Capturing epic landscape images involves thinking beyond the ordinary and being creative in your approach. Expanding your techniques is a surefire way to master landscape photography and improve your results.

The key aspects pros focus on when capturing awe-inspiring landscapes include composition, framing, lighting, and balance – making use of natural focal points, such as a lone tree, an interesting building, mountains, rivers or a wide-open sweeping landscape.

A pro landscape photographer's approach comes from experience in the field, where specific exposure, color and composition techniques help separate their images from the rest.

The methods highlighted here are tried and tested tools drawn from a pro's perspective: they can be applied to any location, so give them a try and elevate your images.

10 techniques for better landscapes

1. Use bold colors

There are many ways you can introduce bold colors into your images. Strong individual colours can be used to change the ambience of a photo.

For example, the orange glow of a sunset can add warmth to an image. Alternatively, capturing the blue hues that appear after the sun has set, during the blue hour, can change the mood of an image. Adding a cool cast makes your image look atmospheric and works particularly well for seascapes.

2. Capture the fog

Fog adds another dimension to your landscapes. It can elevate overcast scenes, provide an ethereal quality to woodlands or add drama to seascapes. How you expose for the scene depends on the overall effect you want to achieve.

Setting a fast shutter speed will help you freeze the fog, while a longer exposure time will enable you to create a dreamy scene with smoother fog.

It is also a good idea to review your histogram and overexpose if required, by dialling in positive exposure compensation to brighten a foggy scene, as the camera usually underexposes for fog.

3. Seek out 'fogbows'

'Fogbows' are one of the Holy Grails of landscape photography – and I have been fortunate to witness two. These amazing white rainbows are a rare, natural phenomenon formed by water droplets inside fog.

When the conditions are right, they can suddenly appear in the sky as the sunlight interacts with these water droplets, forming a wide arc.

To capture them, you need to be in the right place at the right time and have a clear view of the fog with the sun positioned behind you. Overexpose the image to capture the beauty of this wonder of nature.

4. Apply specific shutter speeds

Extending your shutter speed is a great way to slow water movement. Setting specific shutter speeds can work well for certain subjects.

I find using an intermediate shutter speed of one second works brilliantly to portray some motion and flow in the water, while retaining details in the surface of a stream and the ocean.

Experiment with shutter speeds to get the balance right – and use a tripod to stabilize your shots.

5. Shoot vivid skies

Capturing colorful skies makes for dramatic scenes by adding mood and drama. When the sky ignites, it is a wonderful element that can make your images stand out.

Harnessing these conditions helps to create magical landscapes, where wonderful light can elevate a scene. Compose the sky to cover a third of the scene or even position it over two-thirds of the image. When an intriguing sky presents itself, use it to provide a more expansive vista that frames your subject.

6. Capture long exposures

When it comes to long-exposure photography for landscapes,
you will want to capture a single image over an extended period.

In terms of timings, shooting long exposures of five seconds or more can elevate a scene, particularly when capturing moving clouds or the water’s motion. Waterfalls are a great subject to shoot, where long exposures help the roaring cascades come alive.

7. Use composition creatively

The way you arrange elements of a beautiful scene within a frame doesn’t have to be limited to the rule of thirds or leading lines. Harness your imagination and seek out new ways to compose compelling images.

You could use patterns, find interesting frames for your main subject, or play with depth and perspective by applying a wide aperture for blurred foregrounds, for example. Here, the horizon line was placed just below the centre of the image.

8. Color contrast

Understanding how different colors interact with each other is a great way to improve your landscape imagery. Whether you are looking to add contrasting colors in your images or complementary colors, they will enhance your composition.

Red and green, green and blue, or blue and yellow are reliably great color schemes that can look fantastic when they’re paired together, so be sure to look for these combinations and incorporate their varied hues into your shots.

Oranges and blues are also available during the golden hour and complement each other beautifully.

9. Crop your images

How you frame a landscape can make or break an image. Ultimately, landscape vistas usually lend themselves to be composed in landscape format – although, on occasion, cropping into a scene with a format like a square can generate a visually interesting narrative and surprise the viewer.

Alternatively, choosing a panoramic format like 16:9 – which can be achieved in-camera on most bodies – can work wonders to emphasize a wider format and show off the landscape at its best.

10. Balance and symmetry

Landscape images reflecting two equal sides in the frame can make an eye-catching image. A symmetrically composed image, such as mirror-like reflections of mountains in a lake or river, can evoke a sense of harmony.

An avenue of trees of similar proportions on either side is another great subject, particularly in the autumn. Alternatively, composing for two different subjects that hold the same weight, where the elements are balanced, such as a pair of trees, can be a great technique.

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Wouldn't it be great if a single photography-location guidebook covered England, Wales and Scotland… and included action plans for taking short breaks in photogenic destinations?

Photography Weekends Britain does all that and more, and is on sale now.

Penned by photographer, travel writer and photography workshops leader William Gray, the new book features 250 of the best places to take pictures in the UK.

Gray travelled the length and breadth of Britain for two years, compiling photography action plans for 25 short breaks.

Locations covered include the Scottish Highlands, Cornwall, Snowdonia, the Lake District and North Norfolk, all 15 British national parks and the photogenic cities of Bath, Edinburgh, London, and York.

Photography Weekends Britain features essentials like kit recommendations and detailed explorations of photographic techniques, plus a selection of masterclasses covering landscapes and wildlife.

Annotated photos help the reader deconstruct key aspects of composition and there are shooting how-tos – examples include classic spots like Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor, the shipwreck at Corpach in Scotland, Dunstanburgh in Northumberland and Waterfall Country in Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales.

Gray also selects various 'best of' locations, including castles, lighthouses and stately homes, and offers his tips for photographing them.

Every image in the book is captioned with camera settings and the date and time of the capture, so the reader can plan the best time to visit the location and follow William's expert advice to the letter.

Photography Weekends Britain is on sale now, published by Bradt Guides in paperback (ISBN: 978-1-80469-336-0) and is priced £19.99/$29.99.

Get 25% off Photography Weekends Britain

Digital Camera World has partnered with publisher Bradt Guides to offer buyers 25% off the RRP of the book when purchasing it from the Bradt Guides website.

Just use the discount code PHOTODC25 when checking out.

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The UK is blessed with picturesque locations nationwide, but its national parks have to be the pick of the bunch and, now, a survey has revealed which of these is the most photographed in the entire country.

Carried out by Popsa, a photo curation app, the survey analyzed user images uploaded to the platform in 2025, tallying up the number snapped at the 15 different national parks and assigning each a score to reflect the relative number of photos taken there compared with the other parks.

Sitting proudly in the top spot with a score of 100 (20.58% of the total photos) is the Lake District. Located in Cumbria, North West England, the newly crowned most-photographed national park is home to majestic lakes such as Ullswater and Buttermere, England’s tallest peak, Scafell Pike, and quaint market towns such as Keswick.

In second and third place came the South Downs and the Peak District, with scores of 79 (16.26% of images) and 53 (10.91% of images), respectively. Combined, the top three highest scorers accounted for almost half of all images captured by Popsa users at UK national parks last year.

Other honorable mentions include Wales’ Eryri/Snowdonia National Park, which came in fifth place with a score of 32 (6.58% of images), and Scotland’s Cairngorms, which nabbed seventh position with a score of 27 (5.56% of images).

While I’d like to say I’m surprised by the winning result, having explored the Lake District myself with a camera in hand, I can say it’s easily one of, if not the, most beautiful parts of the country.

However, your experience photographing the UK’s national parks is highly dependent on the seasons. So, while the more famous sites, such as the Lake District, tend to be the most photographed, getting the best photos requires careful timing and planning.

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Michael Kenna has been making photographs for 50 years. In that time he has stood in the dark, often alone, often in the cold, often for hours... waiting. Not for something to happen, but for everything to stop happening.

His camera sits on a tripod. The shutter stays open. The world blurs and dissolves. And what remains, stripped of its noise and clutter, is something closer to feeling than fact. This is not how most of us shoot. And that, largely, is why most of us don't shoot like Kenna.

His new book, Same Sun Same Moon, published by Prestel this April, is ostensibly a collaboration with writer Pico Iyer. And it is, genuinely, a beautiful one. But for me, it functions as something else: a clear, sustained argument for restraint. For emptiness. For the act of taking less out of a frame, not more.

The long game

Kenna's technique is deceptively simple. He shoots on medium format film, uses long exposures (sometimes minutes, sometimes longer), and works almost exclusively in black and white. The long exposure is the key. It smooths water into silk, dissolves clouds into pale washes, erases the tourists from the piazza. What you're left with is little more than architecture, light and time.

The 60-odd duotone images in this book span five decades and five continents. A fogbound canal in Venice, free of gondoliers and selfie sticks, becomes ancient and melancholy. A deserted jetty in Mallorca floats in silver. A line of trees in Hokkaido dissolves into white. These aren't places you'd recognise from a travel brochure, even if you've been there. They're places as they exist when no one is looking. Or, perhaps, when someone is looking for a very long time.

For digital shooters trained to fire ten frames a second, this method demands the opposite. Arrive early, set up slowly, wait longer than feels comfortable. Then, shoot fewer frames than feels safe. The discipline is its own education.

What photographers can learn

Overall, this book is an object lesson in black-and-white composition. Kenna builds his images around the same principles photographers have used for over for a century: tonal range, negative space, the tension between subject and ground. But he applies them with unusual rigour.

There are no happy accidents here. Every element earns its place. The horizon sits exactly where it should. The single tree, the lone figure, the isolated boat: each is placed with the precision of a haiku.

For photographers looking more to develop their eye than upgrade their gear, this is a book to study. Not in order to copy (Kenna's aesthetic is too distinct to borrow wholesale), but to understand why a frame can work with almost nothing in it, and why that requires more skill, not less.

Same Sun Same Moon is designed, as the publishers put it, for slow reading and close observation. It sounds like a sales pitch. It's actually an instruction.

Same Sun Same Moon by Michael Kenna and Pico Iyer is published by Prestel, $45/£35.

Photographer Tobias Gawrisch spotted the opportunity for this beautiful image a few weeks prior to taking it, and carefully considered the scene beforehand – something that is familiar to most professional landscape shooters.

"This shot needed to be planned in advance in order to know when the Sun would be directly shining through the hole under the bridge," Gawrisch says.

"It wasn't hard to get in the end. I just had to experiment with the exposure time to get the right amount of flow for the water. 15 seconds seemed to be just right."

Gawrisch knew he wanted everything in focus, he explains, "I needed an aperture between f/8 and f/11. Then it was just a matter of keeping the ISO at 100 and matching the exposure time and aperture.

"I planned to be at the location a little in advance to get the perfect angle and find a suitable place for the tripod. For creating long-exposure images, I also use an external timer. This way I can release the camera without actually touching it," he adds.

Gawrisch feels that the image creates a perfect balance between nature and man-made structures. "Although the bridge is clearly a non-natural object, it inserts itself so seamlessly into the scene that it seems as if it has grown naturally over the stream.

'Fairytale Forest' – Tech details

Gear info
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens
Accessories: Tripod + shutter remote

Exposure details
15 sec, f/8, ISO 100

Pro's key tip

Know your weather
"The direction of the sun is a key factor for creating shadows and contrast in a landscape or nature photo,” says Gawrisch.

"Combined with the knowledge about how cloudy and windy it will be, you can anticipate the way shadows and the overall contrast in a scene will look. That's why I use several different weather apps on my smartphone – to always have reliable data about the weather at any given location, at any time."

See more of Gawrisch's work on his Instagram account.

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Yosemite Firefall. Manhattanhenge. Washington D.C.’s cherry blossoms. That list of names could be a landscape photographer’s bucket list, but it’s also a list of brief events that draw millions of visitors – and photographers. But the well-known, short-term photo opportunities come with a downside, as one photo of the recent Washington DC cherry blossoms illustrates: crowds.

I was browsing through images of the Yoshino cherry trees at peak bloom when I came across a photo of the trees along the Tidal Basin – and more photographers than I can count. The photograph shows a line of tripods, cameras, and people along the water’s shore, all capturing the iconic bloom.

That’s the challenge that comes with photographing viral locations – and particularly viral short-term events that only happen for a short time. The cherry blossoms are only at peak bloom for a few days a year, which means photographers hoping to capture the event are all looking to head out on the same few days.

The peak bloom is estimated to draw more than 1.5 million visitors to Washington DC every year – and if 2026’s record-breaking crowds using the Metro are any indication, this year brought quite the crowd.

I’m not saying not to go photograph these viral events – but I am saying you should factor in crowds to your expectations to avoid disappointment. Finding the right angle for a good photograph becomes even more challenging in a crowd. And with this many photographers lined up for a shot, getting a unique shot is also going to be quite the challenge.

Another hurdle to overcome? Getting a clean shot without lots of other visitors in the image.

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Around 4000 BC the landscape of Britain was a wild, forested place, where tribes of hunter gathers roamed freely. However, the British Isles were still attached to mainland Europe and over this landbridge came settlers with ideas of agriculture, community and religious rituals. The age of Neolithic Britain had begun and was to transform the landscape over the next 1,500 years, clearing the woodlands and building impressive stone structures that were to last through until the modern day.

The most famous Neolithic site in Britain is, of course, Stonehenge, though it’s not the best, so that’s where I headed, followed by a visit to Avebury, which is much more interesting. The thing about Stonehenge is that you don’t want to visit at mid-day, which is when the light is right overhead, especially in summer. Winter is a good time, because with sunset around 4pm, you can catch the late afternoon sun (if there is any) before the site shuts.

1 Catch the sun

Just before sunset the light changes color to a more golden hue, which particularly suits things like standing stones. Compose the shot so that you can see the spread of stones, like here at Avebury, and that they are facing into the sunlight. Focus on the nearest stone with f/8 aperture.

2 Wait for sunset

Now sit and wait for sunset and see what light you get in the sky. Change the composition so you are facing towards where the sun went down. Either bracket the shot for combining later, or meter from the sky and bring the light up on the foreground later when editing the RAW file.

3 Hillside carvings

Technically speaking, hillside carvings of horses, giants and the like started to appear around the time of the Bronze Age, but hey, if you’re out looking for ancient elements in the landscape, then why not. Try to show the carving in the context of the landscape itself. You may need a telephoto lens for this.

4 Discover entire villages

One of the most spectacular Neolithic villages in the world, and the best preserved settlement in Western Europe, Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands is older than Stonehenge. Use a wide angle lens to show as much as possible, with an aperture of f/5.6 and focussing on the nearest stonework.

5 Going underground

The final item of Neolithic life to look for is how they preserved the dead, with burial chambers. Either go inside, open up the aperture and use a torch to light up details and rooms, or shoot from the outside showing the overall construction. For the interiors a tripod would also help avoid having to use high ISOs.

Essential kit

You’ll need a wide angle lens for some locations, but also a short telephoto if you’re cordoned off from getting too close, like a Stonehenge. The main image used a 24mm focal length. It’s worth using a circular polariser to enhance clouds and overall contrast, and an ND filter for controlling the exposure when shooting towards a sunset.

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Grab yourself a wide-angle lens to take Neolithic photos, some ND Grad filters and carry it all around in a decent camera bag.

Just because it is winter doesn’t mean you should stay inside hibernating until spring. I mean, you can if you want to, I won’t be checking up on anyone. However, it’s more fun to pack your camera, tripod and umbrella and head for a scenic coastline to discover the photographic treats that await.

You could probably go with just a flexible lens, like a 24-200mm superzoom, which offers a very handy wide-angle end and a decent amount of telephoto. However, if you want more flexibility, then a really wide-angle lens, say 18mm, adds more drama and a macro lens will let you poke your camera into rockpools for interesting macro shots. You could also bring a really big lens if you want to chase seagulls around a harbor.

1. Try an ICM seascape

Intentional Camera Movement doesn’t just have to be trees and, in fact, the sea makes an ideal subject for panning from one side to the other. The idea is to get the shutter speed down to 1/15-1/20 sec and move the camera as you shoot. Even on a grey day, that needed ISO40 and an f/22 aperture without using filters.

2. Head for port

The great thing about shooting a harbor is that it doesn’t really matter what the weather is like, unless it’s a storm, in which case head for the pub until it blows over. Wait for sunset, set the camera on a tripod and use a shutter release cable or a timed delay release. A long exposure will smooth out the water.

3. People in the landscape

Unless you’re at some forgotten corner of north Scotland, there will be people, no matter what the weather. Unpack your long lens (180mm here) and look for the strange spectacle of people determined to enjoy themselves, dispute the lack of sun and, in this case, anything comfortable to sit on.

4. Shoot through the mist

This particular day was like shooting from under a wet blanket all day long. Instead of cursing the fact that you could have gone to Portugal for the same money, look for interesting combinations that include the swirling mist. Black and white is also an option here.

5. Who lives here?

Where there are rocks at the coast there will be rockpools. Wait for the tide to recede then grab your macro lens and go see what’s living, or has been trapped, in them. Those which never really dry out are likely to have more interesting things growing in them. Remember, the closer you get, the less depth of field there will be.

Before you go...

Heading for the coast you'll need a flexible wide angle lens for general use, a telephoto lens for bird photography, and a macro lens for close up work.

If you’re older than about 24, then you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the image above is often hailed as the most viewed photograph in the world.

That’s right, the minimalist image – taken by former National Geographic photographer Charles O’Rear’s – is likely to slap anyone born around the millennium with a backhand of nostalgia so great, that pulling a shiny Charizard, watching an episode of Daria or listening to Black Hole Sun couldn’t compare.

And in the month of January 2026, the image we’ve come to know as Bliss (originally Bucolic Green Hills) has reached its 30th birthday. The iconic shot served as the Microsoft XP operating system’s default wallpaper from 2001 to 2007, and is estimated to have been seen by a billion people (or billions, depending on who you ask).

As such, it’s often regarded as the most viewed photograph of all time. It’s certainly up there with the Apollo 11 images, the shot of Marilyn Monroe standing over the subway grate, and V-J Day in Times Square.

