Outdoor Photography How To

There are several reasons why your outdoor photographs may be far less compelling than possible. Perhaps your images lack uniqueness and don't stand out from the crowd. Or maybe they're short on impact for reasons that are easy to correct by changing the approach you take in the field.

In either case, this video from Danish pro Mads Peter Iversen reveals several of the secrets responsible for his spectacular work. By following his advice you'll be able to capture stunning landscape photos under a wide variety of situations and conditions. Iversen is known for informative and inspirational tutorials, and this 15-minute lesson is no exception.

Iversen illustrates his tips with stunning images that will jumpstart your creative vision and make his recommendations easy to understand. His first tip is one you may have heard before, but it bears repeating: "The one thing that I find to be the most important and trumps everything else is to be at the right place at the right time, with the camera pointed in the right direction."

As you'll see, weather conditions are another important consideration that can sometimes overcome harsh midday light if you employ the techniques that Iversen reveals. There's also a discussion of gear, specifically lenses, and Iversen demonstrates how a thoughtful change in focal length can make a significant difference in how your images are perceived.

Iversen typically ignores "normal" lenses and prefers shooting at the extremes—with wide lenses or telephotos depending upon the specific scene at hand. He also reveals a number of techniques for dynamic composition with unique angles and perspectives than can also boost the impact of a shot.

Appropriate camera settings can also make a big difference for exposure effects and focus-point techniques that increase detail and provide optimum depth of field. Another of his tips involves adding interest by shooting with a "sense of scale" in mind.

At this point you're only halfway through this eye-opening episode and Iversen demonstrates several other foolproof methods for capturing "in-your-face" landscape photos in the camera. Be sure to visit his instructional YouTube channel and explore what else is available for upping your game.

And don't miss the earlier tutorial we featured with another accomplished pro who demonstrates how he shoots and edits "high key" landscape photographs for a captivating effect.