Information / Education

Planning Your Next Travel Adventure?Here’s How to Capture Stunning Landscape Photos

  • December 2024
  • BY DENNIS FIELD

As you prepare for your next great adventure—whether it’s a weekend getaway to the mountains or a trip to a remote beach—there’s one thing you’ll definitely want to do: capture the beauty of the landscape in your photos. Landscape photography is all about telling a story, evoking emotion, and transporting your viewers to that very moment. Whether you’re an experienced photographer or a beginner with your phone camera, a little planning can go a long way in creating stunning images. Here are some tips to help you create amazing landscape photos on your travels.

1. TIMING IS EVERYTHING: KNOW THE BEST HOURS TO SHOOT

When it comes to landscape photography, lighting can make or break your shot. The best times to capture landscapes are during the golden hour and blue hour.

• Golden Hour: This is the time shortly after sunrise and just before sunset. The light is warm, soft, and diffused, giving your photos a beautiful, glowing quality. The golden hour can transform an ordinary scene into something magical, especially when the light hits natural features like rocks, mountains, or water.

• Blue Hour: Occurring just before sunrise and just after sunset, the blue hour is when the sky turns a rich, deep blue. It’s the perfect time for dramatic photos with a cooler, moodier vibe. The blue hour provides excellent lighting for cities, lakes, and dramatic landscapes, as it brings out rich contrasts between the land and sky.

Tip: Always check the exact times of sunrise and sunset, and plan your shots accordingly. Even if you’re not an early riser, the results are worth the effort! There are several apps that can help you determine the exact start times for golden hour and blue hour in your location. One of my favorites is GoldenBlueHour, which shows you when these magical moments will occur, so you can plan ahead and capture your landscape at just the right time.

2. COMPOSITION: THE THREE ESSENTIAL LAYERS

One of the biggest challenges in landscape photography is creating a balanced and compelling composition. To make your images more engaging, think about dividing the scene into three distinct layers:

• Foreground: This is the closest part of the scene, such as rocks, a sandy beach, a path, or flowers. Including a clear, interesting foreground helps ground the viewer in the scene. It’s easy to forget the foreground, but adding texture or details here gives your image depth and context.

• Middle Ground: This is the “heart” of the landscape—whether it’s a river, a valley, a mountain range, or the ocean. It’s the part of the scene that holds the viewer’s attention and usually contains your main subject. A powerful middle ground ties the scene together and leads the viewer’s eye into the background.

• Background: The distant sky, clouds, or mountain peaks make up the background. Including dramatic skies, clouds, or distant mountain ridges adds layers to your photograph, creating depth and visual interest. By making sure you have all three layers (foreground, middle ground, and background) in your shot, you’ll guide the viewer’s eye into the scene and create a more dynamic, visually appealing photo.

3. HORIZON LINE: WHERE SHOULD IT GO?

The placement of the horizon line can have a huge impact on the mood of your landscape photo. Here’s a simple rule of thumb to follow:

• Straight Horizon: First, make sure your horizon line is level. A tilted horizon can make your photo look awkward or unbalanced. Use a tripod or the built-in level on your camera or phone to keep it straight.

• When the Sky is Dull: If the sky is flat or uninteresting, place the horizon line in the upper third of your photo. This gives more emphasis to the foreground and middle ground, allowing the landscape’s texture and details to take center stage.

• When the Sky is Beautiful: If the sky is spectacular—filled with colorful clouds, a dramatic sunset, or a starry sky—position the horizon line in the lower third of the frame. This allows the sky to dominate the composition and adds drama to the shot.

• When the Ground is Your Focus: If you’re photographing a sweeping desert or rocky shoreline and want to emphasize the landscape itself, place the horizon in the top third. This will give the foreground more visual weight and draw attention to the textures and elements on the ground.

4. THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAR SUBJECT

Before you hit the shutter button, ask yourself: What is my subject? It’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of a wide-open vista, but without a clear focal point, your photo can feel aimless or lack direction. Whether it’s a solitary tree in the middle of a valley, a lone mountain peak, or an old cabin nestled in a field, your subject should stand out and anchor the image.

• Make sure your subject is clearly visible and not lost in the clutter of the scene. You can achieve this by using leading lines (like a road or river) to guide the viewer’s eye toward the subject, or by framing it with natural elements like trees or rocks.

• Experiment with perspective. Sometimes getting low to the ground, or finding a higher vantage point, can make your subject more powerful or dramatic.

5. WHAT’S THE BEST CAMERA TO USE?

I often get asked, “What’s the best camera for landscape photography?” The answer is simple: The best camera is the one you have with you.

While professional photographers often use DSLR or mirrorless cameras, your smartphone can also produce amazing landscape shots, especially with the powerful cameras found in today’s phones. If you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you’ll have more control over settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, which can give you more creative freedom. But don’t let the gear hold you back— your phone can also take incredible photos, especially if you use it thoughtfully and learn how to maximize its potential.

6. A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE

Here’s an example of a landscape shot I took a few months ago, showing the Burlington, Ontario skyline. This was captured during blue hour, just after sunset, when the light was still soft, and the sky had that rich, deep blue tone that makes the scene feel both tranquil and dramatic.

Notice how I used the rocks in the foreground, which help create texture and guide the viewer’s eye toward the middle ground, where the lake sits. The buildings and pier form the background, adding a sense of scale and context to the scene. The blue hour light really brought out the contrast between the stillness of the water and the sharp lines of the skyline, and having all three layers—foreground, middle ground, and background—made for a more visually compelling image.

FINAL THOUGHTS: TAKE YOUR TIME AND EXPERIMENT

Landscape photography is all about observation and patience. Take your time to truly observe the landscape and think about what story you want to tell through your image. Sometimes the best photos come from moments of quiet reflection, not hurried snapshots.

Before you take the shot, ask yourself a few questions:

• What’s my subject?

• What story do I want to tell with this image?

• How can I use the foreground, middle ground, and background to create depth?

And remember, the best photos often come when you’re least expecting them, so don’t be afraid to get creative, take risks, and experiment with different compositions and lighting.

With these tips in mind, your next travel adventure will be full of stunning landscape photos that not only capture the beauty of the places you visit but also the emotions and stories they evoke. Happy shooting!

You may follow Dennis on Instagram and Facebook. Links are in his portfolio dennisfieldphotography.myportfolio.com