Want to get better at capturing majestic landscapes? Canon has you covered with their ultimate landscape photography cheat sheet!
Many of us naturally gravitate towards landscape photography upon discovering a love for travel and the great outdoors. There comes a need to immortalize the beauty of sprawling vistas and nature’s beauty in photos. For this, there are some key things to keep in mind when shooting. Canon has put together a photography cheat sheet featuring a bunch of simple tips to help us nail shots that go beyond Instagrammable.
In their “Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Taking Landscape Photos,” Canon provides some easy rules to follow for capturing perfect sunset photos and documenting beautiful scenery from our travels. So, make the big move to ditch your smartphone on your next trip, familiarize yourself with your gear, and take this quick and easy guide with you.
There are only six tips in this photography cheat sheet, but they’re guaranteed to bring a big difference to the look of your landscape photos. Using the right equipment, like a mirrorless camera over a smartphone for example, will produce a big jump on the image quality alone. A tripod is also necessary to avoid blurred photos when shooting in long exposures. A Neutral Density (ND) filter will also help you minimize light and get proper exposure when shooting in bright conditions.
You’ll also do well to shoot during the Golden Hour — the period shortly after sunrise or just before sunset. This is when the light is softer and less harsh on the scene. Plus there’s more contrast and vibrant colors — perfect for eye-catching landscape snaps.
Of course, composition is the key to great photography, especially landscape photos. Instead of just taking random shots of a scene, look around for some points of interest to draw the eyes of your viewer. You can also use the foreground and background to add depth to your shots. Another great technique is to include a human element to the scene to emphasize scale and give viewers a sense of being there as well.
Want more landscape photography tips? We suggest also checking out this comprehensive landscape photography cheat sheet, five beginner mistakes to avoid, and six accessories that can greatly improve your landscape photography.