Outdoor Photography How To

Have you ever tried your hand at b&w landscape photography, expecting dramatic images, only to be disappointed by the results? If so, you’re not alone.

Selecting the appropriate shutter speed for a given scene is important for most types of photography if you want the best possible results. This decision is important with landscapes and wildlife shots—particularly when shooting hand-held, for scenes with motion, and while using long lenses.

Experienced landscape photographers prefer shooting at two primes times of day, early morning or late afternoon. That’s because Blue Hour, just before sunset, is a great opportunity to make images with calm, blue tones. Golden Hour, at the end of the day, enables you imbue scenes with striking warm colors as the sun is about to set.

Many inexperienced photographers make a simple mistake than can compromise the quality of their photos, and that’s thinking of a camera’s metering-mode options as a set-it-and-forget-it feature. If you’re guilty of this common error, the video below is for you.

What should you do when creativity is at low ebb, there’s no time to travel to a compelling destination, and you’re simply out of fresh ideas? One simple solution is to take a photo walk in the town where you live (or even around the block from your home).

Put two outdoor photographers in the same place at the same time—one a pro and the other an amateur—and it’s likely their photos will differ dramatically, especially in terms of creativity. The reasons a pro usually wins include better composition, high-end gear, and a greater understanding of exposure techniques.

It’s not impossible to capture compelling landscape photos on flat, foggy days, but more often these conditions result in boring, uninspiring images. If that’s what you get on your next outing in the field, we encourage you not to trash the photos with the intent on returning on a better day.