Want to add drama and impact to your landscapes but don’t know how? Most of us like to take landscape shots, and it is a great way to get out in nature. Some of the questions that I always get: What is the best lens to use? Do you always need a tripod? How can you make your photographs stand out? And it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged with all the camera settings!

So here are my Top Secrets to take better landscape photographs:
Secret 1: The Golden Hour

Most landscape photographers prefer to take photographs in the early morning or early evening, and I know it can be a drag to get out of bed early in the morning, but the subtle qualities of the light at this time makes it worth it.
Secret 2: Composition

Include foreground interest, but make sure it is actually interesting. Look for something really interesting and compose the rest of the scene around this.

Curves and leading lines always enhance your composition and will lead your eye through the scene, use whatever lines there are in the landscape.

Composing your photograph with the rule of third in mind creates a pleasing balance between the elements of the scene.
Secret 3: Focusing, Aperture and lens choice

Don’t just point and click, think where your ideal point of focus is, and then focus on that. This has a huge impact on your landscape photographs because it will determine where people will instantly look.

The aperture choice will determine how much of the scene from front to back will be in focus. A wide aperture (like f4) will provide shallow depth of field and very little in front or behind your subject will be in focus. A small aperture (like f16) will provide more depth of field, so more of the scene in front and behind your subject will be in focus.

There is no right or wrong lens for landscape photography. Ultra wide zooms, like a 10-22mm are great for capture complete vistas and a standard zoom lens like a 18-55mm are great for everyday landscape shots. To pick a specific part of the landscape or to isolate elements within the scene, use a telephoto zoom, like a 70-200mm lens.
Secret 4: Camera Filters

Circular polarisers are great for boosting the colours and increasing the contrast of blue skies. Polarisers can also reduce reflections, such as the glare on water and foliage. To get the most out of a polariser you need to twist them around. By rotating the filter you can increase or decrease the effect of the filter.
Neutral Density Graduated Filters helps to retain detail in the sky while keeping the foreground correctly exposed. They’re graduated from dark at the top to clear at the bottom. They’re rectangular and slot into a holder, which allows you to move them up and down to get the transition point (when it turns from dark to light) exactly on the horizon.

Secret 5: Capture the motion

Use a slow shutter speed, a tripod and a cable release to record the movement of water in your scene to add atmosphere and drama. Depending on how fast the water is flowing, start with a shutter speed of around 1 second. Timing is everything and I found taking the photograph as the wave recedes creates the most impressive water patterns that draw your eye into the picture.