve been to a million times or a totally new place far from your home. Just do a little research with Google Maps to plan your route in advance and get the best shots in the end. Get off the trail and find new spots where fewer photographers tread. Seek out a different perspective and show the world what’s out there if you just look a bit deeper!
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2. Choose the Time
One of the most crucial aspects of every picture is the lighting. Since your main source of lighting for landscape photography is the sun, you should plan your shoot for a time when the light is not too harsh, but rather soft and diffused to give your photos a natural look. The best time for landscape photography is during the golden hour (just after sunrise and before sunset).
3. Compose Your Shot
Don’t forget about your image composition. Avoid adding too many distracting and cumbersome elements to the frame. Sometimes simplicity is the key to good composition. Plus, check whether your camera can overlay a grid and if so, turn this feature on to make it easier to compose your shots and follow the Rule of Thirds.
7 Scandinavian Landscape Shooting Tips for Amateur Photographers – read on
4. Prepare Your Camera
Think about which camera to choose. The best camera for landscape photography is one with a full-frame sensor and a wide-angle lens, but a zoom or telephoto lens can be helpful as well. Shoot at f/16 or even f/22 for the sharpest landscapes. It enables you to catch details in both the foreground and background. However, to capture the Northern Lights, for example, your camera should have decent ISO capabilities (ideally between 2,000 and 12,800) and f/2.8 or lower.
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5. Invest in a Tripod
A tripod is an essential piece of equipment if you want to take the highest-quality pictures possible. However, don’t buy the cheapest one. It should be sturdy enough to withstand bad weather conditions and arctic winds. Tripods are also especially important when taking pictures in dim light (like early in the morning or late at night) at low ISO settings or at low shutter speed in order to avoid camera shake and prevent images from getting noisy and blurry.
7 Scandinavian Landscape Shooting Tips for Amateur Photographers – read on
6. Pay Attention to the Sky
Finding the right balance between the ground and the sky is often what makes a landscape shot fail. A lot depends on how the sky looks in a given situation. A clear sky that looks rather dull and boring is not the best option for most pictures. It is better to minimize the sky or eliminate it from your image completely. Low-hanging clouds, on the other hand, can add some drama or Scandinavian mystery to your photographs. Plus, different colors of the sky (during the golden hour, for example) are a great way to make your images more expressive.
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7. Enhance Your Photo During Post-Production
Editing is an essential component of landscape photography. Of course, it’s best to minimize post-processing efforts and do as much as possible in-camera. However, if something doesn’t turn out well, landscape photo editing software would be a great help. Just follow this link to find out how to fix a tilted horizon, increase the clarity and sharpness of your shot, boost its colors, and much more.
Use some of these tips to improve your photography skills. And remember that photography is a never-ending learning experience. Don’t dwell on what you’ve achieved and keep challenging yourself. Digital photography means taking pictures without wasting negatives (and money), so it’s possible to sometimes break the rules in search of your own style. Even if you initially take a bunch of shots that don’t look perfect, over time through practice you’ll discover your hidden gem.
7 Scandinavian Landscape Shooting Tips for Amateur Photographers, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian.