Nature Photography How To

When it comes to landscape and seascape photos, British pro Nigel Danson really knows his stuff. And in the helpful tutorial below, he reveals five favorite secrets that are responsible for his spectacular imagery.

You’ll watch Danson capture stunning seascapes on the Cornwall coast in southwest England—a gorgeous area bordered by the Celtic Sea to the north and west, and by the English Channel to the south.

For this outing Danson is blessed by some fantastic light, as he discusses several things you can do to improve results while shooting in the great outdoors. In the description beneath the video, Danson lists the gear he uses for most of his landscape photography.

Danson’s first tip is one you may have heard before, but it bears repeating; namely, the importance of carefully scouting and studying a location before pulling a camera out of your pack. By resisting the temptation to begin shooting immediately, “you’re much more likely to discover a brilliant composition and capture a great shot.”

Danson’s approach is all about patience, and he explains that once you’ve found a composition, it’s time to take a deep breath and “wait for the light.” Outdoor scenes are constantly changing, and it’s often amazing how a good shot can be transformed into a great one in less than an hour’s time.

One less conventional aspect of Danson’s approach is how he uses the large screen on his smartphone, rather than his camera’s LCD or viewfinder, to study the landscape before him and narrow down his compositional opportunities. He also carefully considers whether he wants the foreground or the sky to be the most element in his image.

Check out the video for Danson’s other simple tips. Following his advice can pay big dividends in your results, and greatly increase your odds of success. You can find more helpful videos on Danson’s YouTube channel, and in an earlier tutorial in which he demonstrates how to take awesome photos in awful weather.