Nature Photography How To

Landscape photographers typically reach for a wide-angle lens when shooting in the field. But as you’ll see in the tutorial below from one of our favorite outdoor photographers, doing that unnecessarily limits the type of images you capture.

It’s true that wide-angle lenses work great for photographing expansive vistas, but taking that approach can make your photos appear similar to others we see. This episode from Danish pro Mads Peter Iversen demonstrates how to capture “absolutely epic images,” by experimenting with lenses of different focal lengths.

Iversen is so confident about the five tips he provides, that he says, “We’re talking about impactful photos that hit you in the face like a runaway freight train.” In addition to the trusty wide-angle, he discusses how to shoot amazing photos with so-called “normal” lenses, zooms, and long telephotos. If you’re interested in Iversen’s preferred gear, there’s a list in the description beneath the video

The only downside to following Iversen’s advice is that you’ll be carrying a heavier pack. But after looking at his beautiful imagery we’re pretty sure you’ll agree that the great results you’ll achieve are well worth the effort.

Even if you don’t have mountains or alpine lakes nearby, like in many of Iversen’s examples, the techniques he discusses translate really well to all sorts of outdoor scenes—even if you’re a flatlander or live on a boat. While watching the video you’ll also pick up some very helpful tips on composition, exposure, camera settings and more.

Iversen also discusses how weather (good or bad) can affect the approach you take, and even determine the lens you use. And since “epic” is the theme, he also demonstrates how to make epic edits once you download images to the computer.

The tutorial wraps up with the last step in the process, namely how to turn your epic photos into epic prints, that you can share with friends and family and use to decorate your office or home.

There’s much more to learn about shooting in the great outdoors on Iversen’s instructional YouTube channel. So pay a visit and explore whenever you have time.

And if you want to try another unique approach and create landscape images that look different than most, check out our editing tutorial explaining how to create landscape photos with a special look.