Three tips for better landscape photos + Courses to improve your skills further

Summer is still in full swing and we are still making the most of the warm weather around Western and Southern Europe. Places in France, Italy, and Spain are particularly scenic this time of year. The sun sets later and we see more shadows and light play on sunny days.

1. Set a wide aperture and focus on what is close

Try using a wider aperture and achieve selective focus as parts of the landscape are blurred out. This is a great way to focus on an object or person, while at the same time showing an eye-catching outline of a landscape in the background. As you decrease the aperture, the f-stop number increases. Try f/2.8 for a blurry background (often used in portrait photography!) when you photograph an object in the distance.

2. Remember your composition

Take care to position the landscape with its prominent details to satisfy the rule of thirds. Also, if you are including an object or person in a landscape photo with the focus on land, try to position the horizon on the upper third line. Conversely, if you want to focus on the sky (and whatever can be seen in it), place the horizon near the lower third line.

3. Use a polarizing filter

A polarizing filter can greatly assist with enhancing colors and reducing glare. This comes in handy when you are taking photos of water. But it is also very useful to get a balanced exposure between a bright sky and the foreground.

Three courses to help you become more advanced!

If you want to tell stories with your photography, then you might want to look into how to string together several photos into a longer coherent story of a theme, or people. Here are a few courses that can help you get started!