Shooting landscapes is a classic avenue of photography, popularized to its peak by the ‘father of landscape photography’ – Ansel Adams himself. No article or write-up on landscapes can be complete without the inclusion of this iconic name.  As we have discussed earlier about the fact that photography finds its roots from classic art, landscape photography is a fine example of how these two realms of art still remain well linked.

There are quite a few reasons why a beginner may want to try his hand at landscapes. For one thing, you don’t need ‘fast’ lenses and terribly expensive equipment to start shooting landscapes.

A decent camera with a ‘normal’ lens, coupled with a tripod is enough to start making great landscape photographs. Next, the fact that you have ample time to think of your composition before executing a shot makes this realm of photography a good one to use, to improve your own ideas of how an image should be composed.

Here are a few tips to help you start photographing landscapes –

1. Take the time to compose your photograph. You have no reason to do things in a hurry while shooting landscapes. If you plan to shoot at twilight, make sure you get there a couple of hours early so as to give yourself the time to select the right location to shoot from.
2. Use a tripod. This is a simple but sadly often overlooked tip. Using a tripod for ANY kind of photography does go a long way improve the quality of your images. Remember, there is always some amount of shake when you shoot at slow shutter speeds such as 1/30 sec or even slower. While the shake may not be very apparent on the camera LCD preview, zooming in to the image often reveals some amount of shake. Use a tripod and see the difference for yourself. Moreover, you could maximize image quality and depth of field by using small apertures such as f/11 or f/22. Such small apertures require slow shutter speeds, and there lies the need for a tripod.
3. Pick your area of metering carefully. Remember – the area that you select for your meter reading would come out as perfectly exposed, while brighter areas would be over exposed and darker ones underexposed.
4. Visualize – this concept was popularized by Ansel Adams. Try and see the finished picture in your mind before you fire the shutter or even plan out your image for that matter. When you are capable of visualizing an image and then actually making it with your camera, it goes to show that you have complete control over your equipment, and it is also a highly satisfying experience.
5. Protect your gear! Shooting in the outdoors means you and your camera are at the mercy of nature. It is a good idea to carry an umbrella so you can quickly safeguard your set-up in the event of sudden rain. Also, a UV filter on the lens is a MUST – to protect the lens element from moisture and scratches if nothing else...