But where most of the world’s most famous photos are about capturing a historic moment in time, Bliss bucks the trend in that it’s a minimalist image of a rather unremarkable landscape.

And yet, I think it’s precisely this simplicity that is part of the image’s enduring charm. It was captured in California’s Sonoma County and yet, devoid of context, it could feasibly be any green hill across the globe. As such, it’s instantly relatable – and it boasts near-technical perfection, too.

It fits neatly within the rule of thirds, while the soft patches of light and shadow accentuate the curvature of the rolling hills, and the bright-white cirrus clouds pop against the deep-blue sky.

Bliss is so perfect that you’d be forgiven for thinking it heavily edited or even a render. But what is perhaps most surprising is that it’s an analog image, captured using a Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera and a roll of Fujifilm Velvia. Some have questioned whether Bliss was edited, but O’Rear and indeed UCR Arts maintain otherwise.

It was also an impromptu capture. O’Rear took the photograph en route to visit his girlfriend. And while Bliss is more iconic, he also photographed another Windows XP wallpaper called Red Moon Desert – which I personally think is an even better image!

According to Windows Wallpaper Wiki, the image was initially available through O’Rear’s co-owned stock-image library Westlight, with Bill Gates’ Corbis purchasing Westlight in 1998. In 2000, Microsoft bought the full rights to ‘Bliss’ for an undisclosed six-figure sum.

Today, the location has been replanted as vineyards, but we’ll always have the rolling green hills and vibrant blue sky immortalized by Charles O’Rear. Arguably, the most viewed photograph of all time.

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When you’re photographing a beautiful landscape scene in front of you, and patiently waiting near the end of the day for the sun to set so the colors in the sky change, it might seem crazy to instead turn your back on the setting sun, and take photos in the completely opposite direction!

However, some of my best landscape photos weren’t taken when I was shooting in a westerly direction towards the sunset. In fact, even if I was doing that I wouldn’t be including the big, bright ball of fire in the sky, as it often causes so many harsh highlights unless it’s behind clouds or below the horizon.

Instead I’ll face east and compose a landscape shot lit by the setting sun's light. As well as the lovely, soft light at sunset, as the sun’s lower in the sky and the light is much more diffused as it approaches the haze of the horizon, the skies can be transformed into incredible purples, pinks, and more if you’re lucky. 

There’s also no harsh highlights associated with landscape scenes when you’re shooting towards the light and have the bright sun in your frame.

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you shooting both – capture the amazing landscape shot with the sunset you’ve been picturing all week, then spin around and shoot the other way. 

Obviously you need a location that offers scenic options in both directions. You can’t just take a picture of the carpark behind you!

This Cornish church is perched on a hillside near a great coastal spot so I was able to shoot both a seascape at sunset, and this shot in the other direction, with little walking or time-wasting in between.

Lastly, it’s not just sunset that can work for this technique. At sunrise the colors in the sky opposite the rising sun can be transformed into picturesque pinks to light up a morning landscape.

Check out our guide to the best cameras for landscapes

White Pocket, located in Arizona's remote Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, requires a challenging four-wheel-drive journey across rough dirt roads. Yet despite its remoteness and the commitment required to reach it, the location has been photographed extensively.

This image by American photographer Dave Drost, however, shows that even well-known locations can yield fresh interpretations when approached with a clear creative vision.

The first thing that strikes you is the otherworldly simplicity of the scene. Brain-like sandstone formations rise from a mirror-still pool, their weathered surfaces rendered in shades of grey that emphasize every curve and crevice.

By switching to monochrome, Drost has transformed one of the American Southwest's most colorful locations into an abstract study of form and texture. It's a bold choice that earned him third place in the Photograph of the Year category in 2025's International Landscape Photographer of the Year.

Technical approach

Drost used the Canon EOS R5 paired with the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at its widest 15mm setting. His exposure settings reveal careful planning: f/3.2 provides front-to-back sharpness, while a 1.3-second shutter speed transforms the water into a glassy mirror.

The R5's 45MP sensor captures exceptional detail, while the ultra-wide focal length creates the dramatic perspective that makes the sandstone formations loom large against the sky.

The Canon RF 15-35mm lens is Canon's widest constant-aperture professional zoom and notably produces virtually no visible distortion, even at 15mm. This was crucial when shooting the organic curves of White Pocket's sandstone, ensuring the natural wave patterns remained true to life rather than being warped by lens aberrations.

Why monochrome works

White Pocket is typically photographed in color to showcase its striking red, white and pink striations. Counterintuitively, Drost's decision to strip away color is what elevates this image above countless other shots of this location.

Without color as a distraction, viewers are free to engage directly with the extraordinary textures: the brain-like convolutions, the wave patterns etched by millennia of erosion, and the interplay of light and shadow across the weathered surfaces.

The monochrome treatment also gives the scene something of a timeless quality. Rather than appearing as a specific location in Arizona, the formations become almost abstract sculptures, their geological origins less obvious and more mysterious.

Drost positioned his camera low to the ground, incorporating the still water as a foreground element; a classic technique in landscape photography that adds depth and provides a reflective anchor for the composition.

The dual peaks of the main formation balance against this lower visual weight, creating harmony out of a scene that might otherwise look chaotic, given the complexity of the surface textures.

Overall, this award-winning image reminds us that compelling landscape photography depends on seeing beyond the obvious. Sometimes the most powerful addition to your creative toolkit can be subtraction.

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At first glance, this looks like sci-fi: a bulbous, gravity-defying tree stretching its twisted limbs towards a sky streaked with pinks, purples and cosmic dust. But nothing here is imagined. The tree is real. The sky is real. And the place is Socotra; an isolated Yemeni island in the Arabian Sea where Earth masquerades as somewhere else entirely.

Swiss photographer Benjamin Barakat’s image, Queen Bottle Tree, won the Lone Tree Award at this year's International Landscape Photographer of the Year contest, and for good reason.

The image captures one of Socotra’s most iconic endemic species silhouetted beneath the Milky Way. Shot under a Bortle Class 1 sky – the darkest classification possible – it reveals the night as it once appeared to people everywhere: richly coloured, densely packed with stars, and utterly untouched by light pollution.

Technical approach

The bottle tree is a defining feature of Socotra’s strange botanical ecosystem. With its swollen trunk, exposed roots and contorted branches, it appears more sculpted rather than grown. Photographed from a low vantage point, the tree takes on an almost sentient presence, its limbs arcing outward as if in dialogue with the sky above.

This is not, as you might think, digital trickery. Socotra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site precisely because of its extreme isolation and biological uniqueness; more than a third of its plant life exists nowhere else on Earth. Here, that evolutionary oddness is amplified by the celestial backdrop, making the scene feel close to an alien planet.

To render both the sky and the foreground with clarity, Barakat employed a carefully planned two-exposure technique. One exposure was made at midnight to capture the Milky Way in full force (120 seconds, f/2.0, ISO 400), while a second exposure was taken during late blue hour for the foreground (60 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 400).

This approach reflects a core truth of astrophotography: the settings that reveal faint galactic colour are fundamentally different from those that preserve detail and depth in the landscape. Rather than forcing a compromise, Barakat allowed each element its ideal conditions, later blending the exposures to produce a seamless, natural-looking result.

The sky’s magenta and violet tones aren’t exaggerated; they’re what emerges when the galactic core is photographed from a location free of artificial light. Likewise, the tree’s form isn’t enhanced for drama; it is simply what grows when evolution is left alone for long enough.

Socotra’s Bortle Class 1 rating is central to the image’s success. In such darkness, the Milky Way doesn’t merely appear as a pale band but as a complex, colorful structure, with nebulae and dust lanes clearly visible to the naked eye. These conditions are now vanishingly rare, making images like this as much documents of environmental absence as they are aesthetic achievements.

Barakat’s photograph quietly underscores that reality. The scene feels extraterrestrial, not because it is unfamiliar, but because most people have never experienced a truly dark sky. What looks like another planet is, in fact, our own… seen without the veil of modern illumination.

Camera and lens

Barakat's image was captured using a Sony A7 IV paired with the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 G Master lens. The 14mm focal length delivers a sweeping 114-degree field of view, wide enough to embrace the Milky Way while allowing the bottle tree to dominate the foreground. This exaggeration of scale heightens the tree’s already unusual form, reinforcing the sense that it belongs to another world.

Optically, the lens’s advanced design minimizes coma and edge distortion. This is critical for astrophotography, where even slight aberrations can deform stars. At just 460g, it’s also a practical choice for such a remote location.

Barakat, who leads photography tours to Socotra, continues to explore new compositions across the island. His work reflects a broader truth about contemporary astrophotography: technical mastery alone is no longer enough. Access to genuinely dark skies has become one of the most valuable (and fragile) ingredients.

Queen Bottle Tree succeeds because it needs no fictional framing. It is a record of a real organism beneath a real sky, captured in one of the few places left where both can still be seen in their raw state. The image feels like it belongs to another planet precisely because it shows our own as it once was… and, in rare corners of the world, still is.

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At first glance, it was an unassuming patch of woodland: damp leaves, a fallen log, a few pale mushrooms most walkers would barely register. But drop the camera to ground level, push an ultra-wide lens to its limits and start stacking focus, and an ordinary-looking forest starts to transform. 

Shot from beneath the fungi at 16mm, this image exaggerates scale, bends perspective and pulls the viewer straight into the scene, with razor-sharp detail running from the delicate gills in the foreground to the mist-softened trees beyond. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most compelling landscapes aren’t found by going bigger or higher; but by getting lower, closer and more technically precise.

Porcelain Dance was captured by Albert Dros, a 40-year-old Dutch landscape photographer and Sony Global Ambassador, and secured second place in Photograph of the Year at the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2025 competition.

Technical approach

Dros captured the scene using the Sony A1 Mark II paired with the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II lens at its widest 16mm focal length. (In an interesting twist, it was actually shot before the A1 Mark II's official announcement, as part of Sony's promotional campaign for the camera.)

This cutting-edge kit combo allowed Dros to leverage the exceptional corner sharpness and minimal distortion that the second-generation G Master lens is renowned for; crucial qualities when shooting ultra-wide compositions with prominent foreground elements.

The image required focus stacking to achieve sharpness throughout the frame, from the delicate gills of the foreground mushrooms to the atmospheric forest background. Dros positioned his camera extremely close to the fungi, maximizing the 16mm focal length's perspective distortion to make the mushrooms appear larger and more dramatic.

The Sony FE 16-35mm GM II, weighing just 547g and measuring 111.5mm in length, proved ideal for this ground-level work, being significantly lighter and more compact than its predecessor.

Creative vision

Tech specs aside, what sets Porcelain Dance apart is Dros's willingness to see beyond the obvious. Many people would simply walk past these mushrooms, which appear unremarkable from above. Instead, his curiosity led him to explore an unusual angle – looking up from beneath the fungi – transforming ordinary woodland mushrooms into ethereal, glowing sculptures.

The morning conditions proved perfect. Dreamy fog filtered the sunlight, creating a soft, diffused illumination that made the translucent mushroom caps appear to glow from within. Importantly, Dros used no artificial lighting, working purely with the natural light that nature presented. This approach required patience and careful timing, waiting for that precise moment when the sun peaked through the fog at just the right intensity.

The composition demonstrates Dros's sophisticated understanding of visual storytelling. The fallen leaves in the water puddle and the reflection of the misty forest create layers of depth and atmosphere. The warm autumn tones of the leaves contrast beautifully with the cool, cream-colored mushrooms, while the soft-focus background trees provide context without distraction.

Despite the image's surreal quality, Dros emphasizes that "there are not much tricks used" beyond the focus stacking necessary to achieve front-to-back sharpness. The dreamlike atmosphere isn't the result of heavy-handed editing but rather intelligent use of natural conditions, precise composition, and the optical excellence of his equipment. This approach aligns with Dros's philosophy of "capturing the beauty of the world" through careful planning and execution, rather than extensive manipulation.

Overall, this image exemplifies how technical excellence and creative vision can transform an everyday subject into an extraordinary photograph. By looking where others don't and seeing what others miss, he demonstrates that sometimes the most magical moments are found at ground level, looking up at the world from an entirely new perspective.

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In the misty dawn following heavy rain, photographer Megumi Murakami waited patiently at Lake Nakatsuna in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As the morning light pierced the fog and the cherry blossoms emerged in full bloom, their perfect reflections on a glassy lake surface created what she describes as "a fantastical world."

That moment of profound stillness earned her Silver in the Fine Art/Landscape category of the Tokyo International Foto Awards 2025.

All this took place on 19 April, 2023, during that narrow window when cherry blossoms bloom across the length and breadth of Japan. Murakami's photo shows a row of trees, their pink and white blossoms luminous against dark evergreens, with fog rolling through the hillside behind them. The still water creates a mirror reflection, doubling the visual impact and creating what Murakami calls "a space of profound stillness and depth".

Technical execution

The Canon EOS R6 Mark II, released in 2022, is best known for its blistering 40fps burst shooting and advanced autofocus, making it popular among sports and wildlife photographers.

Yet it has plenty to offer beyond action scenes. Here, its 24.2MP full-frame sensor provided the sweet spot between resolution and low-light performance, offering ample detail for large prints while maintaining excellent dynamic range.

Murakami used an RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, shooting at f/8 for 1/25 second at ISO 50 with a 32mm focal length. The f/8 aperture provides excellent depth of field, keeping cherry blossoms, evergreens and misty hillside all acceptably sharp.

The relatively slow 1/25-second shutter speed in dawn light suggests either a tripod or the R6 Mark II's exceptional in-body image stabilization at work. Canon rates the latter at up to 8 stops of compensation with compatible lenses, making handheld landscape photography remarkably viable.

Elsewhere, the ISO 50 setting maximizes image quality and dynamic range; critical for capturing both the bright morning glow and darker shadowed areas in a single exposure. At 32mm focal length, Murakami chose a natural, slightly wide perspective that encompasses the scene without wide-angle distortion, closely approximating human vision and creating an intimate rather than grandiose feeling.

Getting the timing right

Cherry blossom season holds deep cultural significance in Japan, where hanami (flower viewing) has been practiced for over a thousand years. These blossoms represent both beauty and impermanence, blooming spectacularly for just one to two weeks before falling to the ground.

Photographers face intense pressure to capture them at peak bloom, whenever weather, timing and location align.

Murakami's patience paid dividends here, finding conditions that elevated her image beyond typical sakura photography. Heavy rain the previous day had cleared the air and settled the lake surface to a perfect sense of calm. Morning fog added atmospheric depth.

The location, too, was well chosen. Lake Nakatsuna in Nagano Prefecture exemplifies Japan's rural beauty, and while it's not the most famous of spots, it has a lot to offer photographers. The mountain setting creates conditions for atmospheric fog, while its calm morning waters provide the mirror reflections landscape photographers prize.

Overall, though, this image demonstrates that success comes not from exotic locations, but from patience, timing and the ability to recognize when all elements align. It also shows how modern cameras like the R6 Mark II can handle low light superbly, rewarding photographers who wake early and are willing to be patient.

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When Pen Densham's teenage daughter picked up one of his old cameras and started playing around, she inadvertently sparked a creative transformation in her father. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker – whose credits include Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft and TV shows like The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone – watched her ignore every conventional rule of photography. Then suddenly, he realized he'd forgotten something fundamental about making art.

"She wasn't following rules, she was just exploring," Densham reflects. "Watching her reminded me that art begins in freedom, not control."

That moment catalyzed a radical departure from traditional nature and landscape photography. Since then, Densham has been working on what he calls "visual music": impressionistic images that blur the boundaries between sharp documentation and emotional abstraction. These photographs don't capture the natural world so much as translate them into feelings.

A cinematic eye

As you might expect, Densham's background in film profoundly shapes his approach to photography. Where nature and landscape photographers typically prioritize sharpness, detail and the decisive moment, Densham deliberately introduces motion, soft focus and extended exposures. Trees appear to breathe. Water becomes brushstrokes. Reflections transform into portals to memory.

"Cameras were my father's magic wands," he explains, referencing his childhood in England's New Forest, where he appeared in his father's films from age four. "I grew up believing that light could be shaped into emotion. In filmmaking, that emotion was narrative. In photography, it's pure experience."

This shift from narrative to pure sensation represents a significant reimagining of what this kind of photography can achieve. Rather than documenting what nature looks like, Densham's work explores what nature feels like.

While Densham hasn't detailed his specific techniques, the impressionist quality of his work suggests deliberate use of long exposures, intentional camera movement and selective focus to create "shimmering, dreamlike compositions". The resulting images (swirling koi ponds, rippling water reflections, autumn forests rendered almost abstract) prioritize atmosphere over accuracy.

His series Organic Mandalas takes this approach further, creating kaleidoscopic representations of natural energy that border on spiritual art. These aren't photographs in the conventional sense; they're visual meditations constructed through the camera, rather than captured by it.

While his approach is radical, it's clearly finding an audience. Densham's images have appeared in Los Angeles galleries including Here Is Elsewhere, Loisir Gallery, and Posner Fine Art, with collectors from California to Monaco acquiring pieces. His book Qualia, named for a philosophical term describing sensory experiences that resist verbal description, gathers together his most striking work. Notably, Densham isn't selling the volume commercially, instead offering it as a complimentary digital download.

Is this the future?

The timing, in one sense, could be better. Densham's approach arrives at a point in history when camera technology increasingly prioritizes clinical sharpness and computational perfection.

Modern cameras can capture extraordinary detail, freeze impossible moments, and stack focus across impossible depth ranges. Against this backdrop, his deliberately soft, motion-blurred, emotionally-driven work could be seen as a gentle counter-movement; a reminder that technical perfection and artistic impact aren't synonyms.

"Photography can be more than a window, it can be a mirror for emotion," Densham argues. "When people look at these images, I want them to sense the world's organic pulse, the same one that's inside us all."

