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Enhancing Scenery Shots

You can shoot RAW images rather than JPG, include movement and find a focal point, but those are not the only ways to enhance scenery shots.

When taking photos of sweeping vistas and gorgeous landscapes, timing and lighting are key. Since you are shooting in the great outdoors, you are at nature’s mercy for the bulk of your lighting. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to know that it is not wise to shoot outside at high noon on a cloudless day. Doing so will yield images riddled with harsh shadows. Instead, aim to take scenery shots during the golden hours or the periods of time that take place at dawn and dusk, when the sun illuminates objects with a warm glow. If you time your picture-taking just right, you will be able to document Mother Nature’s vibrant colors and eye-popping textures.

Another way to enhance landscape pictures is to experiment with different lenses and filters. I‘m not suggesting that you break the bank by purchasing every lens on the market; rather, I would select a wide-angle lens which allows you to include more of the landscape in a shot than you would with a standard lens.

In regards to filters, consider adding a polarizing filter to your collection if you will be shooting outdoors a lot. This particular filter helps saturate other colors in the shot so your overall image is rich and luxurious. A natural density filter also comes in handy when taking scenery shots as it is designed to reduce the contrast between the land and sky. Finally, if you are working with a healthy budget, then purchase a color correction filter. The tool can be attached to your camera to warm up or cool down the scene or to enhance the colors of different subjects in a shot.

Related Articles:

Telling A Story With Your Shots

Natural Framing

Spicing Up Your Shots

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About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.