Comments on: How to Take the Perfect Landscape Photo

on 2/13/2007 Compose simply. Ask yourself what are the really essential elements of my photograph? Then eliminate the clutter... really good photos draw the eye to the subject, so use any non-subject elements to lead the eye to your subject; e.g. leading lines, framing elements, foreground elements, etc.. Oh...and if possible make sure your subject is of higher (or lower) contrast than the rest of your frame and that you have given it a sufficient amount of the photo's available real estate.

on 2/13/2007 Compose simply. Ask yourself what are the really essential elements of my photograph? Then eliminate the clutter... really good photos draw the eye to the subject, so use any non-subject elements to lead the eye to your subject; e.g. leading lines, framing elements, foreground elements, etc.. Oh...and if possible make sure your subject is of higher (or lower) contrast than the rest of your frame and that you have given it a sufficient amount of the photo's available real estate.

on 11/22/2005 If the place you are photographing is away from the city, make sure you have a flashlight and a bottle of water with you. This makes good sense if you've had to walk a long distance to get that perfect picture!

on 11/22/2005 During a snapshot, you should refrain of focusing only on the object. You should focus on the background also.
While taking a snapshot, center the object in the small box.

on 11/22/2005 Concentrate on the object or the scenery, and do not shake the camera.

on 11/22/2005 Remember the rule of thirds. Divide the lens into a grid of three lines horizontally and three lines vertically. Place the subject at the intersection of two of the lines. The off-center subject allows for more of a "story" to be told with the subject and surrounding area.

on 11/22/2005 Set a slow shutter speed (1/8-1/30) for a "cotton candy" effect (using a tripod). Use a faster speed to "freeze" the water. Neither way will capture what you saw, so take a good look before you leave! Eyes aren't film.

on 11/22/2005 No problem. Don't include the sky in your photos. Look down for flowers, rocks, lichen, waterfalls, animals, colorful mushrooms, etc. All of these things photograph better under the soft, shadowless light from an overcast sky.

on 11/22/2005 ... You must learn to see like film does. Film doesn't have the brightness range your eyes see so keep the contrast down. And film has no depth: use foreground objects and vertical composition to suggest distance.

on 11/22/2005 A polarizer only works at 90-degree angles to the sun. A graduated neutral density filter works anywhere. Keep both handy, and use when the sky is too bright compared to the landscape.

on 11/22/2005 (1) Go to a beautiful place.
(2) Wait for interesting light.
(3) Use a good camera and film.
(4) Compose and focus carefully.
(5) Steady with tripod and cable.
(6) Look everywhere for beauty, not just what you came to shoot.

on 11/22/2005 Slow (25-100) speed, premium slide or print film is best for landscapes (you must use a tripod). Compensate for the extra money you spend on film by taking fewer, more careful shots. Great shots on bad film are no bargain.

on 11/22/2005 Don't just focus on infinity all the time. Learn how to use the depth-of-field marks on your lens and keep everything important between them. Use the depth-of-field preview if your camera has one.

on 11/22/2005 ... The landscape's not going anywhere. Look carefully at the corners of the shot, and make sure the horizon is level. Landscape photography is more about great care than great equipment.

on 11/22/2005 Use a cable release or the camera's self timer (not the button on the camera) to take the shot for increased sharpness, especially at moderately slow shutter speeds.