For photographers accustomed to chasing sharpness and precision, Densham's work poses an intriguing challenge: what happens when you stop trying to control the image and start trying to feel it instead?

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In an era where cameras fire off 30 frames per second and computational photography happens in milliseconds, Michael Kenna still works the way he did in 1987: one frame, one night, sometimes ten hours of exposure. Which means his new exhibition at London's Photographers' Gallery, Shin Shin – arriving just as winter settles – offers something increasingly rare in photography. Work that asks you to slow down and look deeper.

The title comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia しんしん (shin shin), which describes the sound of deep, silent, falling snow. It's an apt choice. Kenna's photographs don't just depict a particular type of weather; they embody the meditative stillness that drew him to Japan nearly four decades ago. And these aren't, it must be stressed, quick captures. They're the result of standing in the cold darkness for hours, waiting for his large-format 120mm camera to gather enough light to transform a scene into something otherworldly.

Technical challenge

For photographers accustomed to checking histograms and chimping after every shot, Kenna's approach will seem almost perversely old-fashioned. He works entirely in traditional silver gelatin printing, making every print himself in his Seattle darkroom. No digital manipulation, no preview screens, no instant feedback. This isn't nostalgic stubbornness; it's a deliberate artistic choice that forces a different relationship with both subject and craft.

The technical demands of all this are substantial. Night exposures of this length require precise calculation, intimate knowledge of reciprocity failure, and absolute faith in your process. There's no second-guessing, no quick reshoot if something goes wrong. You set up, expose, and trust. 

The rewards, though, can be great. And in Kenna's pictures, the prints carry a luminosity that digital sensors and inkjet printers struggle to match; a depth in the blacks and a glow in the highlights that comes from light actually interacting with silver halides in the darkroom.

What's particularly relevant is how they challenge our assumptions about what photography should capture. Kenna's long exposures record details invisible to the human eye: the way moving clouds blur into ethereal streaks, how falling snow creates ghostly veils, the subtle tonal gradations in predawn darkness. These aren't tricks or effects; they're genuine visual information that only becomes visible through extended time.

I don't think it's a coincidence, by the way, that Kenna studied for the priesthood as a boy. Though he didn't continue on that path, his work retains what he calls an appreciation for mystery and the unseen. His photographs of Japanese landscapes (snow-covered trees, minimalist compositions of natural and human-made forms) carry a contemplative quality that has more in common with meditation than with conventional landscape photography.

Where modern practice often emphasizes capturing the decisive moment or shooting until you get the perfect frame, Kenna commits to single images made over hours. It's photography as a form of presence; a palate cleanser for anyone suffering from image overload.

Refreshing approach

This exhibition marks Kenna's new representation by The Photographers' Gallery, bringing his work into one of the world's most respected photography institutions. Signed prints start at £1,975 plus VAT, with all proceeds supporting the gallery's public programme. These aren't decorative pieces; they're collector-grade works from a photographer with prints in over 100 permanent institutional collections and five decades of exhibitions worldwide.

For anyone wondering if his approach has any relevance in the digital age, consider this. You might not wish to copy Kenna's methods, but they do force you to see differently. These pictures require understanding light, exposure, and composition at a fundamental level. They demand patience and commitment. And they produce images that genuinely cannot be replicated with modern equipment shooting at modern speeds.

Shin Shin runs until January 25, through the depth of winter when London's light becomes as spare and delicate as the Japanese landscapes Kenna photographs. It's a chance to see work that proves slow photography isn't just alive; it's producing some of the most compelling images being made today.

The dictionary might define an arboretum as "a place where trees or shrubs are cultivated for their scientific or educational interest", but I’d say it’s a place you can go to capture a variety of interesting photos, from landscapes, abstracts, and patterns to macro. The best time to go is, of course, fall, because of the red and yellow colors adding to the greens of the all-year-round foliage. Now is pretty much your last chance for the year, as winter weather sweeps in and there are more leaves on the ground than on the trees, which is why I visited Westonbirt National Arboretum in the UK.

What lenses should I take, I hear you ask? Well, surprisingly, I wouldn’t go with a super wide-angle lens (like 18mm), as the widest you’re likely to need is a 24-28mm standard zoom, and often you’ll want to zoom in to frame specific features. The other consideration is that this is a wood/forest, so if you need more space for a shot, simply move backwards, and avoid the heavy distortion that you get with those super wide-angle shots.

The other lens to definitely pack is a 105mm or 150mm macro lens for flowers, mushrooms, berries, and leaf close-ups. In fact, if you really want to set yourself a challenge, just take that 105mm macro lens because you can still use it for your landscape shots as well as the macro ones.

1. The standard landscape shot

Here’s a standard landscape shot, using the red foliage to provide depth. I composed the image so that the trees progressively step back as you look into the photo, from the bush-like one in the foreground onwards. I used an aperture of f/8 to maximize the lens's sharpness and depth of field.

2. Flower portraits

Under the cover of the trees there will be wild flowers and mushrooms growing, especially as we get into the wet season. I brought a mat to kneel/lie on and a beanbag to rest my camera on to keep it steady (If permitted, you could use a travel tripod). This setup allowed me to get down low to photograph at my subject's level. For group shots, I like to put the first flower on a third vertical and focus on the stamen.

3. Let’s get abstract

If you’re visiting a managed wood/forest, somewhere there will be a pile of chopped up logs just asking to be photographed. Duly oblige them by filling the frame with the logs and shooting from parallel to the pile to make it about the pattern and textures. Here, I used a 35mm focal length at f/6.3.

4. Launch an ICM

A classic shot is looking straight up towards the tree canopy, but as the sky was grey and dull, I decided to hone my intentional camera movement (ICM) skills. This is where you use a slow shutter speed to intentionally introduce motion blur as you physically move the camera in the desired direction.

For this image, I paused initially to get a solid recording of the tree and then moved the camera downwards to create streaking highlights. I used a narrow f/22 aperture, blocking enough light so I could reach a 1/4th sec exposure.

5. Turn over a new leaf

There will likely be flowering trees and trees with fruit, as well as leaves turning a spectacular color, like the image above. I deployed my macro lens with a wide aperture to blur the background. If the sky is blue, you can compose your subject with that as the background; otherwise, try to find a shot where the green foliage is in the distance for a more pleasing backdrop.

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If you’re capturing fall, then the best tripod is essential. You might also use a polarizing filter to banish reflections from rain-soaked leaves. And finally, make sure you’ve got a waterproof bag for your gear if it starts raining.

While I mostly use the excellent Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM super-telephoto zoom lens for great shots of distant wildlife and sports photography, I also often use this lens on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II for photographing landscapes and city scenes.

Some beginners may be forgiven for thinking – why would you use a super-telephoto lens when you want to shoot landscapes? Surely you must use a wide-angle landscape lens for landscapes!

Rules are made to be broken. Long lenses are also great for landscapes. Because a super-telephoto lens allows you to zoom in and focus on more interesting scenes within a scene. More importantly, longer the focal length, the more you can compress the perspective. This means pulling elements within the scene closer together. Which equals fuller scenes, like this shot of this distant church spire amongst the Fall tree foliage.

This has made this image much more dense, full of colour, and more interesting. I shot this image at 270mm which has pulled the perspective together. If I’d shot the scene at something like 24mm or even 50mm, the church would appear a lot smaller in frame and there would be lots of unwanted gaps between all the nice colorful trees.

The RF 100-500mm’s comparatively narrow aperture range also becomes a benefit for landscape shots - f/4.5 at the short end, and stopping down to f/7.1 at the long end. I want to be shooting at around f/8 and narrower apertures for a better depth of field when using a long lens here.

For this photo, I shot at f/11, 1/160 sec and ISO160. The built-in Image Stabilizer helps to make sure I capture shake-free shots handheld at long focal lengths.

I’m not a landscape photographer. I’ve taken photographs of landscapes for assignments when they fit a story, but a traditional landscape photographer I am not.

I’ve recently come to realize that I don’t have the patience for what most people consider 'landscape photography'; tripods, filters and waiting for the perfect light. I shoot landscapes much like street photography – shifting moments, reactions to shape and texture, a dialogue with what’s in front of me – rather than planning a perfect composition.

So when I decided to take my camera phone out for an hour on the Gower coast, I wasn’t trying to emulate a typical landscape shoot. I wanted to see how the phone would respond to how I see.

The phone I used was the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, which I’ve been experimenting with for months across different genres; first street, now landscape. I didn’t have any expectations beyond curiosity, but the results honestly surprised me. The level of detail, the dynamic range and the tonal control made the images feel clean and balanced, which enabled me to process them with flexibility.

Because the phone is small and responsive, I didn’t overthink it. There was no pressure to set up, no tripod to adjust. Just me and the coastline. That same responsiveness also meant I could quickly turn and capture a passing herd of cows, not quite a landscape, but it added to the story, grounding the set in a lived moment rather than a constructed scene.

When it came to editing, I processed the images in my usual style, adding texture and pulling back on sharpness and definition. Most phone images default to being overly crisp and hyper-real, which can feel clinical. I prefer something softer, closer to how I felt in the moment rather than how it looked.

My images are typically always in black-and-white, so it’s less about reproducing the scene and more about translating the atmosphere; the quietness, the weight or lack of clouds, the texture of stone.

I haven’t tried printing them yet, but for a world that mostly lives digitally, the images are more than acceptable. They hold up beautifully on a screen which, if we’re honest, is where most photography is seen today anyway – unfortunately.

Modern camera phones continue to surprise me. They won’t replace a full-frame camera setup for professional work or large prints, but they do enable me to keep photographing when I otherwise might not.

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Wales features three national parks consisting of the Pembrokeshire Coast, Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) and Snowdonia (Eyri) National Park. They are home to sandy, coastal walks with sparkling, clear waters and white sand beaches out west, and also tall, rugged mountains surrounded by vast forests, lakes and a mass of waterfalls, wherever there may be a river.

This makes Wales an incredibly versatile country to explore as you will always find something of interest to photograph whether that be nature or wildlife. However, Wales, and Britain as a whole, is infamously known for its volatile and ever-changing weather regardless of the season. But, just because the sunny skies may change to a dark downpour at the drop of a hat, it doesn’t mean that you need to put the camera away and run for dry cover. Sometimes this can be the most fun and satisfying time to shoot!

Five fast tips for shooting

1. Always plan ahead

Periodically check the weather forecast and daylight times. Visit the location that you’re shooting early. Consider looking at reference images on social media. Finally, scout the area before shooting so you know what is achievable and then play around using interesting objects in your foreground such as water, grass and rocks.

2. Get warmed up

It may sound strange but when stepping outside, have a quick stretch of the body to get the blood pumping so that you’re ready for your journey. If you’re stiff and achy, then it can take away from the enjoyment of being outside, leading to impatience and wanting to leave sooner, which links into the next point.

3. Have plenty of patience

You'll have heard this repeatedly within the world of photography, but patience really is key, especially given the erratic nature of the weather in Britain. For this shot, we hiked for 30 minutes in the torrential rain and wind, but we knew there would be a break in the conditions for the light to shine through.

4. Wrap up well

It's easier to have patience if you and your setup are protected from the conditions. This means putting on your waterproof clothing and footwear, as well as having microfibre cloths to wipe your lens and camera, even if they’re weather-sealed. You can even use a shower cap or umbrella to protect your gear from the rain.

5. Experiment with settings

Different settings achieve different results. Ideally for a landscape, you’d want a wide angle and to use an aperture around f/11. The aperture may make your image dark which will require a higher ISO, or a longer shutter speed where a sturdy tripod will definitely be needed and could achieve a nice blurred-trail effect to moving subjects.

Beware the highlights

When shooting a moody landscape and having patiently waited for the break in the clouds for the sun to shine through, this may cause bright areas within your image which are overexposed. To even this out, reduce reflections in water and metallic surfaces, and bring natural colour to the scene, use a polariser on your lens.

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If you're out and about in wet and wild conditions you need a rainproof backpack to keep your gear safe, a polarizing filter to enhance the landscape, and a wide angle lens to capture it.

The countryside is dotted with examples of early technology in the form of wind and water-powered mills. Both types of mill used the power of nature to crank machinery that ground flour, pumped water or, in modern times, to generate electricity. Well, don’t concern yourself with the bird-battering eyesores of today, what we want to photograph are the mills of yesteryear. For windmills that means photographing them as part of the landscape, rather than just a close-up shot. It’s better to show them in the context of the local environment. You can also get inside some windmills, especially ones that still work, to photograph the various floors and machinery at work. On windy days it can be interesting to take a long exposure shot to blur the movement of the clouds and the sails going round.

For watermills it’s somewhat different, as the buildings themselves tend to be anonymous square shapes made from bricks, so what to look for there is the water source and the great wheels that were driven by it. Some watermills were situated on rivers or fast-flowing streams, which suit long exposure shots, while others dammed the supply into a lake, and then used the height differential to a basin below to power the wheels at specific times. For these you’re looking for reflections outside and close ups of the machinery inside or featuring the wheels.

1. Don't do this

This is exactly what not to do. Don’t get too close and then use a wide angle lens (18mm here) to squeeze the mill into the shot as it creates significant distortion. Stand much further back and zoom in. The main photo on the previous spread used a 32mm focal length.

2. Use the foreground

If the location has an interesting foreground then include it in the shot. Although this was shot at 23mm, the windmill itself is in the distance, so the main concern was distorting the buildings close to the camera. With an f/8 and wide angle, there was plenty of depth of field.

3. Include reflections

Some watermills didn’t even need running water, they simply dammed it in front of the building and machinery and then released the water when milling was required. Look for the reflections in these locations, as well as evidence of milling in the shape of the discarded grinding stones.

4. Bring nature into the scene

The large body of water in front of this watermill has attracted all manner of wildlife, while the tree next to the building has grown substantially over the last 200 years, making this a pleasing rural scene in the late afternoon sun. The point of focus here can be the mill itself for maximum sharpness.

5. Look for the details

Whether you’re inside the windmill or down by the watermill’s wheels, look for the interesting shapes of the machinery that once powered these stalwarts of the rural milling economy. If you have a sweaty, flour-covered operator there, you can also add some portraits to the image list.

What kit do you need?

For interiors you’ll need a wide angle lens for general shots (18-24mm) but for close up details it can be interesting to pack a macro lens as well. For exteriors, a short telephoto is ideal unless you know exactly how much space you’re going to have for the shots. I took along a 24-85mm lens for the main shot for this feature, which gave ideal flexibility. If you’re taking some long exposure shots you’ll need a tripod, otherwise it’s not really necessary.

Before you go...

To shoot windmills and watermills you'll need a wide angle lens with a telephoto capability, a tripod if you want to capture long exposures and a backpack to cart everything around in.

"I have a curious mind and I often find myself pondering the reasons why I'm drawn to the landscape. I wonder about the value of what I do and if it resonates with others in the same way as other photographic genres. If you think about impactful images, they create a meaningful narrative within a single frame, with the power to reframe public opinion, from climate change to conflict and famine.

"Photography is a powerful medium and it remains relevant. It’s how we document the world around us, but it plays on my mind that I’m just creating pretty pictures without purpose, the digital equivalent to painting the same scene repeatedly.

"There are inevitably epic moments experienced during a lifetime in pursuit of capturing the landscape and those moments can act as a talisman, a bright beacon pulsating at the back of my consciousness.

"I worry that chasing those moments ensures I fall into the trap of the lowest common denominator, creating work that has broad appeal yet lacks complexity.

"The question that poses itself often is, other than personal fulfilment, what is the point of landscape photography? In hundreds of years, what will be the legacy of this genre? I can't help but think that much of it will be lost to history, but inevitably, just like literary greats, images or collections will survive and become revered.

"The difference between a 'good' and 'great' photograph is when it becomes something bigger than the sum of its parts. More than just the composition, more than the conditions, but signalling to something beyond the image, pointing to the emotion and connection, a universal language of beauty.

"It's a moment in time, but it becomes representative of a larger timescale as history marches on. Consider the work of Ansel Adams and how his interpretations have essentially become timeless.

"Of course, these are ponderings that I would struggle to answer in this column, but by posing them here, and explaining my own thought processes, it helps me to understand the 'why' behind this photographic journey and I hope it makes you think too. The images we create deserve to have meaning and complexity, creating a dialogue, speaking a language that transcends culture and creates connection.

"So, I ask of myself, and of you too, what will be your photographic legacy?"

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If you’re into gardens and own a few books that showcase the best gardens in the UK and further afield, the chances are that they feature images from Jason Ingram. A leader in his field, Ingram has photographed many beautiful gardens as a contributor to a range of magazines, newspapers and TV programs.

He is also an educator, branching out last year to launch Create Academy’s Online Garden & Landscape Photography masterclass, and more recently to write his first book, How to Photograph Gardens, which contains everything you could need to know about capturing the fruits of leading garden designers, producing visual feasts that help us take a step back from the frenetic pace of everyday life.

We sat down to chat to him about his favorite gardens, the gear he uses to shoot them and the photographic knowledge he's learned over a quarter of a century.

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What do you need for garden photography? A good macro lens will help get closeups of the flowers while a wide angle lens will capture the garden itself. And, of course, you'll need a sturdy tripod as well

Photography books have always been a source of inspiration for me; places I turn to not just for knowledge, but for that spark of creativity that pushes me to see the world differently. Landscape photography books hold a special kind of magic. They combine breathtaking imagery, often with the wisdom of photographers who have spent years chasing light, weather, and wild horizons.

Landscape photography is one of the most popular genres because it’s both accessible and endlessly inspiring. Whether you’re poring over the exquisite black-and-white landscapes of Sebastião Salgado’s Genesis, the intricate details of Jason Ingram's How to Photograph Gardens, or the classic tones of Ansel Adams' 400 Photographs, the right book can transform how you approach the craft.

Over the years, I’ve explored countless titles, some focused on technique, others purely visual and awe-inspiring. In this list, I’ve rounded up the best landscape photography books currently available. A mix of technical landscape photography tips, creative inspiration, and coffee-table masterpieces that will fuel your passion for capturing the beauty of the natural world.

