Landscape photography is essentially all about one’s ability to see. No matter what camera you might have, unless the photographer has the ability to see the essence of a landscape, he or she will never end up with any images out of the ordinary. This ability to see, distinguish, and isolate the extraordinary from the ordinary, and then have the technical knowledge to be able to capture it photographically, is what separates the best photographers from the crowd. Too many people get obsessed with the equipment, and it tends to distract them away from what photography is really all about, which is seeing.

Subject matter, location, lighting and timing are also very important aspects in any type of photographic work, but particularly so in landscape photography. You must do your homework, learn about the location and what are its main features. You also need to find out what season, and what time of day is the best to capture the location at its aesthetically best. You then need to have the patience and preparation to capture that magic moment in time when the lighting is just right, and when captured, you end up with an image that will be appreciated by all who see it. .

Emotion is another feature that plays a part in landscape photography. Keep in mind that if a location doesn’t affect you emotionally in some way, it is probably not going to be a great image either. Also be aware of the fact that emotion is very different from one person to another, and what might affect you deeply, might not have any affect on some other people who will see you images, but who were not present at the time of capture. So don’t be disappointed if others don’t share your emotional attachment to an image. If it is important to you, then that is all that matters. .

The choice of photographic equipment is very important. You must select the camera, lenses, and tripod that suit your style of travelling and general lifestyle. There is no point in being burdened down with a mass of equipment if it negatively affects your travelling and ability to actually capture images. Learn how to use your camera, to the point its functions are all second nature. That way you can concentrate on image capture and not the mechanics. .

Geoff Ross