Nature Photography How To

Whether the view before you is an expansive vista, a majestic mountain scene, or a stunning seascape, there’s a good chance you’ll reach in your bag, pull out a wide-angle lens, and mount it on your camera. But that doesn’t guarantee a great image unless you avoid a few common errors.

Today, one of our favorite landscape photographers says, “There are many mistakes to stop making while using a wide-angle zoom lens in landscape photography.” As you might suspect, he offers several powerful tips for making the most of your wide-angle glass.

In today’s behind-the-scenes episode, Danish landscape pro Mads Peter Iversen demonstrates his proven approach to wide-angle photography while making some very nice images of Denmark’s iconic Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. It’s a beautiful day, and Iversen explains potential pitfalls and his thought process while being pummeled by high wind.

In the description beneath the video, Iversen lists his recommended gear, including camera, lenses, important accessories, and a few things he always has on hand to protect himself and his equipment.

Careful composition is essential for this type of photography because landscape scenes tend to be complicated, and Iversen has some great advice. He explains his method for simplifying a scene and determining what type of elements you should include, and other that can be excluded.

You’ll also see how Iversen differentiates between a good foreground and a bad one, how a background subject that’s too small can detract from a photo, how to get everything in focus, and why you shouldn’t approach a subject too closely.

Iversen also discusses the proper choice and use of filters, provides an important reminder that, “Landscapes are not just horizontal,” and much more. So devote 20 minutes to this video, and start shooting better wide-angle photographs today.

There’s much more to learn on Iversen’s YouTube channel, and in a tutorial we posted recently from another pro, explaining how to make beautiful portraits of pretty models on the beach.