The Perimeter: A Photographic Journey around the Coast of Britain by Quintin Lake

In The Perimeter, Quintin Lake embarks on an extraordinary journey: walking the entire coastline of Britain, over 6,000 miles, photographing as he goes. Spanning five years, the project captures a Britain few of us will ever see in such depth – from remote coves and weather-beaten cliffs to overlooked industrial edges and quiet estuaries.

Lake’s work avoids clichés, focusing instead on subtle textures, fleeting light, and architectural forms that hint at the relationship between land and sea. The result is a body of work that feels grand in scope while remaining intimate. This is a landscape photography book for those who love slow, thoughtful photography. It’s a coffee-table volume to pore over at leisure, but also an inspiring study in long-term creative commitment.

For photographers, The Perimeter demonstrates the power of persistence and a personal vision, reminding us that sometimes the most compelling images come from patience and a deeper engagement with place.

Genesis by Sebastião Salgado

Sebastião Salgado’s Genesis is an epic love letter to the planet’s most pristine and remote landscapes. Over eight years and more than thirty expeditions, Salgado sought out the last remaining corners of the world untouched by modern development. Antarctica’s frozen wilderness, the deserts of Namibia, the highlands of New Guinea, and the vast Amazon rainforest. Presented entirely in black and white, each image has a sense of timelessness and drama, rendered with Salgado’s impeccable technical precision and deep respect for his subjects.

This landscape photography book belongs on a substantial coffee table, where the images can breathe and be appreciated in their full grandeur. It’s ideal for lovers of fine-art photography, environmental advocates, and anyone seeking a reminder of what’s worth protecting in the natural world. For photographers, Genesis is a masterclass in monochrome composition, tonal control, and the integration of environmental storytelling into landscape work.

Baobab by Beth Moon

In Baobab, Beth Moon turns her lens toward some of Africa’s most iconic and ancient trees (the Baobab), capturing their grandeur in exquisitely detailed platinum prints. Travelling across Madagascar, Senegal, and South Africa, Moon photographs these natural monuments with a reverence that borders on the mythical.

Each image is a portrait of resilience, documenting forms that have stood for thousands of years, their bark weathered by sun, wind, and time. The combination of scientific insight and visual poetry makes Baobab both a celebration of natural history and a work of fine art.

This is a perfect book for readers who appreciate nature’s quiet giants and the stories they hold. As a coffee-table piece, it offers stunning visuals that invite reflection. For photographers, it’s a reminder that landscapes aren’t always about sweeping vistas. Sometimes the most powerful work comes from focusing intently on a single, extraordinary subject.

Forms of Japan by Michael Kenna

Forms of Japan distills Michael Kenna’s long love affair with the Japanese landscape into a collection of serene, minimalist black-and-white images. From snow-laden trees and temple gardens to volcanic silhouettes softened by mist, each photograph is a study in simplicity and tonal balance. Kenna’s long exposures lend a dreamlike stillness to the work, turning familiar scenes into timeless abstractions.

This is a contemplative coffee-table book best enjoyed slowly, perhaps with a cup of tea nearby. For photographers, it’s a quiet masterclass in composition, restraint, and the creative use of negative space. It’s also an inspiring reminder that landscapes don’t have to shout to leave a lasting impression.

52 Assignments: Landscape Photography by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer

52 Assignments: Landscape Photography is less about sitting and admiring, and more about getting out and shooting. Structured as a year-long series of prompts, it encourages photographers to experiment with techniques, explore new locations, and think differently about composition and light. Assignments range from straightforward challenges to more conceptual exercises, making it accessible for beginners while still engaging for seasoned photographers.

This is a practical, hands-on guide that’s best kept in a camera bag rather than on a coffee table. It’s perfect for anyone stuck in a creative rut or looking for structured motivation to develop their skills. By working through the book, readers will not only grow technically but also build a richer, more personal approach to landscape photography.

The Oceans: The Maritime Photography of Chris Burkard

Chris Burkard is known for his adventurous spirit and knack for capturing the intersection of human experience and raw nature, and The Oceans is a tribute to his first love: water. From Arctic swells to tropical lagoons, the images move between high-adrenaline surf shots and tranquil studies of light and tide. Burkard’s cinematic style, which is rich in color, drama, and atmosphere, makes each page feel like a still from an epic journey.

This is a vibrant coffee-table book for ocean lovers, surf culture enthusiasts, and anyone drawn to the interplay between land, sea, and sky. For photographers, it’s an inspiring look at how to blend landscape, action, and lifestyle photography into a cohesive visual story.

Night Sky Photography: From First Principles to Professional Results by Adam Woodworth

Adam Woodworth’s Night Sky Photography is a complete guide to capturing the cosmos, written with clarity and enthusiasm. It covers the essentials such as gear, camera settings, focusing in the dark, and builds up to advanced techniques for photographing the Milky Way, star trails, and auroras. The book also addresses planning, using apps, and processing your images for maximum impact.

This is a must-have technical manual for anyone intrigued by astrophotography, from curious beginners to committed night shooters. While the photographs are beautiful, the book’s strength is in its practical, actionable guidance. Keep it on your desk or in your camera bag, and it will quickly become a trusted reference.

How to Photograph Gardens: Beautiful Images Made Simple by Jason Ingram

In How to Photograph Gardens, award-winning photographer Jason Ingram shares his expertise in capturing cultivated landscapes at their best. From understanding light and weather to choosing the right lens for different types of plant portraits, the book offers a wealth of advice presented in a clear, approachable way. Ingram’s photographs demonstrate how to convey not just the beauty, but also the atmosphere and personality of a garden.

This is a versatile guide for gardeners, landscape photographers, and anyone who enjoys photographing the outdoors in a more intimate setting. It’s instructional at heart but visually rich enough to inspire browsing. Perfect for those who want to translate the artistry of garden design into equally compelling images.

Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs

No list of the best landscape photography books is complete without Ansel Adams. 400 Photographs is a definitive survey of the photographer who arguably shaped modern landscape photography more than any other.

Spanning his entire career, the book moves from early explorations of the Sierra Nevada to his iconic views of Yosemite and the American West. Each image exemplifies Adams’ mastery of composition, tonal range, and the expressive potential of black-and-white photography.

This is an essential coffee-table book for anyone interested in the history and craft of landscape photography. For beginners, it’s an education in seeing; for experienced photographers, it’s a reminder of the enduring power of simplicity, patience, and technical precision. Few books are as likely to inspire you to pick up your camera and head for the hills.

Landscape photography is more than just chasing golden hour or finding the perfect vista; it’s about developing a way of seeing. The books in this list offer not only technical know-how, but also access to the minds and methods of photographers who’ve spent years honing their craft, often in the most remote or familiar corners of the world.

Whether you're flipping through the coastlines of The Perimeter, experimenting with weekly prompts from 52 Assignments: Landscape Photography, or studying the elegance of Kenna’s minimalist prints in Forms of Japan, each title invites you to engage more deeply with the land around you.

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If you're interested in learning more about landscape photography, try checking out the best landscape locations in the UK and the best camera for landscapes.

See also tutorials that teach you how to avoid landscape photography mistakes and how to shoot landscapes with your phone.

Landscape documentary photographer Sydney Smolla (@sydneysmolla_art) has been carrying a camera around for a decade, but it’s only recently that she decided to quit her job and make it as a working freelancer.

In the latest episode of AdoramaTV’s Picture America, Sydney invites viewers on a whistle-stop tour of Durango, Colorado, and its surrounding landscapes, a place that the semi-nomadic photographer currently calls home.

ABOVE: Watch the full episode right now

Sydney visited the city frequently when she lived in New Mexico and cites “the mountains, flowing rivers, alpine lakes, green grass and the smell of pine trees… farmers’ markets, people riding their bikes around town,” as what attracted her to the former railroad town’s southwest culture.

Having nature on her doorstep is another huge draw, as well as the nearby Utah, providing her with an incredibly diverse collection of landscapes. During the video, Sydney photographs a steam train at Silverton, takes viewers to the gorgeous Mineral Creek and talks about an incredibly interesting astronaut-themed project.

But she also talks about the documentary aspect of her photography, using it to build a narrative, commenting on the relationship between land and people, and conveying the history of the places she visits.

I found this particularly interesting, because very often we talk about landscape photography in terms of capturing a single, ‘perfect’ image, but shooting in series is a fantastic way to use your landscape photography to build a narrative.

So, to find out about the Durango landscape’s link to the Manhattan Project, how Sydney incorporates portraits into her work, and all of the gear she uses alongside her Sony A7 IV and Sony A7R IV cameras, make sure you check out the full video. Oh, and you’ll get to meet Sydney’s handsome Belgian Malinois, Max!

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To get the most out of your outdoor shots, check out the best cameras for landscape photography and the best lenses for landscapes. Want more from Picture America? Creative and former DJ Pat Cray photographs his home city of Buffalo. Learn how a commercial fisherman became a documentary and wildlife photographer. And stroll around Nashville with photographer Tony Shepard.

Maximising the visual impact of your photos is key to growing as a photographer. One powerful yet often overlooked technique is to mirror your subject.

To make the most of this approach, there are a few things to keep in mind – like composition, shutter speed, using a tripod, or choosing the right ND filter, and applying post-processing to enhance the effect.

To guide us through the process, landscape photography pro Karolina Konsur shares her expert tips and tricks for creating striking mirrored images in nature.

"When mirroring your subject, look for a place with calm water to ensure clear and undistorted reflections. Be sure to use covers to protect your equipment from water damage, especially when shooting near the ocean.

When it comes to the composition, finding a location that supports you in showcasing the reflections is key to creating an additional element in the frame. To maximize the effect, it's best to position the subject at the edge of the water and to experiment with different angles. When doing so, pay attention to the direction and quality of light."

Understand the light

Morning light
In the morning, diffused light creates a calm atmosphere, perfect for capturing reflections in water. Soft light highlights colors and textures, giving the photos a dreamy vibe. However, low-angle sunlight can cast long shadows, so you should compose your photos carefully to avoid distracting shadows.

Midday sun
Sun at midday can be harsh and unforgiving, casting strong shadows and washing out colors. To mitigate these effects, look for shady areas or use a diffuser to soften the light. Alternatively, use stark contrast and play with shadows to create dynamic compositions.

Afternoon/ evening hues
The golden light of the late afternoon/ evening casts a magical glow over the water. This smooth, but directional light adds warmth and depth, enhancing the soft features of your subject. As the sun is about to set, be prepared for rapidly changing lighting conditions and adjust your settings accordingly to capture those fleeting moments of magic.

Shooting steps

Tips to enhance clarity and composition

1. Stay calm
Shooting in still conditions is best to capture strong reflections. Take advantage of calm water to reflect elements while adding depth and tranquillity.

2. Centre it
When composing the shot, centring the subject is a great way to maintain visual balance. When experimenting further, take techniques like the rule of thirds into account to create a harmonious composition, focusing attention on the main subject

3. Enhance intensity
When the water is still, use an ND filter and take advantage of slower shutter speeds. By attaching the lens filter, you block light, so you can shoot long exposures without risking overexposures. This way, you achieve a clear mirror effect and blurred clouds.

Editing Tutorial

1. Adjust WB

Fine-tune the color temperature to match the mood of the landscape, whether it is warm and inviting or cool and mysterious, ensuring an accurate representation of natural tones.

2. Boost contrast

Increase the overall contrast to add depth and drama to the scene. By emphasising differences in light and shadow, you intensify the landscape’s visual impact.

3. Overwatch details

By balancing the exposure via the Tone Curve, you ensure details in Highlights and Shadows are preserved, and control Lights and Darks, maintaining a natural and balanced look.

4. Adjust tonality

Refine Saturation and Vibrance to enhance the richness of the summer landscape’s colours. When doing so, avoid oversaturating as this makes the natural colours appear fake.

5. Balance exposure

Add a graduated filter to selectively adjust exposure and color temperature across the image, simulating natural lighting conditions and drawing attention to specific areas.

6. Add clarity

Adjust the Texture and Clarity sliders to enhance the finer details in the landscape. This helps your composition by adding depth and dimension to the scene while avoiding excessive sharpening.

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Discover our 5-minute tips series to enhance your photography this summer:

- How to think in black and white
- Use Auto HDR and save your exposure struggles!
- Make AF microadjustments to sharpen your shots
- Activate grid lines to instantly improve your composition

Professional photographer Dibyendu Das specializes in capturing the stunning landscapes around the globe to showcase the beautiful scenery our world has to offer. To create his internationally published work, he exclusively works with Nikon cameras – these days also with the Z8.

Dibyendu captured this landscape shot at 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO200. As the headline suggests, his choice of lens was crucial. Dibyendu did not just need to decide on the lens but camera, as the different optics were attached to different Nikon DSLR cameras: Nikon D750 with the Nikon AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 E ED VR (we rated this optic as one of the best Nikon telephotos for the money), and the Nikon D90, in combination with the Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR.

Let's dive into the story behind the image 'Veins of Suru' and discuss Dibyendu's gear choices.

The story

"As I was en route to Pensi La, in the evening for the Milky Way shoot, I stopped here for some sunset shots. It was a breathtaking view of Zanskar Valley that showcased the majestic beauty of the Himalayan mountain range with the Suru River winding its way through the foreground. The golden light of the setting sun bathed the valley, creating a dramatic contrast between the shadowed mountains and the illuminated river, capturing nature in its raw and serene form.

"My plan was to start early after lunch and reach the spot well in advance so that I do not miss any opportunity of capturing the drama of late evening. I believe that in landscape photography, the key is to be at the right place at the right time. If I were a little late, I would not have gotten this enchanting view.

"The main challenge for me was with the gear, because it was a tricky situation. I had to decide very quickly which lens I should use for this shot. I had one telephoto 70-300 lens, which was attached to my Nikon D750, and another was a Nikkor 18-140 lens attached to my Nikon D90.

"As I had to capture the winding Suru river in the foreground, along with the beautiful background where the setting was giving out golden light all around, and so, I decided to use the wide lens and capture the image.

"Even today, the beautiful Zanskar Valley of Ladakh remains untouched and unexplored, so I wanted to share this stunning scenery with the world".

Gear info

In the end, Dibyendu decided to ditch the Nikon D750 plus 70-300mm optic, and instead captured the beautiful landscape with his Nikon D90 and the Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR.

The Nikon D90 is a DSLR camera that was launched in August 2008. It features a 12.3MP sensor and a Nikon DX format crop sensor, sitting between Nikon's entry-level and professional DSLR models.

With this shot, Dibyendu showcases that it's not all about the newest and expensive gear. The most crucial skill you have to have to shoot atmospheric images is to know your gear and to trust your photographic instinct.

The Nikon 18-140mm obviously differs from the Nikon 70-300mm lens. While both offer a generous zoom range, the 18-140mm optic can capture both wide-angle and telephoto shots. Dibyendu shot the image with a focal length of 18mm.

Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is by far the largest kit zoom lens for DX format and delivers a great overall performance and image quality with effective 4-stop optical stabilization.

To balance the light, Dibyendu used an H&Y 3Stop GND filter, a top-notch choice that is a favourite among many thanks to its optical quality, robust build, and ease of use.

Discover more of Dibyendu's work on his Instagram account or Facebook

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If you are interested in reading more stories about professional photographers, their gear, and images, you might want to check out other stories in our series:

- This image was shot with "probably the best 70-200mm zoom in the world"
- Not all photos need to be "nice to look at" – this DSLR shot preserves rituals for future generations
- This stunning photo was shot with "one of the finest Nikon Z lenses that we've seen to date"

Dawn or dusk? Are you an early bird or a nightingale when it comes to photography? Me? I can’t get out of bed in the morning. It’s a struggle.

My partner, on the other hand, likes to wake before their 06:00 alarm. The only time I see 06:00 usually is when I’m at a scout camp or when I’ve been up all night! I would truly love to see more sunrises, but they just don’t fit my lifestyle. Sunsets, however, suit me perfectly.

The golden hour moments that make landscapes (and portraits, too) more vibrant have so much to offer us. Both deliver unique experiences that appeal to different temperaments and lifestyles.

The 'early bird' is rewarded with the peace and solitude of dawn. The beginning of the new day, as night fades. The chances of still winds and fog on water are greatly increased, providing atmospheric and ethereal scenes for those leaving their early bed.

Early birds may well be the only people for miles around, surrounded by the predawn color, waiting for the sun to peep over the horizon. They get to savor moments of beauty, which can lighten their load for the day.

The 'nightingale' comes to sunset after the day is complete. They get to share these moments with friends and colleagues, winding down as the day ends. The color leading up to sunset can be amazing, but nothing like the color that can build as the fading light reflects off high clouds and down.

Evening color can be more intense and vibrant, with more muted tones in the mornings. Sunset is easier. Everyone can enjoy it, but not everyone is around for sunrise.

Some of this is biological. Scientists recognize that we have different 'chronotypes'. Some of us are larks and others are owls. I’m definitely of the owl variety; 40% of people are one or the other, with everyone else somewhere in between.

Those with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), like me, have what’s referred to as a 'delayed circadian rhythm'. They prefer later hours. Now, being an owl doesn’t mean you have ADHD, just that some owls do. So you may not have control over your preference – it may be genetically programmed into you.

Light itself differs between dawn and dusk. Morning light is blue light, which suppresses melatonin and increases cortisol – hormones that wake us up and energize us. Evening light is more red-orange, which has a less disruptive effect on melatonin production, easing us toward sleep.

The hustle of landscape photographers selling you morning workshops at ungodly hours shouldn’t make you feel bad about loving the sunset. The late-night lovers that go for sunset shots and stay for the Milky Way when you’re winding down shouldn’t make you feel like an inferior photographer.

Embrace your biology and love for your choice of golden hour. Never be afraid to give the other one a chance.

