Outdoor Photography How To

Landscape photographers walk a fine line when heading into the great outdoors, when it comes choosing the gear to pack. On the one hand, it’s important to be prepared for whatever you encounter. Conversely, it’s nice to minimize your load, especially if you plan a long hike.

As manufacturers continue to introduce cameras with higher and higher resolution, many photographers are confused by conflicting advice about the key differences been models with maximum megapixel count and those with more modest sensors. As a result, many shooters are unsure of what camera to buy next.

There’s one constant when shooting outdoor photographs: You’re always at the mercy of Mother Nature, and she’s anything but predictable. So you have two choices when weather is threatening or the light is less that ideal. You can either learn how to deal with it or go home.

The scene is often just the starting point of a Deborah Sandidge photograph. “It’s visualization,” she says. “I’m looking at a scene and imagining what’s going to happen over time.” What was going to happen at the San Antonio, Texas, River Walk was the continuing passage of the water taxis. Sandidge knew they were the key to an expressive, dramatic photograph, one that would get as close as possible to picturing the passage of time.

Temperatures are dropping and the first day of winter is barely around the corner, with all the great photo opportunities the chilly new season will present. One way to best capture the essence of winter is to include falling snow in your images.

Sometimes we're out in the field and conditions aren't great. Either the light isn't right, or maybe everything you see looks like images you've shot in the past. So what to do?

This tutorial takes a deep dive into the practical aspects of ISO, one pillar of the familiar Exposure Triangle (the other two being aperture and shutter speed). In less than 11 minutes you'll gain a firm understanding of this essential setting and learn how to apply it when shooting different types of images under various lighting conditions.