Photographing landscapes
Depth of field, a tripod and the right hour do most of the work. The hard part is finding a foreground worth including.
Landscapes are forgiving technically and demanding compositionally. Nothing moves, the light is free, and you can take as long as you like — which leaves nothing to blame but the picture.
Settings
Aperture around f/8 to f/11. That is where most lenses are sharpest and where depth of field is deep enough for a scene with a foreground. Going to f/22 buys a little more depth and loses sharpness everywhere to diffraction.
ISO at base — usually 100. There is rarely a reason to raise it if the camera is supported.
Shutter speed whatever the other two leave. On a tripod it does not matter.
Where to focus
Focusing on the horizon is the common mistake: everything behind the horizon is already at infinity, so all the depth of field behind your focus point is wasted.
Focus roughly a third of the way into the scene. For precision, use the hyperfocal distance — focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
The tripod
Not for low light so much as for discipline. A tripod slows you down, which is the single most reliable way to improve a landscape photograph — it makes you look at the edges of the frame before committing rather than after.
It also lets you use base ISO and the sharpest aperture regardless of how dim it gets.
Foreground
The difference between a landscape that works and a view that was better in life is almost always a foreground.
A flat wide shot of hills flattens further in a photograph. Something near the camera — rocks, a gate, water, flowers — gives the eye a starting point and implies the depth the flat image lost. See leading the eye.
Timing
Midday landscape light is flat and unhelpful. Low sun rakes across the land and reveals its shape.
Weather is more interesting than clear skies. A blank blue sky is the least interesting sky available, and clearing storms are the most.
Key takeaways
- f/8 to f/11 at base ISO covers most landscapes.
- Focusing on the horizon wastes depth of field; focus a third in.
- A tripod’s real value is that it slows you down.
- A foreground is usually what separates a photograph from a view.
Common questions
What aperture should I use for landscapes?
Usually f/8 to f/11. It gives most of the depth of field available without the diffraction softening that sets in at f/16 and beyond.
Where should I focus in a landscape?
Not the horizon — that wastes all the depth of field behind it. Focus roughly a third into the scene, or at the hyperfocal distance for real precision.
Next steps
Aperture and depth of field
The aperture controls light and how much of the scene is sharp at the same time. It is the control that most changes how a photograph feels.
Daylight through the day
The same sun gives completely different light at dawn, noon and dusk. Knowing the pattern lets you plan rather than hope.