No matter which one you choose, remember we are blessed to be able to experience the miracle moments of the beauty of nature. That we get to experience them and photograph them to share with others is true joy. Never feel bad for your favorite, but don’t be afraid of getting up early or going to bed late every now and again!

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Check out more landscape photography tips, and make sure you're using one of the best cameras for landscape photography and the best lenses for landscapes.

If you’re wondering how to take landscape photos with a phone, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve captured the natural world with some of the best cameras for landscape photography, but in a pinch, I still reach for my camera phone. Landscape photography is one of the most accessible forms of photography because you don’t necessarily need high-end kit, and potential subjects are all around us.

Most of the images here were captured on my iPhone 13, but any Apple or Android device with a decent camera will serve you well. In my opinion, capturing landscapes is less about kit and more about good planning and composition. Throughout this article, I’ll talk you through setting up your phone for success, a few accessories you might like to invest in, and the best time of day to capture landscapes. So, grab your phone (and maybe a tripod) and I'll walk you through my landscape photography tips.

What is the best camera phone?

If you’re looking for the best camera phones money can buy, I’d plump for the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. But I still use my aging iPhone 13 and still capture great landscape photos, regardless. Landscape photography doesn’t have to be about using the latest and greatest tech. At its core, it’s about finding a great subject, lining up an interesting composition, and capturing the scene in beautiful lighting. I’d rather tick these three criteria and use an iPhone 11 than tick none of them and use an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

As long as your camera phone can capture a sharp image with good colors, you’ve got everything you need. But that’s not to say a tip-top camera phone isn’t worth having. Benefits of a flagship device will likely include more lenses, higher-resolution sensors, and the ability to shoot RAW. You can also expect better computational photography in more premium phones, too.

What is computational photography?

Computational photography is essentially advanced automatic post-processing that happens the instant you capture a photo on your phone. It’s largely the reason why camera phone images look so darn good (small, ultra-vibrant screens also help). Capture the same scene with a dedicated camera and a Google Pixel 9, the latter will look sharper, more vibrant, and more evenly exposed (straight out of the camera). This is because of all the computational photography that’s gone on in the background. This can be as simple as sharpening and as complicated as forming a HDR photo.

AI is a key component of computational photography, and as new flagship camera phones are released, it’s only going to get better. But there's a downside to computational photography – it can be a little too effective. In some instances, it can make phone images look a little too overprocessed, dare I say fake. A good example of this is the iPhone’s tendency to oversharpen, something that’s been prevalent in various generations for years. One way to reduce the effects of computational photography is to shoot RAW, but even then, it's likely to still be present in your photos.

1. Nail your exposure

Modern phones use a mixture of automatic exposure and computational photography to capture well-exposed images in all but the most challenging of lighting environments. For the most part, this means you can happily snap away without ever learning the exposure triangle. But, there are times when you might want to take a little more direct control to, say, darken a moody sky. In those instances, most devices offer the ability to adjust your exposure in-camera.

On my iPhone, I can swipe upwards while the camera is activated to bring up a row of settings icons. The exposure icon is a circle with plus and minus signs inside. Tapping this brings up an exposure-compensation meter, which I can slide left to darken the exposure or right to increase the exposure. Alternatively, I can tap the screen to focus and next to the AF point, drag the sun icon up and down to increase or decrease the exposure, respectively. Another way to manually control your phone’s camera settings is to download a manual camera app, such as ProCam 8.

2. Where to focus

Both tiny sensors and wider lenses mean phones exhibit large depths of field. In fact, super-shallow depths of field aren’t possible without computational tech intelligently blurring the background for you. As such, you don’t need to be particularly diligent when focusing. Still, I’m a firm believer in learning the right way to do something, especially if you plan on taking landscapes with a dedicated camera anytime soon. The easiest way to work is by simply focusing on the focal point of your image, be it a lighthouse, mountain, or tree.

But for landscapes without an obvious subject, try focusing roughly a third of the way into the scene. Another focusing method that many landscape photographers use is called double-distance focusing. This works best with wide-angle fields of view (present on most camera phones) and requires you to locate the part of the image that’s closest to you that you want pin-sharp. You then approximate the distance to that object and focus roughly double that distance.

3. Landscape composition

Landscape composition is a huge subject to distill into a couple of paragraphs, so I’m going to talk about two of the simplest and versatile techniques you can learn: the rule of thirds and leading lines. The rule of thirds splits the image into a 3 x 3 rectangle made up of two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. The four places where these lines meet are called intersection points. Place your main subject, the focal point of your image, on any one of these intersection points, and you’ll end up with a pleasing composition. You can also place the horizon on one of the vertical lines, too. The rule of thirds is so popular that most phone cameras and indeed third-party camera apps overlay a rule-of-thirds grid onto the camera’s live view for reference.

Leading lines (sometimes called lead-in lines) lead the viewer’s eye into the image and towards areas of interest. The simplest example of a leading line is a road that recedes into the distance – your eye cannot help but follow it. A huge variety of objects can form leading lines, for landscape photographers, this might be the curvature of a lake, an avenue of trees, a winding track, or a rocky incline. Just make sure that any leading lines guide the viewer towards a point of interest and not out of the frame (or towards nothing in particular) because this will detract from your main subject.

4. Plan your landscape shoot

The best landscape photographers plan each shoot meticulously, but even a little planning can go a long way. The first thing to consider is the location. Whether you’re visiting a rural area or are lucky enough to live in one, research landscape hotspots online to find the best places to visit. The next step is to keep tabs on the weather. The Clear Outside app is a good choice, but I recommend using two or three to gauge exactly what conditions you’ll be facing.

And don’t always be put off by rain. Torrential rain will ruin a shoot, but oftentimes the lighting between showers can be extremely photogenic, not to mention a sodden landscape will provide punchier colors. And finally, consider downloading a planning app like The Photographer's Ephemeris or PhotoPills. These apps will tell you the direction of the sun at a given location, date, and time, as well as timings for the golden hours, sunrise, sunset, and more.

5. Shoot during the golden hours

Light and composition are the two most important factors when it comes to landscape photography. Soft lighting is essential – in most cases – and soft golden light is even better. With that in mind, the worst time to capture landscapes is in the middle of a sunny day. This is when the sun will be at its highest, casting harsh, ugly shadows and bright hotspots across the land. To capture soft light, you need to shoot early in the morning, late in the evening, or during an overcast day when the sunlight is diffused by the clouds. But the most consistently beautiful times of day are the golden hours. These take place just after sunrise and just before sunset, bathing the landscape in soft, golden-colored light.

6. Shoot RAW

RAW files capture as much image data as possible, which means they’re more pliable when edited and they deliver images at your phone sensor’s native resolution. You see, a HEIF or JPEG image will not only be compressed, but automatically edited to appear sharper and more saturated. RAW files are a blank slate, so why they might appear softer and more dull, fresh from the camera, you have more headroom when editing them.

Phone RAW files tend not to be true RAW files as many are still affected by computational photography, but if you want to get the most out of your phone images, they’re still the way to go. That said, not all phones can shoot RAW files, and it certainly isn’t the end of the world if yours doesn’t. Some camera phones allow you to switch RAW on/off in-camera, but if you cannot find this option, it might be lurking in your camera app’s settings.

7. Use a tripod

Camera shake isn’t nearly as problematic when using a phone as it is a dedicated camera. A combination of automatic exposure and computational photography means your phone is working hard to capture tack-sharp images, so much so, taking a soft photo on the latest smartphones is actually quite hard. Unless, of course, you’re shooting at night.

Even at night, features such as iPhone’s Night Mode and Google Pixel’s Night Sight still make it very possible to capture sharp images, handheld, in low light. But there’s no doubt about it, you’ll capture your sharpest low-light images if you use a tripod. And the same goes for ND filters, too, which I’ll talk about next on my list.

There’s one final reason why tripods are still very useful for landscape phone photographers: composition. A tripod allows you to fine-tune your composition so it’s absolutely perfect. Plus, if you’re hand-holding your phone at sunset, your arms are going to start aching pretty quickly. As such, you might just think: That’ll do, and go home. But with a tripod, you can set up the perfect shot and wait for the perfect lighting conditions. Yes, a tripod impacts the portability of a phone, but it might also help you capture your best landscape photos ever.

8. Use smartphone filters

Clip-on phone filters are by no means an essential purchase for landscape phone photographers. In fact, they can prove mighty fiddly. But for very specific uses, they can prove worthwhile, not to mention fun to use. The problem with combining phones and filters is that you’re often working against your phone’s automatic exposure and computational photography, as it attempts to mitigate the effects of a filter.

For example, attach an ND filter – which darkens the scene to lengthen the exposure – and an iPhone will simply readjust its exposure and computational photography to deliver an image of roughly the same brightness as if you weren’t using the filter. The trick is to download a manual camera app like ProCam 8. This will allow you to fix your exposure, preventing the camera from overriding the effects of the filter.

You can download apps that will replicate the long-exposure effects of an ND filter. If I want a long exposure in a pinch and I’m using my iPhone, I’ll often capture a Live photo, which can be converted into a long exposure by selecting the ‘Live’ lozenge above the preview of the image in the Photos app. And when it comes to ND grads, computational photography has gotten so good, the latest phones tend to do a very good job of balancing even the most challenging exposures. But one filter effect that computational photography cannot replicate is how a polarizing filter cuts glare. As such, a clip-on polarizer can prove quite handy.

9. Edit your images

AI-powered computational photography has made it very difficult indeed not to capture a technically good-looking image on the latest phones. So much so, you don’t need to edit your images at all. But in my mind, photography is about conveying your vision, not your phone’s. Even if the phone edit looks good, you might want to stamp your mark on your landscape images by editing them yourself. And if you’re shooting RAW, I’d always recommend offering your photos the post-production treatment.

The App Store and Google Play are awash with phone-friendly editing apps, with my favorites being the iPhone Photos App’s built-in editor and Adobe Photoshop Express. My advice would be to choose an app that isn’t just filters and effects-based. If you’re serious about capturing beautiful landscape photos, you want full control of each individual element of your edit. As such, look for applications that allow you to tweak tonal sliders such as shadows, contrast, saturation, color temperature, etc.

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Looking for more phone photography-themed goodness? Maybe you're wondering why your battery is always flat: Gah, I've discovered I've been charging my phone all wrong for years! Are you making the same mistake? Or perhaps you want to know if you can turn phone photography into a profession: Is phone photography REAL photography? A day in the life of pro shooter Mike Kus. Maybe you're considering editing all of your photos on your phone: I ditched my laptop for photo editing. I now use my phone, and have never looked back.

Finnish photographer Jonas Lindell specializes in capturing the mesmerizing landscapes of Finland, both during the day and at night. The country's temperatures can make photographing challenging, so Jonas works with weather-sealed Nikon gear.

Jonas captured this image at 1/400 sec, f/11, ISO160 using the Nikon Z6 II. As the headline suggests, his lens choice was crucial, especially since he wasn't shooting from solid ground. He paired the full-frame camera with the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens, which we rated as "probably the best 70-200mm zoom in the world".

Let's dive into the story behind this image and discuss Jonas' gear choices.

Image Analysis

Magical atmosphere

"For me, loneliness and calmness are the main feelings in this picture," says Jonas. The scene shows a small, privately-owned island, located near Helsinki’s Market Square and highlighted by the fog over the partly broken ice.

"This particular morning, it was around -4°F / -20°C so the temperature difference between the sea and air was more than 59°F / 15°C. That means the phenomenon of sea smoke occurs on open waters, such as where the constant boat traffic prevents the ice from freezing completely."

Golden smoke

To achieve this magical effect, Jonas shot against the sun to create a golden-colored mist. "In winter, the sea smoke is usually most visible in the morning. As the weather warms up later in the day, the mist gradually fades away until the golden hour just before sunset," he says.

"However, the sunrise gives the sea smoke a nice, warm glow even if the weather is the complete opposite of warm." Jonas applied the rule of thirds for positioning the sun, catching the viewer's eye and balancing elements in the image.

Exclusive perspective

For this capture, Jonas took a ferry trip so that he could get closer and create a unique perspective. "You can see this small island from the land, however, there’s a tourist ferry that passes much closer to it.

"The distance between the boat and the island was changing all the time, but I knew we would never be very close, so I needed a lens with a good reach. The ability to zoom between 70-200mm proved to be the perfect choice.

"The cold weather meant that I couldn't change lenses easily in the time I had, and there was the pressure of missing the opportunity as the ferry continued its journey without stopping."

Storytelling

By capturing the atmosphere and colors, Jonas has created a cinematic image. "There is this mystical, dark, lonely atmosphere that makes the viewer wonder whether or not anybody lives in the house."

The backlighting adds to this storytelling layer. Here, HDR blending could have been applied to enhance the dynamic range – but as Jonas was shooting from a moving ferry, he couldn't take this approach.

"I used a tripod and a fast shutter speed with IBIS enabled, but the strong backlighting demands good dynamic range from the camera. The cold weather iced up my camera screen – one button almost got stuck because my breath quickly froze, covering the camera in ice."

Gear info

Jonas captured this image using a Nikon Z6 II, a full-frame mirrorless camera that is an updated version of the original Z6. As you can see in our Nikon Z6 vs Z6 II comparison, there are some key differences between the bodies.

The Z6 II features an increased continuous shooting speed of 14fps (up from 12fps) along with twin image processors for more horsepower – which enables it to buffer up to 124 12-bit RAW files or 200 JPEGs. The Z6 II is equipped with the same 24.5MP BSI sensor, but boasts superior autofocus performance.

As Jonas highlights, having the ability to zoom between 70 and 100mm proved to be the "perfect choice" for capturing the misty landscape scene – especially given the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S' professional weather sealing.

One of the best Nikon telephoto lenses, it builds upon the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR optic for DSLRs – a favorite among pro Nikon shooters globally. But while the new S-line lens for mirrorless cameras is better in terms of handling, image quality and overall performance, it comes with a hefty price tag!

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Take a look at the best Nikon cameras and the best Nikon lenses to go with them. If you are interested in the story behind photographs and why shots work, check out more articles in this series: "My artwork is almost 80% manipulation, like this visual, created with a Sony A6400 and iPhone" and Not all photos need to be "nice to look at" – this DSLR shot preserves rituals for future generations.

Two men from Cumbria, England, have been found guilty of criminal damage at Newcastle Crown Court. Their crime was felling the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree, beloved of photographers for decades.

The men, Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, have each been convicted of two counts of criminal damage, and the verdict – returned at 10:00 today, after the jury took over 4 hours of deliberation – was unanimous.

The judge in the case, Mrs Justice Lambert, has indicated that the men will be sentenced on July 15. And, according to the BBC, the court proceedings will "likely" be televised, such is the level of interest in the vandalism of the Sycamore Gap.

The investigation has been the subject of intense interest, at least in part because people have sought to understand why the men should want to cause harm to a site of such natural beauty that it has long been of interest to tourists and photographers.

According to Northumbria Police, however, there has never been any information about motive. Instead, the investigation was forced to discover that the men had the means and opportunity.

Since the verdict was announced, Gale Gilchrist, spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that the tree was an "iconic natural landmark in the North East of England." She added that, "In just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction."

She noted that the criminals seemed to take pleasure in how far and wide the news of their act of destruction spread. The other charge against each man was for damage to Hadrian's Wall. (Read the full CPS statement)

The police, too, noted the strength of feeling among people – including landscape photographers – which motivated them to build a robust case and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.

The investigation began after the felling in September 2023, as documented by Northumbria Police.

The case involved some very strange details, such as a photo of Mr Graham, taken by Mr Carruthers, holding a pair of owls! (It was more significant that there were chainsaws in the photo – and that there are photos of the pair doing tree surgery.)

The case even discussed whether the pair had seen Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (a film in which the tree appears!).

It also seems there was a video filmed by the pair of the crime in progress:

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Read our guide to the best cameras for landscape photography and the best lenses for landscape photography.

Instead of sheltering inside when one of Britain's biggest storms battered the coast, landscape photographer, Edyta Rice, headed out with her Nikon D850 and Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR to capture the action. The resulting image is a black-and-white photograph of Porthcawl Lighthouse, South Wales, surrounded by crashing waves.

Edyta told me: "I wanted to capture the raw power of nature and the resilience of the structures built to withstand such forces. The sheer size of the waves, and the way they engulfed the lighthouse, made for an incredible scene that I knew had to be photographed."

It's worth noting that safety should be your number one priority when photographing in storms, especially on the coast. Be sure to heed any warnings, check tide times before traveling, and always ensure you have a safe exit route. Using one of the best telephoto lenses, will allow you to stand back and shoot from a safe distance.

• Do you have an image that should be Photo of the Day? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured.

But inclement weather comes with plenty of challenges. Edyta says: "The wind was ferocious and the sea spray was relentless, making it difficult to keep my lens clean. The unpredictable movement of the waves also meant I had to anticipate the perfect moment to capture the lighthouse being overwhelmed."

The photographer used Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop to edit the image. "The main adjustments included enhancing contrast and detail to bring out the textures in the waves," she says, "as well as fine-tuning the exposure to balance the highlights and shadows."

When asked if she would do anything differently, next time. Edyta tells me: "I would experiment with a slightly longer focal length to compress the scene and emphasize the sheer scale of the waves against the lighthouse."

Edyta's top tips for stormy seascape photography

Edyta tells me she used a fast shutter speed: "To freeze the motion of the waves and capture the dramatic details." She also made sure to secure her gear: "Strong winds and sea spray can be hazardous, so use a sturdy tripod and protect your camera." And finally, Edyta says to: "Be patient and observant – study the rhythm of the waves to anticipate the most impactful moment to shoot."

To see more of Edyta's work, visit her website.

Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them. If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com

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Want to get better at landscapes? Here are 9 landscape photography tips I think every photographer should know. And if you're a fan of the Nikon D850, here's one of my opinion pieces from the DCW vault: I bought a Nikon D850 in 2023 and still don't own a mirrorless camera. And if you're looking to upgrade your landscape photography kit, make sure you invest in one of the best tripods.

