This article, sponsored by MPB, a leading platform for used photography and videography equipment, delves into the essential techniques and gear for mastering landscape photography.
There’s something truly magical about making it to a certain point on your adventures and standing before a breathtaking view. Luckily, landscape photography allows us to capture these fleeting moments to enjoy forever more, but translating the striking scene before us into a compelling photo requires a bit more than just pointing and shooting.
You might be a keen photographer already who wants to level up and refine their craft, or you might be new to the world of hiking and outdoor pursuits and want to take the opportunity to combine your passion with a creative skill. Whatever the reason, when it comes to building your photography kit, MPB can help by making professional-level landscape photography accessible to all and offering up advice for getting the best landscape shots below.
Essential techniques for stunning landscape shots
Composition
The foundation of any compelling photograph is a strong composition, sometimes referred to as the rule of thirds. This means breaking your frame up into two imaginary horizontal lines and two vertical lines where you then place key elements like the horizon, mountain ridges, or wildlife. It creates more balance and visual interest to your photos, but don’t feel like you have to stay tied to this rule. Sometimes the most interesting photos come from throwing the rule book out the window, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Light
Light can make or break landscape photography, so it pays to experiment with shots at different times of the day. Golden hour, for example, bathes landscapes in warm, soft light that enhances textures and creates long, dramatic shadows, while blue hour, the brief period of twilight, brings diffused lighting and rich blue shades to your images.
Focus and depth of field
Landscape photography typically demands sharper focus from the immediate foreground to the distant background. Hyperfocal distance – the closest focusing distance where everything from half that distance to infinity appears acceptably sharp – is the key to achieving this front-to-back sharpness.
Many landscape photographers use focus stacking, which means taking multiple images at different focus points and blending them together for ultimate crispness throughout the frame. However, if you can master single exposure hyperfocal focusing techniques, it’ll serve you well in dynamic situations where you don’t have time for multiple exposures.
Exposure settings
Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together to control your exposure and each serve specific creative purposes in the shot. First up is aperture which controls your depth of field, so you can isolate subjects with shallow focus or keep entire scenes sharp.
Shutter speed is vital when dealing with moving elements like waterfalls, waves, or clouds. Fast shutter speeds freeze motion, capturing every droplet of a waterfall or the texture of crashing waves, while slow shutter speeds create motion blur, transforming waterfalls into silky ribbons and turning choppy seas into smooth surfaces. Finally, your ISO should generally be kept as low as possible to minimise noise and maximise the image quality.
The right gear for the job
Choosing your camera
Both DSLR and mirrorless cameras excel at landscape photography, with each offering its own distinct advantages. DSLRs tend to offer longer battery life and a wider selection of native lenses, while mirrorless cameras provide electronic viewfinders so you can preview your exposure settings in real-time, which is invaluable for landscape work in challenging lighting conditions.
Weather sealing is crucial when you’re shooting in harsh outdoor conditions or in adventurous terrain. Rain, snow, dust, and humidity are common challenges in landscape photography, so make sure you choose a weather-sealed body, which is a worthwhile investment for serious outdoor photographers.
Essential lenses
Wide-angle lenses, between 14-35mm, are the workhorses of landscape photography. They make it possible to capture expansive vistas and emphasise the relationship between different foreground and background elements. Ultra-wide lenses (14-24mm) are particularly effective for dramatic compositions, although they do require you to pay more attention to what’s in the foreground to avoid empty space.
When you’re out in nature, many of the interesting shots are on a smaller scale. Macro lenses open up an entirely different world of landscape photography, revealing the intricate details of flowers, insects, textures, and patterns that exist within those larger landscapes.
Vital accessories
A sturdy tripod is non-negotiable for serious landscape work. Without it, you’ll struggle to get crisp images in low light or long exposures. Look for tripods that balance stability with portability, especially for longer hikes. Carbon fibre models, for example, offer excellent strength-to-weight ratios, though they come at higher prices.
Filters are also valuable to have to hand because they dramatically expand your creative possibilities. Neutral density filters reduce the amount of light entering your lens, allowing for longer exposures that smooth out water and blur moving clouds, while polarising filters reduce reflections and enhance sky contrast.
The smart approach to buying used equipment
Building a comprehensive photography kit can be expensive, but buying quality used equipment makes professional-grade gear more accessible to everyone, amateurs and professionals alike. Used cameras and lenses can perform identically to new equipment at significantly lower prices, so you can invest in a better model or additional accessories.
When it comes to buying used camera gear, focus on finding reputable dealers who inspect equipment and provide warranties. You want to opt for equipment that has minimal wear, especially on lens elements and camera sensors, and don’t overlook previous-generation equipment. A two or three-year-old camera often provides 90% of the performance of the latest model at a fraction of the cost.
MPB is transforming how photographers approach their camera purchases and upgrades. By providing a platform that connects you with quality used gear that’s been thoroughly inspected and graded for condition, there is less need to pay full retail prices for new equipment. The path to building your ideal landscape photography kit doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Choosing high-quality used equipment from trusted sources like MPB gives you access to professional-grade gear while still helping you stay mindful of both your budget and environmental impact.
