1. Use a camera. The most important and basic tool of the landscape photographer is the camera. Using a camera greatly simplifies the process of capturing photographic images, and without one you’ll likely feel a bit lost. You may have noticed that pretty much all great landscape photographers use a camera – some use more than one! – so take a cue from the pros and make sure you have a camera, too!
2. Get a lens. Having a lens makes your camera much more useful. While a camera is critical to your work as a landscape photographer, without a lens the usefulness of the camera is greatly diminished. For this reason, virtually all successful landscape photographers end up, sooner or later, getting a lens to use with their camera. You’ll definitely want one, too – just like the pros! (Some cameras come with a lens built in – what a useful idea!)
3. Remove your lens cap. How many photographers can tell stories of forgetting to remove the lens cap before making a photograph, only to discover that the results were not what they had hoped for? But you don’t have to learn the hard way! Practice removing your lens cap at home – that way, when you are in the field you will have developed “photographer’s instincts” that will ensure that you remove the lens cap. (The good news is that with digital cameras you don’t have to worry about whether you loaded the film – but don’t forget your memory card!)
4. Photograph interesting things. Although it isn’t universally true, you will probably get more interesting photographs if you photograph interesting things. There are many things in the world, and not all of them are interesting. Look for the interesting things and photograph them. Look around – it is an interesting thing to do! Interesting, yes?
5. Pick the right brand. There are many brands of photographic equipment out there – cameras, lenses, filters, bags, you name it. Picking the wrong brand may hamper your photography; pick the right brand and you may not hamper your photography so much. So be sure to pick the right brand. If you aren’t sure which brand is best, talk to photographers – any one of them can tell you which is best… and why!
6. Light is important. Without light it would be pretty much impossible to make photographs, at least the typical landscape photographs. So if you plan to make typical photographs, look for scenes that are illuminated by… light! Light is your friend. Seek out light and when you see it make photographs. Think about it… how many of the photographers you admire work without light? So, do what the pros do – use light!
7. Pick the right subject. Pick the wrong subject and your photograph won’t be what you wanted it to be, so be sure to photograph the right subject. Seek it out and when you see the right subject make a photograph. Perhaps make several. There are so many subjects in the world that finding the right one can be a challenge, so be sure to apply yourself carefully to this task.
8. Colors are important. Unless you are making black and white photographs – in which case the only important colors are black and white. You’ll want to pay careful attention to color. The most important advice is to focus on color in your color photographs – just like the pros!
9. Focus on what is most important. Some people think that mastering technical issues is the most important thing. Others think that having the right equipment is critical. Some claim that the artistic quality of the photograph is important. (Don’t forget – color is important, too!) Before you make great photographs you’ll have to decide which is the most important in your work. Don’t waste your time being a generalist and trying to do everything – pick one and focus on it! Successful photographers develop a speciality and stick to it. And don’t forget the rule of thirds!
10. Find good locations. There are many popular spots to make photographs, and you can make photographs just like the pros if you seek out these locations and shoot there, too. You’ll have to be attentive, since these spots are easy to miss if you are talking on your cell phone as you drive past them. Some telltale hints include parking lots full of cars and lines of people with tripods. Stop and make a photograph – there is always room for one more tripod! You can probably make one that looks just like those that the other photographers are making! (Hint: You can also visit online photography sites ahead of time – both to find the locations and to save yourself from spending too much time searching for compositions when you actually get there. Your time is precious!)
Good luck!
(I probably should have saved this for April 1, but I couldn’t wait… :-)
For those whose first experience with my blog is this tongue-in-cheek post, I write serious stuff, too, and a related recent post might interest you: Photographic Myths and Platitudes – ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part I)
This was so great, and I cannot tell you how timely this was for me personally. Just returned from showing at an art festival – sold nothing, won nothing, and what won left me questioning. This was exactly what I needed to shake me out of my funk, and to understand once again that if you don’t do exactly what you say that you’ll never get anywhere! Thanks so much!!
LMAO!!!!!! This was great Dan! You should continue publishing tips for us.