Has a little rain ever put you off heading out with your camera? No weather is going to stop Pawel Zygmunt (AKA @breaking_light_pictures) from capturing incredible landscape photography. This incredible photograph of waves crashing against craggy rocks was captured at Dunmore Head on the Dingle Peninsula in the Republic of Ireland.

And Pawel's got the camera gear to weather the storm, too. He used the mighty Nikon Z9 and a pro-grade Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S to capture this image, providing a formidable weather-sealed setup. But even if you have one of the best Nikon cameras, I'd still advise using one of the best rain covers as no camera is impenetrable.

• Do you have an image that should be Photo of the Day? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured.

Pawel travelled specifically to capture this image. He tells me: "I heard about a storm coming to Ireland, so I decided to travel to the west coast and visit some of the County Kerry beaches." As you can imagine, the shooting conditions weren't easy. "Super high winds were the challenge, however, being low on the beach helped," he says.

But photographing wild weather can be a dangerous business, especially near the coast, so always use extreme caution, pay attention to any warning signs, and research tide times before a shoot. While the image looks like Pawel was right in the thick of it, he sensibly stood back inland and framed the image with his Nikon telephoto lens. He was actually shooting from a higher vantage point: "There was a small walled road going down to the beach. So I was a bit above the ocean level, " he explains.

Standing so far back meant that Pawel couldn't quite fill the frame with his subject. The solution was found in Adobe Photoshop: "I cropped it to square format to make the details on rocks and waves stand out," he says, before performing various tonal adjustments using the Contrast, Highlights, and Shadows sliders, with a little sharpening.

Pawel's top tips for stormy seascape photography

Pawel suggests using a "good zoom lens" and a fast shutter speed. This will mitigate camera shake, especially if you follow the reciprocal rule, while also freezing the crashing waves. And finally, he says: "Stay a safe distance from the water."

To see more of Pawel's work, visit his website.

Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them. If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com

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If you want to improve your outdoor photography, here are 9 landscape photography tips I think every photographer should know. And if you're into all things Nikon, I bought a Nikon Z8 two months before the Z6 III launch. When it comes to older kit, the Nikon Df is the DSLR I'd buy today.

Welcome to the rainy season as we move from dreadful winter to volatile spring. Aside from getting on an airplane somewhere, a more affordable landscape to capture when it rains involves woods and specifically, woods with streams. The key thing here is that they are streams, not great big rivers, as you want an overhead canopy of trees to help keep the rain off.

You’ll still need to bring a waterproof coat, possibly the best rain cover for your camera, and failing that an umbrella. It’s really best to get your lens choice sorted out before you get out of the car, though, as you don’t want to try to change lenses while fending off drips from overhead.

How to compose woodland images

The great thing about shooting woodland streams on a gloomy day is that you don’t need to include much of the sky, and hopefully what sky there is will be coated in trees anyway.

Normal landscape rules apply when it comes to composition – such as the rule of thirds – but that’s tempered by how close you can get and how much water is there. In most cases, you’ll want to put the horizon on the top horizontal third as most of the interest in the image is the stream and surrounding woods.

If you’re feeling brave and the water is relatively shallow, you can get some interesting perspectives by wading into the middle of the stream. Failing that, look for a curve in the stream, sharp drops into basins or pools, or, best of all, rapids and waterfalls.

Aim to have the flow of the water create a leading line to lead the eye up through the photo, and if the stream is relatively straight then shoot it from an angle to make the composition more dynamic. Another thing to look out for are bridges over the stream, whether they're relatively new constructions, made from metal or better, wood or go back in time and are made from stones.

For metering, you could go with zone / evaluative, especially if the lighting is relatively flat. The other option is center-weighted, which might be a better bet if the water looks quite reflective. Given that the conditions are likely to be overcast at this time of year, there shouldn’t be any challenges here.

If, however, it’s one of those cold but sunny days, with bright light from the sky leaving the rest of the scene relatively dark, then think about using one of the best ND grad filters to lower the light level from the sky and balance the exposure.

A wide-angle lens with short telephoto reach is a good option for the choice of lens because, while you might be able to get right to the edge of the water and thus be able to go wide, sometimes you might be on a path on the side of a ravine and need to zoom in a little.

The choice of lens focal length plays into where you focus, because that 18mm focal length on a full-frame camera has an awful lot of depth of field – no matter what aperture you’re using.

If there’s a particular feature that you want to be the sharpest element in the shot then focus on that, unless it’s in the mid to far distance. If it’s, say, 5m away, at f/8 the depth of field acceptable sharpness starts from around 1.07m. Unless your camera is at ground level, there’s a good chance that everything in the scene is now in focus. If you do have foreground interest that is closer than a meter and is in the shot, then move the focus point nearer.

The hyperfocal distance (the point at which you get maximum depth of field and everything from the point of focus to infinity is acceptably sharp) is just 1.37m, making everything from 0.68m to infinity sharp enough. If you are shooting at f/22 (see further on), then focussing 5m into the scene means that everything from 0.44m away from the camera is in the depth of field range.

It gets a little harder in the situation where you can’t get as close to the water and have to use a short zoom. Let’s say you needed to increase the focal length to 35mm to frame everything you want. Now you’re further away you’ll be focussing on features that are at a greater distance, let’s say 8m.

At f/8 the depth of field now starts at 3.12m, so you need to be aware of what is actually in the shot right in front of you, and how far away it is. If it’s just water then don’t worry about it, but if it’s a significant feature you need a narrower aperture and / or to focus closer.

The problem with focusing closer, at 35mm, is that the depth of field doesn’t extend as far back. Say you’re focussing 4m into the scene, now the start of the depth of field is 2.25m but the back end of the acceptable focus is 17.92m. If you’re having to shoot at a 35mm focal length, then you are better off using the hyperfocal distance of 5.14m, which means everything from 2.57m to infinity is in acceptable focus.

The alternative to this is to stop down the aperture, let’s say right down to f/22. At this aperture, focussing 8m in, the start of the depth of field focus range is just 1.48m and stretches to infinity, which is much better. However, lenses aren’t as sharp at f/22 as they are at f/4-8. It’s your choice, based on the scene you’re shooting.

How to capture a long exposure

Remember I said, ‘see further on’? This is the further on part, because now we’re talking about shutter speeds and what you want to do with the flow of water. If it’s a stream then a modest exposure time of 1 sec - 1/10 sec will introduce some blur, but retain some texture, showing that the water is moving. You can go long here and really blur the water, but the trouble with streams is that they don’t have much of a drop – so it makes them look flat and lifeless.

There are two ways of getting that longer exposure: one is using filters, the other is stopping down the aperture. The best ND filter will reduce the light coming in by however many stops it’s rated for. If you need less light after that, then it’s time to change the aperture, which has knock-on effects for image sharpness and depth of field, as described above.

One thing that is worth trying out is a circular polarizer so that you can cut out the reflections and light bouncing off the water and see through to the bed underneath. This is more desirable if the terrain has a rocky base rather than a muddy one. The flip side of this is when the stream is more languid and barely moves, so there are great reflections in the water. In this case, rotate it to maximize the reflections and minimize seeing through the water.

The final element in your trek through the woods is finding a waterfall. Here you will want to generate a long exposure to really blur the movement. Look at anything from 8-30 secs to get that dreamy effect. Unless you have a very strong ND filter, you’ll probably be heading towards f/16 and f/22 apertures to get there.

Avoid hot spots

Aside from falling in or getting soaked in a downpour, the other thing to watch out for is a sudden break in the weather and the sun coming out. If it’s late or early in the day and the sun is low in the sky, it should just be a bright light source, but if it’s the middle of the day, the sun will be overhead.

In this case, patches of bright light may filter through the trees and hit the water. Note that we’re not talking about reflections of light here, these are hot spots of sunlight that make for distracting elements on the surface.

Relative shutter speed settings

A speed of 0.7 secs means there is movement in the water as well as some blurring in the image on the left. Stopping down to f/22 for the image on the right, results in a 15 secs shutter speed and much smoother water flow.

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Walking the moorland at 6am in early fall can be more rewarding than you might imagine. After a mild day, a cold night will produce ground mist which then evaporates as the sun climbs. I watch the weather during the day and check to see what’s in store overnight and in the morning, so I normally have a good idea of whether it’s worth getting up with my Sony camera before the sun rises.

For this shot, I stopped at a few fields looking towards Glastonbury Tor, England. The conditions were perfect with early morning mist, but the composition was lacking – and with the sun rising quickly, I was running out of time. Fortunately, 100m further down the road, I came across a ditch that provided a leading line towards the Tor in the distance.

It’s worth trying a variety of exposure settings, but work quickly as with the sun rising, the conditions can change rapidly. As a bonus, the cows in the distance decided to come and pay a visit, adding interest to the composition.

My 5 top tips for misty mornings

1. Composing the shot
Aim to include interest at all three levels in the photo. Here there are bushes and reeds in the foreground, cows in the middle, and the hill and Tor in the distance. No tripod was needed as my Sony A9's in-camera, five-axis sensor-shift stabilization makes hand-held shots easier.

2 . Underexpose the image
When shooting towards the sun, avoid losing highlights by underexposing by a stop or two and then bring the details out of the shadows when editing later. Because of the blurry fog texture, keep the shutter speed as slow as you can – but if you want a sharper image, go for a faster shutter speed.

3. Wait for the mist to fade
Wait for the mist to fade a little so you can just see some of the landscape, a tree poking through or a tower and so on. Foggy and misty conditions can reduce contrast within the scene and also be so dense that visibility is reduced, hiding interesting parts of the landscape.

4. Look for additional interest
Something like cows, birds or even a building within the mist can give your image a focal point, while the early morning sun illuminates the mist and fog beautifully. If you lack these, focus instead on finding a foreground that you can fill the frame with, such as flowers and other flora.

5. Pack the right gear
A wide-angle lens is what’s needed for shots like this. A short zoom such as the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens I used gives more flexibility than a prime lens. Consider also using an ND grad filter to balance the sky with the light hitting the ground.

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If you're interested in boosting your scenery skills, ask yourself: What makes beautiful landscape photography? Are you a Sony user like Mike? Check out the best Sony wide-angle lenses. And if you're looking to improve your work, take a look at these landscape photography tips.

Andy Gray's (AKA @andygrayphotographer) capture of a wintry morning in the Peak District, UK, took second prize in the main category of Weather Photographer of the Year. Although it is the first time he has been recognized in this leading international competition, Andy is no stranger to photo awards, having been a finalist or award winner in the likes of International Garden Photographer of the Year, Landscape Photographer of the Year and the Cewe Photo Award. And taking runner-up in WPotY was a first in more ways than one – ‘Hoarfrost Heaven’ was taken on a telephoto lens that Andy had only recently acquired. I got to sit down with the landscape photographer to chat about this incredible image.

“I don’t often shoot with a telephoto lens and had only purchased my Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | C lens a couple of weeks before this photo was taken,” he tells me. Andy says he was pleased to have captured this photo as he believes instances of hoar frost in the Peak District are becoming rarer.

Unlike ground frost, hoar frost occurs when the surface is already below freezing; water vapor immediately freezes on contact with the object, rather than condensing as liquid water first and then freezing. The Old English word ‘hoar’ was used because it relates to old age, the frost resembling white hair.

Andy shot this image during a period of high pressure which led to particularly cold weather. During these conditions, air generally sinks, leading to cloudless skies, and the lack of clouds at night means that heat is lost to space, rather than being reflected back to the Earth’s surface. These freezing cold nights lead to the formation of frost and mist.

The WPotY judging panel loved the colors and light in ‘Hoarfrost Heaven’, as well as the sense of layers provided by the rolling hills, the different types of trees and the thin layers of mist. As one of the judges said: “The more you stare at it, the more you see.”

Andy is obviously pleased to do well in the competition – especially given that it’s the first time he has entered. “It’s always nice to get recognized in photo competitions,” he says. “It is important for me that the audience can connect with my work, as you never know how it will be received. Sometimes it doesn’t matter about public opinion as long as I like the image: this was one of those occasions.”

This recognition in WPotY could be the start of a new phase for Andy, who has just made his seventh trip to Iceland – perhaps some of his work from there will do well in future competitions.

See more of Andy's incredible landscape photography by visiting his website.

Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them. If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com

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Looking to capture wintry images as well? Learn to capture a frozen bubble on a window sill. Or check out 8 tips for jaw-dropping winter landscape photography. And if you're looking to upgrade your kit, check out the best cameras for landscape photography.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve headed out into the country, hoping for great lighting, only to discover that it’s another cloud-filled day, enveloping my destination in a blanket of grey drabness. If this happens to you, rather than give up in disgust, take your photos anyway with a view to converting them to mono using the best photo editing software when you get back home.

In fact, for punchy mono conversions, lots of cloud is actually a good thing, as you’ll see with the example below. Here we have a classic British red brick cottage, a winding pathway and an old English church in the background. But there was no sign of the sun and the light was completely flat. So, I used my favorite landscape photography tips to capture the best image I could and fired up Affinity Photo 2 when I got home.

Here’s how I turned this flat, lifeless image, into a beautiful black-and-white photo.

1. Select your software

I used Affinity Photo 2 in this project, but you can perform black-and-white conversions in almost any photo editing software, such as Corel PaintShop Pro and Adobe Photoshop. If you don't have any editing software, try out the best free photo editing software that's available.

2. Quick corrections

To begin, clean up any flaws. My image was shot with a wide-angle lens, so the side of the cottage is leaning in due to barrel distortion. Click on the Develop Persona icon and then on the Lens Correction tab on the right. There are options for specific Lens profiles, so if you used one of those listed select it. Then, move the Vertical slider to the left to correct the leaning wall.

2. Convert the tones

Next, click on the Tones tab to show the six color channels. The red channel normally covers brickwork in landscape shots, the green and yellow are the grass, and blue and cyan are the blue parts of the sky. To get more impact into the bland lighting, you'll want to reduce the Blue and Cyan channels to make those parts of the sky darker, without creating excessive noise and pixelation. The red needed tweaking as it was a little too bright.

3. Define the sky

Go to the Basic tab and increase the clarity until some definition and drama start to appear in the sky. If this also makes the flowers on the ground area too bright, you might need to adjust the yellow or green channels again. While on the Tones tab tweak the overall contrast using Curves with an "S" shape to make it slightly punchier overall.

4. Finishing touches

Click on the Details tab and then on Noise Addition. Increase the Intensity to 10% to give it a gritty feel. Duplicate the background layer to enable transformations. Select the Move tool and drag the left and right center handles out to fill the gaps. Grab the top center handle and drag up to retain the scale of the building. There was plenty of sky, so better to lose a bit of that than the foreground scenery. Flatten and save to finish.

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This stunning landscape was captured in Exe Estuary, Devon, by Sam Evans (AKA @samevanssnaps). He told me: "The sun was setting over the hills in the background, which created this flow of golden light across the water at low tide." Reflections are a key factor when photographing bodies of water. In this instance, the reflection in the water has effectively doubled the amount of golden light.

Sam used his trusty Canon 250D, Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC and a K&F polarizing filter. But such was the spontaneity of the image, he didn’t have a tripod handy, so he improvised: “I laid my rucksack on the floor and rested my camera on top so I had a stable base.”

• Do you have an image that should be Photo of the Day? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured.

While Sam admits that arriving early is the best way to shoot sunrise/sunset, he explains that this was an impromptu capture. "I was driving along the seafront to watch the sunset and noticed the pools of water shining. It was fairly late into the sunset but I was determined to try and get a shot of the boat."

He used the tried-and-tested rule of thirds to frame the image: "Placing your subject left or right of the center feels more natural and is easier on the eye. The boat itself really adds something to the image. It draws the viewer's eye but I also positioned it strategically to block the harshest part of the sun out, too. I also like how the reflection makes it look like it's hovering."

The images were merged together in Adobe Lightroom. Masking was used to draw the viewer's eye to specific areas, including the boat. Sam says: "I added some texture to the boat so it stood out more and then finished with some very light color enhancements so the image really popped."

Sam's top tips for landscape photography…

"Wear waterproof shoes! In all seriousness, I think my most important tips are to use bracketing and a stable base, like a tripod." Exposure bracketing is when a photographer captures multiple images with identical framing but at different exposures. This is useful at sunrise/sunset since you can expose for the bright highlights and the dark shadows, before blending the exposures in post-production to capture a balanced exposure throughout the scene. According to Sam: "This is a bracketed image consisting of five different photographs, with varying shutter speeds from eight to three seconds."

Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them. If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com

Interested in landscape photography? Check out the best camera for landscape photography and the best wide-angle lenses.

So look. I don’t actually like AI-generated imagery, I don’t like AI-augmented reality and I don’t like the idea that just about anyone can now fabricate just about any kind of imagery with a few text prompts.

Why don’t I like it? I’m not sure. Is it because I resent all my hard-earned manual editing skills being matched by a machine? No, I don’t think it’s that. Is it because I think the world is going to be flooded (or IS being flooded) by a deluge of crass, fabricated fantasies? Yes, I think that might have a lot to do with it. Is it because it’s now too easy for unscrupulous players to lie about what they’ve seen and done and captured. Yes, that is definitely a worry.

But what I worry about in particular is that reality is being replaced by fantasy. We want an idealized, perfect world for our insta feeds, we want idealized, perfected versions of ourselves and our lives to show to people. We are trying to compete in a world of imagery where everything is wonderful and nothing is real.

We are no longer photographing the real world in its raw state as it actually exists. We are photographing what we want the world to be. As photographers, I suppose we’ve always done this, especially when working for clients who often demand their own vision of the world, or themselves. Now, though, it seems to me that AI marketing is driving us all towards a fantasized re-imagining of external reality even in photographs we take for ourselves.

What the heck is the matter with us? Is the real world not sufficiently unpredictable, imperfect, extraordinary, challenging and weird enough? Do we really want to impose our own imagination, with all its petty vanities and shortsightedness, on the vast and extraordinary universe we live in?

