These quick tips are not essential to every landscape picture you take, but bearing them in mind and applying them judiciously will improve your picture-taking.

A landscape is a section or portion of scenery  as seen from a single viewpoint. Scenery is the subject of a landscape image. Typically, people and animals are not shown in a landscape, unless they are relatively small in the image and have been included in the composition to show scale. Some photographers argue that the sea coast, the city and man-made structures in general should not be included in a landscape, and images that do contain them are more accurately called seascapes or cityscapes. From a purist perspective, they are probably correct, since a landscape is a picture of the land and its aggregate natural features. However, if natural scenery dominates an image, it can probably be accurately termed a landscape, even though there may be a farmhouse in the distance, a city skyline on the horizon or a road or path in the foreground.

These quick tips are not essential to every landscape picture you take, but bearing them in mind and applying them judiciously will improve your picture-taking.

Be familiar with your equipments

Get to know your camera and all your other gear in a relaxed environment... such as your home. READ the manual,  Rickey Brown find the remote controls and take some test photographs. While on that once in a lifetime photo op is not the time to hunt for the ISO button.

Be prepared in advance

Make sure your camera is ready and all  photography accessories are easy to access. There is nothing worse than running out of power, film or memory when the morning light hits Schwabachers landing. Take plenty of batteries, film and flash cards.

Dead center

I have noticed a tendency among new photographers, and some older ones to center the main subject every shot. Try some different compositions and positions. Finish the shot. Don't be in a hurry.

Take your time

Exceptional photographs are not made in a hurry. Look around, wait on the light, wait on the wind but never be in a hurry. Slow down and get set up, then take stock of what you are doing. and what you want to achieve.


Simplify the photo

A lot of scenic/landscape photos are just plain busy. In an effort to cram every detail in, we lose sight of the main attraction. Emphasize the main point and eliminate the unimportant. Less is more.

Be mentally prepared

Focused, ready and in the zone. Have a game plan and stick to it. Be prepared to get a great image and settle for nothing less. Many now believe software can solve anything. Remember "Garbage In & Garbage Out. Prepare yourself to take that best shot and use software to optimize the photograph not to fix it.

Hand held exposure meter

Hand held exposure meters are still very important today. They are not used nearly enough and the proper use would save a lot of bad exposures. Obtain a good one and learn how to use a meter.

Sharp... sharp... sharp

Know your capabilities when it comes to razor sharp handheld images. Some handheld photographers can shoot much slower than others. Obtain a good, stiff, fluid tripod and learn to employ it correctly. The proper use of one will greatly increase your keeper rate.

Focus the finder

Most new cameras have a means to focus the viewfinder. It is usually a small dial that sets the diopter. Use autofocus to obtain a sharp focus and adjust the dial till the viewfinder is sharp. This does not apply to rangefinder or split-screen SLR's.