When you travel to some of the world’s most incredible places, you want to be able to capture the landscapes you venture upon. Homecamp mate and freelance photographer (and artist), Bec Kilpatrick, travels the world with her partner, Andrew Pavlidis (also a great photographer), so she knows a thing or two about landscape photography.
Here she shares her top five tips for capturing landscapes like a pro.
Time of day is so important
The best light comes early morning and late afternoon. This seems obvious but in order to take advantage of this you need to plan your days around it. Be prepared to be out late and pack a headlamp!
Get to know your camera and how to use it in different conditions
For example, if it is super windy up on a mountain it helps to switch your camera to shutter priority at a speed of at least 1/500 of a second. This will ensure you have a shutter speed fast enough to overcome the camera shake caused by heavy winds. There’s nothing worse than getting back to your computer and realising your photos aren’t sharp!
Think about composition
It’s easy when you’re in a pretty place to just point and shoot but look around and see what objects or shapes make up the foreground. Would the photo be more interesting with someone in the frame to show scale? What lines are naturally present to lead your eye through the image?
Try a different lens!
Don’t always reach for your wide angle lens when shooting landscape photos. Some of our favourite photos come from using a telephoto lens. These lenses allow you to make the image look more compressed and allow you to use a smaller depth of field.
Play around
Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment. This is the only way you are going to get to know your camera and create a style of photography that’s unique to you. Try different shutter speeds to capture movement, try different apertures to add a focal point and get to know how you like shooting.
You can find more of Bec’s work on her website or Instagram (@beckil_).