Google’s Pixel 9 phone has an ‘Add me’ feature so that you can add yourself to a group shot. What, has no-one heard of self-timers? Or the laughs we all got from starting the timer, running to get in the shot, pushing and shoving, pulling faces, falling about… and so on. We’re substituting what’s real and wonderful with what’s predictable and bland.

So perhaps this is my worry with AI, that it’s taking away randomness, accidents and unpredictability and replacing these things with a kind of homogenized, engineered ‘niceness’.

So what’s this got to do with sky replacement?

Well, this is the other side of the coin. I don’t like AI in photography, but it seems I’m perfectly prepared to use it. In particular, I use it for sky replacement – and I console myself with the thought that this is not generative AI, simply AI powered masking. I’ve replaced skies before, the hard way, with layers and masks in Photoshop, and having AI sky replacement definitely makes it easier.

But is it ethical? I’m not sure it is. I would much rather photograph landscapes and other outdoor scenes with the skies they came with, not one I’ve put in afterwards. I would much rather choose my timing and my framing and my composition to cope with the sky that existed and accept it’s not perfect.

Sometimes, though, I can’t help myself. I drop in a new sky and have to admit the image I’m working on is dramatically improved – as an image, that is, but not as a record of an actual scene.

In fact in an odd kind of way, every time I add a different sky to an image I feel the picture loses something. It loses a bit of its reality. And if I use AI object removal to clean up the composition or remove distractions, the picture loses a little more. And then more again if I use Photoshop’s Generative Crop to add some space around the subject.

But at least I'm not yet taking that final step – constructing all my images with a prompt...

We are encouraged to believe that our imagination is somehow greater or more significant than the realities of the world we live in, or that AI should be used to re-engineer the world to be more what we want, not what it is. External, observable, provable reality, it seems, has become a nuisance.

Once, I would have said that in photography art is everything and that reality is just a convenient starting point. Now I’m not so sure. I’m starting to wonder if we are losing our understanding of just how important the real world actually is. We can fantasize and fabricate all we like, but it’s the real, external world that we actually live in and is, perhaps, what we ought to be celebrating, will all its ugly signs, litter, annoying sightseers and, yes, boring skies.

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• These are our pick of the best cameras for landscape photography
• And if you want to enhance the sky, why not use one of the best ND grad filters to add more drama

A figure in a landscape is a tried-and-tested method for anchoring a sprawling vista with a clear subject. But we tend to think of a human figure in this instance, not a sheep... When Gary Davies (AKA @justgaz) visited the beautiful landscape surrounding Wastwater – England's deepest lake – with his Nikon Z8 and Z 24-120mm f/4 S, it was never his intention to capture a Herdwick 'photobomber' in the process.

• Do you have an image that should be Photo of the Day? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured.

He told me: "My intention that day was landscape photography. The opportunity to take this shot arose, while I was considering a landscape composition." Gary didn't have much time to think so he captured the image. But what makes this image work so well as a figure in a landscape is that it isn't a photograph of a sheep. It's a landscape with a sheep in it.

The temptation could have been to zoom or crop into the animal, but Gary chose to frame his woolly sitter within the environment. "The Herdwick ewe was in the right place at the right time," he admits. And so was the light. If the animal's position wasn't enough, the thin avenue of light, breaking through the clouds is highlighting the sheep perfectly, pulling it from its dark and moody surroundings.

Gary's top tip for capturing a figure in a landscape…

Landscape photography is usually about careful planning and coming up with the perfect composition. But when an instance like this presents itself, you've little choice but to be reactive. As Gary puts it: "The only advice I would give is not to worry about bad lighting, just take a chance and take the shot." Once you've got a shot in the bag, so long as the moment hasn't passed, you can always stick around to see if the conditions become more favorable.

Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them. If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com

Interested in landscapes? Check out the best cameras for landscape photography and the best tripods.

Harbors and marinas are great places to explore with a camera and offer a tremendous range of detail on which we can focus. It’s possible to find subjects for both close-up shots and wide vistas, allowing us to capture the many facets of this fascinating environment. 

However, as with all coastal locations, harbors are subject to extreme tidal changes in water level and, unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to be on location at the ideal time of the tidal cycle – when water is rushing in or out of the harbor, drawing attractive lines around the boats and rocks. 

During low tide, you’ll often find that the boats are resting on sand and the retreating water has revealed a jumble of rocks, seaweed, barnacles and other debris on the seabed, which doesn’t often make for the most photogenic of foregrounds. 

Also, when dry, sand absorbs a lot of light rather than reflecting it, which can make colours appear dull and muted within the frame. This can all add up to produce a boring middle ground in our landscape shots, so we must work to control the relative proportions of all areas of the frame. Let’s explore the best ways to reduce unsightly parts of the scene through careful composition and creative use of exposure.

Scene analysis

1. Imbalanced frame
From this angle, there is too much empty space on the left side of the frame

2. Busy detail
This foreground area contains lots of distracting small rocks and debris left by the tide

3. Dull material
Dry sand absorbs light, creating an uninspiring and monotonous area of bland colour

4. No structure
Here, the foreground, middle ground and background aren’t clearly defined

Shooting steps

1. Lower the camera

The key aspect to the success of this technique is to hide areas of the scene that you don’t want the viewer to see. Get the camera as low as possible to hide the dry middle ground. We used our camera bag, rather than a tripod, for the lowest position.

2. Stop down

As the camera is close to foreground elements, the depth of field is greatly reduced, so choose an aperture setting of at least f/11. For this scene, f/16 was needed to get both the foreground rocks and the distant castle sharp. Magnify the preview to check this.

3. Crop the foreground

At 24mm on our full-frame camera, there is a little too much foreground. Zoom in to balance the weight of each area of the scene and reduce the middle ground further, keeping an eye on the depth of field as you change the focal length.

4. Focus the scene

Double-distance and hyperfocal focusing aren’t always reliable when objects are located at greatly different distances. We used a hyperfocal distance app for the focus values at our focal length and f/stop, then performed visual micro-adjustments.

5. Wait for the light

With the camera set, wait for a break in the clouds. The harsher summer evening light has some drawbacks, but one advantage is dramatic spotlighting. We took a frame as a cloud moved across the sun, breaking up the lighting structure a little.

6. Underexpose

We used negative 1EV exposure compensation to darken the shadows a little. While harsh shadows are generally avoided in landscape photography, underexposing dull, non-reflective areas can draw attention away from boring middlegrounds. 

Pro tip

Try shooting vertically 

If the composition isn’t working, try making the foreground a major feature of your landscape scene

Your options to minimise dull middle grounds and foregrounds include pitching the camera up and exaggerating the sky or going all-in on the foreground. Where there is a good amount of detail to focus on close to the camera, try shooting in portrait orientation to capture texture in the rockpools that are often left once the tide has gone out. Use a polariser to cut through reflections and see the detail at the bottom of pools.

Editing steps

1. Balance the range

After setting the Black and White points, manage the distribution of shadows and highlights. In an image with darker rocks in the foreground, these will block up quickly. By waiting for the sunlight to hit them, only a small Shadows increase is needed.

2. Control colour luminance

After making a Curves adjustment to darken the mid tones, we also increased the Luminance of the Greens and Yellows in HSL to prevent the green seaweed from being dulled, too. We then darkened the Blues to deepen the sky contrast.

3. Dodge and Burn

To enhance the pools of light we waited for on the shoot, we used the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom (K) with -0.50 Exposure to burn the soft shadows cast by the clouds. We then applied a Dodge to highlight areas with positive +0.40 Exposure.

4. Tone the highlights

The late afternoon sunlight is a little cool, so we applied some Color Grading by adding a Yellow tone to the Highlights and light Magenta to the Midtones for a natural colour depth. Adjust the Balance to ensure that fresh greens don’t turn yellow.

5. Adjust colour calibration 

We used the Calibration Tab to adjust the Hue and Saturation of the Green Primary and also adjusted the other colour options to create a saturated but natural colour balance. The final colour step was to reduce the global Saturation by -2.

6. Selective Sharpening

Setting the aperture to f/16 produced sufficient DOF, but diffraction has lowered critical sharpness, especially in the foreground detail. Use the Adjustment Brush or the Sharpen Brush to extract extra texture in the rocks and vegetation.

Before/After

A huge advantage of capturing landscape images close to home is that you can revisit locations again and again to better your chances of capturing stunning weather conditions. And that's exactly what Kevin Winter (@krwinterphotos) does with his trusty Nikon Z6 II.

This glorious seascape depicting sunrise over Whitby's West Pier is a byproduct of years of early-morning visits in search of jaw-dropping weather conditions and the fiery sky certainly delivered. Kevin used a Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S to frame the image, along with a Benro Mach3 tripod to steady the shot.

• Do you have an image that should be Photo of the Day? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured.

Kevin considers this the best sky he's captured over Whitby Harbor. He told me: "I'm passionate about capturing my local area throughout the seasons and Whitby has a number of fantastic compositions I keep returning to in the hope of improving on previous visits."

Seascapes are particularly prone to changing weather and strong winds, but despite Kevin having to work against the conditions on prior visits, this time he was able to enjoy an altogether milder affair. "I didn't have to deal with harsh winds or freezing temperatures," he explained. "Once my camera was set up the only slight challenge was holding the camera steady due to vibrations on the pier from the occasional dog walker."

The secret to his success is multiple visits – more than he can count! "I've lost track of the exact number of times I've photographed this spot. I often look at photos I've taken and see ways I could improve the shot. When I look at this image, I'm happy with the mood, the way I've handled the exposure in the sky and I love the colors and textures in the water."

Getting up for a sunset shoot is a real commitment. Kevin says he always arrives ahead of time, so he doesn't miss the best light. It's never a case of one and done, either, with time spent to 'work' the scene. "I arrived in Whitby 45 minutes before I captured this shot and captured a couple of iconic locations up the top of the west cliff before I noticed the sky improving. I rushed down the steps and spent around 30 minutes on the pier until I was confident I had the shot in the bag."

One of the best tripods is a landscape essential, but Kevin also uses a 3 Legged Thing Zelda L-bracket so he can quickly attach/detach his camera from his 3 Legged Thing AirHed Neo 2.0 head.

The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom. Kevin says: "I used a linear gradient at the bottom right to reduce the highlights and slightly cool the color temperature in the water. I also used some color-range masks in the sky to slightly warm the color-temperature."

Kevin's top tips for photographing seascapes...

"If you find a location you love, keep returning under different weather conditions and keep tweaking your composition, finding ways to improve it."

See more of Kevin's work by checking out his website and Facebook page.

Check out previous Photo of the Day images, and the stories behind them.
If you have an image you'd like us to consider for Photo of the Day, email it to us at digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com

Are you interested in capturing beautiful seascapes? Check out the best lenses for landscapes and learn how to plan the perfect landscape shoot.

The Mamas & the Papas' California Dreaming boasts one of the most recognizable lyrical intros of all time. But it wouldn't have struck nearly the same chord if Mama Cass and co had sung: “All the leaves are gone,” that's for sure.

And that's what fall's felt a little like for me this year. I swear the leaves barely had a chance to turn their auburn colors before they were gone.

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons: it's the beginning of the end for the hayfever season (thank goodness!), Halloween is the perfect excuse to sit by a roaring fire and lose yourself in a classic Gothic horror novel, and the festive season is just around the corner.

But what I look forward to most, of course, is the season's dazzling array of reds, oranges and yellows, and its seemingly endless photographic potential.

There really is nothing quite like wrapping up warm and heading out to photograph dazzling displays of russet browns, golden yellows and vibrant oranges. I'm particularly fond of importing a dull RAW file into the best photo editing software and using color-editing tools to gradually ignite those fiery autumnal hues.

The increasingly shorter days make getting up for sunrise or staying out for sunset much more sociable, too, and the unpredictable weather is capable of producing some of the most incredibly dark and brooding skies.

Perhaps I've been reading too many of those aforementioned Gothic horrors, but dramatic skies over rugged landscapes like Dartmoor (à la The Hound of the Baskervilles) are what comes to mind when I think of quintessential UK landscapes. And in the US, well, is there a more dazzling display of fall colors than the states of New England?

But capturing fall at its best is no mean feat, because it's an unpredictable season that changes year upon year and depending on where in the world you are. There's no set date for when the leaves reach their peak and, even when they do, a violent overnight storm can play havoc with the golden treasure trove.

To complicate matters even more, the further north you go, the sooner the leaves tend to turn. So, just because New Hampshire or the Lake District's full autumnal display is splashed across social media, it doesn't necessarily mean that a trip to Louisiana or the New Forest will reap similarly stunning results.

I'm based in the south of the UK, and 2024 has been a very difficult fall to predict. In fact it's been a very unpredictable year, period. A press release from The National Trust predicted: "autumn likely to be 'a mixed bag' thanks to a 'soggy' year as most trees hold on tight to their leaves".

It turns out that while trees retaining their canopies can produce top-notch displays, they're more susceptible to wind damage: "tree crowns remaining at 'full sail' also increases the threat of damage caused by autumn storms".

I always think of autumn a bit like a ripening pear. One minute it's rock solid, the next it's mush, and somewhere in-between you have a small window that's the perfect, juicy consistency. This can present something of a problem for photographers, particularly if you intend on traveling further afield to capture peak fall.

Thankfully, we've got a wealth of online information available to us. And nothing beats keeping an eye on social media to see what fall delights other photographers are capturing. If you're lucky enough to live somewhere with easy access to beautiful landscapes then it's worth getting out as much as possible to better your chances of capturing the season at its peak.

And if you've missed out, hey, it's never too early to prepare for next fall…

Is fall your favorite season, too? You might be interested in the best tripods and the best lenses for landscapes.

Panoramas – a wide-angle view or photograph of a physical space – open up new ways of viewing a scene that go beyond simply being wide. Images in a panoramic aspect ratio allow us to capture long, thin subjects without incorporating too much empty space in the frame. For the urban scene captured on these pages, which is
a common shot required by estate agents where more than one property needs to be shown in the same composition, using a wide-angle lens would have been impractical. 

Shooting this row of townhouses with an optic between 14mm and 20mm would include excess sky and road at the top and bottom of the shot, while the buildings would become merely a strip across the middle of the frame. On the other hand, a panoramic shot captures plenty of detail in each house front while minimizing the negative space. The main challenge of this type of panorama stitch is the overlapping and repeating patterns, which can confuse software and cause failure in blending the multiple image segments. 

Here we’ll explore methods of stitching complex panoramas using a mix of automatic and manual techniques, for real-estate shots with a difference. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to capture effective panoramas in any location, without a tripod or even advanced editing software.

Set up

1. Clean camera
A body with good high ISO performance is useful for handholding segments of the pano

2. Standard zoom
A zoom lens allows the greatest control when working in tight conditions

3. Polarizer
While it isn’t advisable for wide panos, using a Cir Pol filter reduces reflections in windows

Shooting steps

1. Plan start/end points

Define the boundaries of your panorama, making sure you leave room for the removal of lens distortions and other cropping at the editing stage. Try shooting an image at your lens’s widest setting to visualize how much of the scene you want or need to include to get all the relevant details into the composition.

2. Find a clear foreground

When shooting in streets or other busy environments, it helps to minimize the overlapping objects in the foreground as these can cause the greatest issues in software. For this scene, we chose an area with the fewest parked cars in the foreground so that the ground texture was fairly uniform and flat.

3. Balance detail and distortion

We need to capture some detail around the edges while accepting that much of this will be lost when we blend and straighten out the segments at a later stage. For this scene, 35-50mm offered the best balance of croppable space and wide-angle lens distortion, which could confuse the editing software.

4. Turn off AF

Focus your scene, take a test shot and then deactivate the autofocus mode to prevent the lens from re-focusing between panorama segments. Shooting at an aperture of f/8 to f/11 is advisable to get the whole scene in focus while allowing handholding of the camera without excessive motion blur.

5. Lock settings

Select an ISO of greater than 400 to help with sharpness, then switch the camera to Manual mode to prevent these settings from changing between segments. Any exposure shifts will be highly visible in the sort of shots that we are trying to create here and we need to avoid any further complications for autoblending.

6. Check the overlaps

Shoot a sequence of images covering your chosen field of view, with some excess space at either end. Scroll through your pano segments and inspect them for even tone and sharpness, checking that they overlap by around 20 percent. While this overlap is less necessary with the latest software, it works here.

Pro tip

Shoot and slide

Avoid parallax error for more reliable stitching

Rotating the camera causes objects at different distances from the sensor to vary in their apparent distance from each other, which causes scaling issues when trying to stitch pano segments. To minimize distortion on this long street, line up your first shot, capture it, and then move your whole body position to shift the scene through the viewfinder. Physically moving along the street keeps the camera perpendicular to the buildings and ensures the relative distance from the lens remains the same for all segments. This takes more shots to cover the whole scene but streamlines the blending process. In general, the more shots the better.

Editing steps

1. Process all segments

Start by opening all your RAW files, sync them and then apply global adjustments to Exposure, Black and White points, Contrast and Clarity. Next, apply lens corrections to reduce major aberrations and geometric anomalies.

2. Attempt full stitch

I suspected this scene would not fully stitch together in one go, but it’s always worth attempting it to see how close the automatic blending will get you to a finished product. For this scene, Photoshop split the panorama into three segment groups.

3. Group segments

Each group is rough, but demonstrates which parts of the scene your software can handle most easily. Try opening two or three segments at a time to recreate the groups that were possible automatically and save these as separate flat files.

4. Manually align blocks

Open each file and extend the left-most segment group to the right, using the crop tool. Drag in the next group moving right and manually align it to overlap. Once your groups are arranged, select the layers and go to Edit > Auto-Align Layers.

5. Transform and fill

Follow up by using Edit > Auto-Blend Layers. Some seams may remain visible, especially with any layers that aren’t perfectly aligned. Use Edit > Puppet Warp to adjust the scaling and alignment of essential details such as doors and window frames. 

