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The best photography comes from having a plan. That’s especially the case when it comes to landscape photography. In this article, you’ll learn the practical steps you can take ahead of time so you can get the best possible results. Follow these steps to plan the perfect landscape photo, and you’ll get amazing results every time.
This photo needs the seasonal salt marsh plants to give it that extra punch.
The first step is finding a great location to photograph. If that’s in your local area, you’ll almost certainly know where the local money shots are. What if you’re traveling to somewhere new, though? Well, there are several things you can do before you visit, which will give you a head start. It is good planning to make a list of photos you wish to take ahead of time. To do that, look to do the following:
If the location is far from where you live, ask people who have visited there before for their advice.
Where possible the next step for you to plan the perfect landscape photo is to visit the location before you photograph it. There are three possible ways you can go about doing this. Each has its drawbacks, but if you can, then this step will help a lot.
This photo is of the new skyscraper in Bangkok, the Mahanakhon.
A lot of landscape photos will be either sunrise or sunset locations. Make sure you know where these are ahead of time.
You’ll need to work out your route from where you’re staying to these locations. You also need to arrive around one hour before sunrise or sunset happens. With sunset or sunrise skies comes big differences in the dynamic range. Make sure you’re familiar with techniques like bracketing and digital blending before you go out to take these photos.
Finally, don’t always photograph towards the sun, turn around and look for the golden light and see if that makes a good photo as well.
One of my friends is a Balloonist who has, on occasion, taken me for a balloon ride.
There are lots of situations in photography where you will need a fixer. A fixer is someone who helps you facilitate the photograph you want to take. This fixer could take several forms depending on the situation or location you want to photograph. These are a few examples of fixers that you could need to deal with.
This photo required a longer focal length to compress the scene.
Make sure you have the right equipment with you to get the photo you want. The list below is a suggested packing list for landscape photographers. The location you’re photographing from will have a big bearing on which items from the list below you actually take.
Filters are a vital piece of equipment for all landscape photographers.
Finally, make sure you’re checking the weather ahead of time. If your schedule is flexible enough, check the 5-day forecast and choose a day that works best for the sky. The long-range forecast can’t always be relied on though, so also be prepared to drop everything on the day if the right conditions develop for your photo.
Of course, this means using a reliable weather service or app on your phone. There are several of these out there. The recommended ones are windy.com and wunderground.com. These sites give good forecasts, though it’s worth checking them as you get nearer the intended day of your photo as they are updating their information. Then on the day itself, you can check their satellite images for up-to-the-minute information. These satellite images give information on current positions of clouds or any rain.
Another factor to consider is the sun, and that’s not whether it’s a sunny day or not. The sun’s position in the sky changes throughout the year. That means you can plan your trip to coincide with when the sun will be in the best position in the sky for your photo. To get this information use suncalc.org or the photopills app for your smartphone.
Seasonal changes to the landscape can make a dramatic difference as well. Plan for when there will be spring or fall foliage you can make use of. In the winter, the snow can also be pretty.
Those of you doing any photography along the coast will need to know the tide times. The landscape scene along a coast can change dramatically depending on whether it’s high or low tide. Again, tide times change throughout the year, so you should be able to plan your trip so that the level of the tide is perfect for your photo.
It’s also important to know from a safety perspective. If you can only access your location at low tide, you need to know how long you can safely photograph from that low tide position.
Having read this article, you’ll have a better feel for how to plan your landscape photo.
Which of the above steps will you put into your planning phase? Are there things you do when you plan your landscape photos that were not included here?
We’d love you hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments section of this article. Then, once you have taken your landscape photo, you can share it in the comments section.
So now it’s time to start planning, and taking better landscape photos!