Landscape Photography Tips from Mitty’s Best

JoAnn Schilb, Director of Creative Services at AMHS, spoke to Life Skills Club recently about landscape photography. She elucidated camera gear, the exposure triangle, and composition. 

Mrs. Schilb’s Landscape Photography Tips:

1. Use simple gear! “The subject is the hero” of landscape photography; strobe lights and reflectors are not required to accentuate nature. The best gear for landscapes include wide angle lenses and camera tripods.
2. Account for factors that change landscapes such as weather, light, and season. Cloudy or foggy weather will create a situation easier to expose than bright, harsh sunlight. Sunrise and sunset are considered the best lighting conditions; they provide the most saturated colors and a highly-textured sky or ocean. Seasons — the sparse trees in winter or the wildflowers in spring — can affect the foreground or background of the landscape.
3. In difficult exposure situations, bracketing — taking the same picture with multiple exposures — is a technique that can allow the photographer to merge the photos in post-production to create one improved image. 
4. Keep in mind the composition of the landscape image — its foreground, midground, background, and sky. The rule of thirds can be helpful in composing an image; important elements should be placed where the four grid lines intersect.

As Mrs. Schilb expressed, these are tips to help beginners, but these are not strict rules for landscape photography. Photography is a creative art; any aspect of an image can be manipulated to portray a feeling or emotion.