6. Crop and retouch

Reduce layer Opacity to guide final scaling misalignments. If the underlying layer has a better overall alignment than the rest of the pano, use a mask to remove the least accurate layer detail. Crop any empty space at the edges.

Before/After

The new issue of Digital Photographer is out now!

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This month we have another amazing issue for you, featuring professional tips, reviews, and practical how-to guides. Here's a sneak peek of what's inside!

Shoot creative autumn landscapes

Autumn/Fall is one of the most exciting times of the year for landscape photographers. The incredible changes of colour are intoxicating and an endless source of inspiration. However, with everyone photographing the same subjects, how can we make sure our images stand out? With help from two expert landscape photography tutors, discover how to use creative exposure techniques and careful timing to shoot incredible scenic images with a unique edge. You'll discover how to push the boundaries of your landscape photography to make the most of those golden tones. 

Shoot spectacular dramatic images!

Meanwhile, our second feature is all about drama - an elusive element in many photos. Sometimes an image will just burst with energy, but you can't figure out what makes it so special. Well, we have the answers! With advice and insight from five professional photographers, working across the full spectrum of photo genres, we’ve put together a detailed guide to how you can introduce dramatic contrast, colour and light in any area of photography. Learn how to work with silhouettes, craft cinematic lighting on a budget in a home studio or on location, capture spectacular landscapes and work with extreme black-and-white contrast.  

The living city: capture urban wildlife shots today

We love spending time with photographers each month for our popular Shoot Like a Pro feature and this month, we visited urban wildlife photographer Mark Deans in Aberdeen, Scotland to gain his essential tips for finding incredible animal subjects in any location. If you thought wildlife photography meant you had to travel huge distances, think again!

Break the internet: viral marketing tips from an influencer

Social media is a powerful tool for getting your work the attention it deserves, but making sure your artistic voice is heard can be a challenge. This month, in our career feature section, we're very excited to have partnered with online marketing consultant and author, Gordon Glenister who explains in clear steps how you can break the internet and make your content reach the maximum number of viewers possible. If you want to build an online photography brand, this is the place to begin. 

Wild law

For our interview slot this month we sat down with Ian Plant, a photographer who knows a thing or two about travel, landscape and wildlife photography. In the issue, Ian explains his creative motivation, what gear and genres excite him right now and how he creates a connection with the viewers of his images and his animal subjects.  As a photographic instructor, Ian has insight you won't want to miss.  

Advice from the DP community 

From page 72, our community of pro photographers are on hand to answer all of your industry-related questions. Our guest professional, Siobhan Hennessy discusses what it takes to become a full-time sports photographer and explains her career journey. Meanwhile, our resident consultant Claire Gillo answers questions from the community, covering memory card choice, shooting for estate agents and defining what genres you shoot for clients. 

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Read more:

Essential exposure technique: settings for seamless backgrounds

Photo therapy: the art of patience - why it's worth waiting!

Adapt and conquer! Learn to use lens adaptors the right way

Lighthouse photography: learn to compose images of very tall subjects

1. Use golden hues 

Take advantage of the warm, soft light during the golden hour, shortly after sunrise or before sunset. This light enhances colors and textures, adding a magical quality to your summer landscapes.

2. Add interest 

Incorporate foreground elements to create depth and add interest to your composition, drawing the viewer into the scene. For this, it’s better to avoid shooting at eye level by lowering the camera.

3. Try compositions

Experiment with different compositions such as leading lines, diagonals, or framing to create visually compelling images. When doing so, activate supporting features like grid lines in your camera menu. 

4. Keep an eye on colors

Summer scenes are often filled with vibrant colors. Pay attention to the color contrasts and complementary shades, for example, green and red tones, to make your photos stand out and visually appealing. 

5. Lengthen exposure 

Use ND filters to blur the motion of water, creating a silky-smooth effect that adds a dreamy quality to your summer landscapes. They also enable you to capture the movement of clouds, adding dynamism.

6. Watch the weather

Summer weather can be unpredictable, but it can also provide opportunities for impactful shots. Storm clouds, rainbows, or dramatic skies can add an extra dimension to your summer landscapes. 

7. Seek out reflections

Summer scenes may feature bodies of water, whether it is a calm lake, a babbling brook, or a tranquil pond. Use these surfaces to your advantage by capturing reflections that mirror the surrounding scenery. 

8. Make the most of DOF

Experiment with depth of field to control what is in focus and create a sense of depth; the whole scene might be in focus or a specific subject gets isolated by using wide apertures to produce a shallow DOF

9. Explore perspectives

Think with your feet and change your point of view to find unique perspectives. Get low to the ground for a worms-eye view or climb to higher ground for a sweeping panorama or an elevated view.

10. Get out early 

Summer mornings often bring fog or mist, especially in areas with bodies of water or dense vegetation. Use these atmospheric conditions to capture the soft, diffused light and the sense of mystery it creates.

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

Ryszard Lomnicki is a specialist in long exposure and landscape photography. His expertise allowed him to travel and spend time in the wild, which he believes to be one of the many positive aspects of being a photographer. 

I had the honour of interviewing him about his work and analysing his image created in Moravia, Czech Republic. During our discussion, we delved into the techniques he used to capture the photo and why it works so effectively...

1. Vivid colours

Landscapes undergo significant transformations throughout the year, influenced by the weather and the season, but Ryszard decided to capture this scene in spring. “I planned to capture this scene at this time of year as I really wanted to show nature coming to life,” he explains. “The lushness of the spring greenery is crucial in this photo.” 

Ryszard skilfully captured the light and shadow to highlight the different hues of green. This has resulted in a vibrant but harmonious frame that mesmerizes with its vivid colors. Furthermore, this all-green color scheme allows the tiny Chapel of St Barbara, found on the right of the frame, to stand out.

2. Leading lines

“The main challenge I faced when shooting in this location was the distance from the Chapel of St Barbara. Capturing the frame as I intended meant that I had to adjust the position of the tripod to align with the desired composition,” Ryszard explains. 

He opted to include leading lines in his composition, with the trees creating lines that lead towards the chapel, naturally guiding the viewer’s gaze towards it. “By placing the chapel in a strong point, the leading lines combined with the undulations of the terrain highlighted by the rays of the setting sun, result in a more interesting image overall,” he adds.

3. Excluded horizon

When creating a balanced composition, the horizon is usually placed in the frame and often adheres to the classic rule of thirds. However, Ryszard intentionally chose to break with convention here by filling the frame with the landscape instead. 

“I decided to isolate the scene with the fields, the trees and a chapel to focus the eye on the most important elements of this scene,” he explains. “Including the horizon and sky might have unnecessarily disturbed the clean composition.” By doing so, he has showcased the landscape to its fullest potential.

4. Light fall-off

By darkening the edges of the frame using a vignette, Ryszard achieved a visual spotlight on the subject. “The vignetting effect was used specifically to focus the
eye on the most important elements of this photo,” he explains. 

With the reduction of brightness, a visual leading part was created that skillfully draws the viewer into the frame while enhancing the narrative of the photograph.

Tech details

Camera: Sony A7R III

Lens: Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM

Aperture: f/11

Shutter speed: 1/80 sec 

ISO: 100

Others in the Why Shots Work series

• Urban street photographer reveals his candid capture secrets
• Photographer tells story of getting up close and personal with a python
• Discover four key elements that make this stunning photo a success
• The 4 photographic decisions that take this motorsport shot to the next level
• Photographer tells story of his amazing shot of wallabies fighting on the beach

In many ways, sunset is the best time to shoot landscape photography. While dawn is the other golden hour for capturing scenic images, providing warmer light and softer shadows than midday, atmospheric factors often result in more saturated colors towards the end of the day. The other advantage of staying out later, rather than getting up early, is that the light is getting progressively better as the sun lowers in the sky and so the window for the best images is generally longer.

However, capturing golden hour shots at the coast comes with several unique challenges. The close proximity of the sun to the reflective surface of the ocean often results in easily blown highlights. To make matters worse, these clipped areas are difficult to balance due to the localized nature of the exposure difference – it’s not often possible to filter these areas using an ND grad filter, and HDR blending might require further local adjustment.

For this project, we’re going to explore how to balance exposure and color to maximize the sunset atmosphere. With careful camera work, these steps can be applied to any scene, anywhere. The aim is to recognize those characteristics that make the golden hours so attractive to the eye and learn to make these aspects as prominent in your images as possible.

Set up

1. Medium telephoto
A 70-200mm lens or 300mm removes flat areas that diminish sunset ambience

2. Lens hood
This reduces internal lens reflections, which is vital for shooting the exposed sun disc

3. Ball head for tripod
Offers more rapid reframing, but take care of precise horizon angle adjustments

Shooting steps

1. Set metering mode

With extreme contrast, there is a risk of miscalculating the exposure. Here Spot metering underexposed the cliffs and beach, while Evaluative gave an exposure that didn’t match any area well. Center-Weighted ensured that zones close to the sun didn’t overly influence the AE system, but highlights weren’t ignored totally.

2. Attach a hood

To achieve the glowing sunset effect I’m after in this scene, we need to shoot towards the sun, which is just out of the frame. However, this opens up the risk of lens flare, so a hood is essential. If you don’t have a hood for your lens, use a baseball cap or similar item to shade the sun-facing side of the optic. 

3. Crop the scene

Many sunset images fail because too much of the scene not illuminated by the golden light is included. To enhance the effect, a quick and easy solution is to crop into the areas covered by the directional light. For this image, I used a 70-200mm lens to compress the illuminated areas and exclude a darker foreground.

4. Control white balance

Although we think of sunset lighting as yellow, other hues are commonly present too. A Shade WB preset made the landscape too uniformly warm, so I scrolled through the manual Kelvin settings until a good balance of warm and cool tones was visible. These can be tweaked further at a later stage.

5. Time the exposure

The most effective sunset contrast occurs when there are clouds in the sky to hold the color. I shot this coastal scene on an overcast day and waited for the setting sun to break through a small gap in the cloud layer, which provided this tightly focused raking light and contrast with the darker sky areas.

6. Shoot ‘one over’

While exposure blending will help in this context, sometimes all that is needed is an extra frame to capture tones that are most at risk. Since there are lots of shadows in the middle ground, I captured the ideal exposure for the sky, then used +1EV Exposure Compensation to reveal extra detail in the darks.

Pro tip

Create a sunset glow

Use aperture to introduce some magic

A wide aperture enables light to flood into the lens and can create a wash of color. Stopping down to above f/8 may be needed for depth of field but might also generate harder, unsightly flare. An f-stop of f/2.8 to f/5.6 solves this problem and introduces an artistic magical glow effect. 

A good solution is to capture a frame at a smaller aperture, for safer foreground sharpness then, with the focus set a third of the way into the frame or double the distance of the closest object, open up the diaphragm. This captures softer, diffused light around the sun itself, where it is just out of frame, as in this scene. The two frames can then be merged in software for the best of both worlds. 

Editing steps

1. Crop clipped detail

The area closest to the sun is slightly clipped, while the near foreground is missing direct illumination. A little cropping was applied to remove these problem areas and focus the composition on the glowing parts of the shot with retained detail.

2. Control the range

To compress the tones further, the Black and White points were set to prevent clipping (drag the sliders while observing the histogram) and the Highlights and Shadows sliders were moved until the dynamic range appeared balanced but natural.

3. Sunset toning

To highlight the golden theme, I added yellow to the highlights, magenta to the mid-tones and subtle blue to the shadows, using Color Grading and adjusting the balance until happy. I also added Blue Primary Saturation in Lightroom’s Calibration Tab.

4. Local adjustments

I didn’t need a +1EV exposure, but used the Radial Filter to lift the shadows for aesthetic reasons – the detail was present but dark shadows drew the eye. I added negative Blacks to maintain natural contrast and dodged the highlights on the stacks.

5. Diffuse the highlights

For a subtle boost, select the highlights using a Luminance Range mask. Use the Eyedropper to choose the brightest tones and drag the Luminance scale for better precision. To make the highlights softer, reduce the Clarity and Dehaze sliders.

6. Final contrast

To finish the shot, use the Tone Curves to apply some final tonal adjustments. In this image, I required only a fairly shallow S-Curve overall, with some minor darkening of the lower mid-tones for added depth and extra natural contrast.

Before/After

Landscape photographs aren’t just about the beautiful surroundings of our environment, they are a document of time. Natural phenomena, the elements and how the landscape changes around us is a fascinating topic. Due to the availability and aesthetics, plenty of creatives choose this as a subject. 

“I entered the image ‘After the fire’ into the UK Landscape Photographer of the Year competition because of the way the heath fire had destroyed the character of this local heathland. It went from life to death and then the regeneration could begin,” Mik says. He passes this spot every time he travels through the New Forest National Park and when a local heath fire destroyed the landscape, he saw the photographic potential of the scene. “It needed to be a panorama to give a perspective of the size of the area affected,” he explains.

Since landscapes cover a large area, it is difficult to decide what to include and exclude in the frame. There may also be distractions that cannot be easily removed from the scene. Therefore, it is important to take time to observe and appreciate the natural environment before deciding on how to frame the shot. Alternatively, you could consider returning at different times of the year or in different weather conditions to capture the scene. 

“I wanted to hide the view of the large Fawley oil refinery complex in the background, with its towers and chimney stacks. I had to consider that I would need to wait for a foggy or misty morning before I could get the shot I’d seen,” Mik says. This decision not only eliminated distractions but also added a layer of atmosphere to the photograph. Considering the atmosphere the natural environment gains through the weather is crucial to enhance the image’s mood, and distinguishes this image as a professional shot.

The most important ingredient of a pro landscape shot is the light. However, natural light is also the most challenging source to work with. “When that morning came with the great sunrise there was a low, thick mist. Shooting towards the sun could have been an issue, but the mist helped diffuse its brightness, allowing me to increase the exposure slightly to give more detail in the foreground,” Mik says. Waiting for the ideal weather and sun can be limiting, but it’s advisable not to wait too long. “Now, months later, the lone tree has fallen and most of the burnt skeletal remnants of gorse bushes have gone, mostly devoured by the grazing ponies. This picture no longer exists and the gorse is already growing back”.

Pro Advice

Weather can affect the mood of an image – and the lifespan of your gear!

1. Think about weather

“Once you have found a great shot, it’s always worth considering not just the composition, but the ‘atmospherics’. Try to think about what the best weather conditions could be for that photograph – whether that’s fog, a moody sky, sunset, rain, snow, diffused light, strong, direct light or flat light – and then maybe come back at another time to shoot when the conditions are perfect.”

2. Take care

“Bear in mind the old phrase ‘Failure to prepare is preparing to fail’ so, once you get home, take care of your kit straight away by charging batteries and cleaning lenses and filters so it is ready to go for the next outing.”

3. Protect your gear

“If you have been using a tripod, when folding it away, don’t push the bottom legs all the way up but, instead, leave the width of a hand between the foot or spike and the bottom of the next leg section. That stops forcing mud, sand and moisture up into the tripod workings and causing the legs to jam.”

Kit essentials

Fujifilm GFX 50S II

The medium format camera is the fifth model in the GFX series, with a 51.4MP sensor and X Processor 4 image processor. 

• Fujifilm GFX 50S II review

Fujinon GF 32-64mm f/4

This lightweight lens (875g), provides effortless switching between wide-angle and standard angles of view, all while maintaining a constant f/4 aperture rating.

• Fujifilm Fujinon GF 32-64mm F4 R LM WR review

Fujinon GF 45-100mm f/4

This lens is highly versatile and perfect for all types of photography, thanks to its optical image stabilization technology that provides up to five stops of stability.

• Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR review

Fujinon GF 100-200mm f/5.6

The lens features two Super ED elements and an aspherical element that minimise chromatic and spherical aberrations while improving clarity as well as sharpness. 

Kase Magnetic circular ND filters and Polariser

ND filters control the light in bright scenes or when using long exposure times, while polarizers enhance colors and reduce glare, reflections and haze.

Benro Mach3 Series3 TMA38CL Tripod 

A stable carbon fiber tripod with a maximum load capacity of 16kg. The tripod features detachable rubber feet and metal spikes, ensuring stability for use both indoors and outdoors.

Benro GD3WH Precision Geared Head

When composing, this geared tripod head allows for precise positioning thanks to three independent movement options and accurate leveling with three bubble levels.

Kim Grant is one of the featured speakers at The Photography & Video Show, taking place March 16-19 at the NEC in Birmingham England.

For Kim Grant, there’s no place like home. The nurse turned landscape photographer lives in a seaside village on the scenic Moray coast in northeast Scotland. There is a calming assurance in her voice that is both clear and rhythmical, a reflection, I think, of life’s gentle pace in her home surroundings: she looks and sounds relaxed. 

“Have you been out this morning?” I ask when we both get our video link up and running. “For a walk, yes, but not with the camera,” she replies. Except for five years in Aberdeenshire, Kim has lived all her life in Moray and recently returned to her home village of Burghead. 

Her affection for the place runs deep: “It’s a wonderful place to live and to do photography because you’ve got it all here, the seaside and woodlands, farmland and rivers. You’ve got everything really, apart from mountains, but I’m not really into mountain photography.”

And yet, this summer Kim surprised thousands of followers on her YouTube channel by announcing that she had fallen out of love with traditional landscape photography. More than that, she added: “If I’m completely honest, I find it boring now.” 

However, she continues to see herself as a landscape photographer; the difference is that Kim’s new work is more intricate, less obvious, and triggered by an emotional connection to her subject rather than a snap response to a spectacular view. But to fall out of love with traditional landscape photography means she must have been in love to begin with, so I start by asking her the obvious question…  

This interview first appeared in N-Photo magazine. Scarlet is a headline speaker at The Photography & Video Show. You can find out about his talks at the Show website, and you can get 20% off tickets with our exclusive discount code.

You might be interested in the best Nikon cameras along with the best Nikon lenses – and particularly the best Nikon Z lenses designed for its mirrorless cameras.