I’ll add one in case you expand the list – Don’t drop the camera in water, even if it is a bit dirty. For some reason electronic cameras (and if I recall even the film cameras of the past) like water even less than cats do.
If you drop yours in water, it will most likely not forgive you and will either cease working for you at all, or it will work intermittently, just enough to drive you crazy.
Water + Camera = No NO!
Glad you both enjoyed it! It was fun to write! I’m thinking of another one soon – perhaps: “20 Tips for Photographers That I Cribbed From Other Photographer’s Blogs”… ;-)
Dan
You should provide a little more warning for posts like this! I just spit coffee all over my keyboard I was laughing so hard.
Ha! You need to get one of those spiffy plastic keyboard covers, Andrew! ;-)
I use nine out of the ten steps above. The one step I am missing is step #1.
Excellent! You have isolated the problem and now know exactly what you need to do next! It certainly is an important step! :-)
Dan
Although I totally agree with #1 and #2, I am not sure if I agree with #3…
Instead of using a protective filter, lately I have been experimenting with using the lens cap as a protective device during shooting. Using a cap over the lens provides the following advantages…
1. I don’t need to buy an expensive filter to protect my lens. In fact, no filters are necessary at all..
2. The least expensive lenses provide equal quality to the most expensive lenses when you shoot with the lens cap on…
3. Auto focus quality of your lens doesn’t matter. In fact shoot at manual focus with the lens cap on and you will never again get an out of focus image…
4. ISO is of no concern – the highest ISO is equal in quality to the lowest ISO when shot through a lens cap…
5. You don’t need an expensive image editing program…
6. Using a lens hood is totally abitrary and only serves to protect the lens. You never get flare when shooting through the lens cap…
7. Best of all… your images shot through the lens cap are equal in quality to the images of the most experienced professional photographers when they also shoot through the lens cap!
Richard, my apologies for neglecting to mention this absolutely critical observation regarding the critical important and great value of using lens caps. All credit goes to you! The only downside that I can see is that keeping the lens cap on the lens at all times might seem to make the use of a lens hood superfluous. Some careless photographers might make the mistake of deciding to work without the lens hood, thus rendering their appearance to be much less that of the Really Pro Photographer… ;-)
Thanks, Bret – glad you enjoyed it.
As to whether you use the right brand or not, use my advice and ask a photographer next time you see one in the field. To get a more enthusiastic response, watch for a photographer who is setting up a shot or watching for the right moment to make one. He or she has plenty of time to talk! Nothing important going on! Just ask! And be sure to let them know what you think of their gear, too – I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. ;-)
Dan
These are some of the best tips I’ve read in a long time, Dan. I’m really looking forward to applying a few of them in my own work. I do have one question, though. About brand, I use Canon gear. Am I using the right brand? How can I tell if I’m using the right brand?
Ok, in all seriousness, thanks for a great laugh. Just what I needed! This post will definitely be featured next week in my “Favorite Blog Posts” blog post.
What fun! I am getting smarter every day!
Yes, for the most part. But every so often I think I may have been smarter yesterday. :-)
Dan,
who was somewhat surprised to discover that a few people thought this post was serious! Yikes!
Love your work, I will come back often> Always in need of inspiration and places to visit for my own work. Keep the passion alive my friend
Pat
Wow! I can’t help but feel stupid with these tips. You should have included “press shutter release button” to complete you list. That way people will realize it’s for the dimwits. What a waste of time!
That’s a great idea, Jeffrey, I think I should add an 11th tip. Though sometimes it may be better to not press the shutter release… ;-)
Re:”What a waste of time!”- that was pretty much the point!
Dan
LOL!
I love the #3 tip! Hahaha!
Judging from the replies, I think it is time to do a workshop on this! ;-)
Dan
Ha ha! I finally know what I’ve been doing wrong! A camera and lens? Genius, now I just need you to tell me which camera composes the most creative images.
Damn! That explains why all my shots are shit!
Next time, I will listen to you!
Great list. Thanks for the laugh.
Love it. You should have saved it for April 1. :)
Hey, I can always re-run it. And there are any number of other potential targets that could be just as fun! ;-)
Thanks for reading and posting a comment!
Dan