Five Common Struggles Every Landscape Photographer Faces at Some Point Series: Week 1

When asked, "How'd you get started in landscape photography?" You're bound to hear many different stories. However, a consistent theme for every landscape photographer I have met is an affection for nature and awe of the natural world's beauty and show. Yet, despite a fondness for this genre, there are struggles that every landscape photographer will face at some point. 

Over the next five weeks, I'll present five common struggles that all landscape photographers face at some point during their journey, along with solutions for those challenges so that you can confidently push forward with ease in your photography as you create your images. 

As photographers, we have many choices in how we approach our photography. Exposure mode is one of those choices. I always recommend Manual Exposure Mode, especially in landscape photography, because inside this mode, you'll have complete control over your camera settings.

However, moving into this mode from automatic exposure, aperture priority, or shutter priority can seem daunting. Feeling confident about your exposure triangle settings is a common problem that every landscape photographer faces at some point. 

ISO 64, 18mm, f10, 0.4 seconds

Allow me to solve this problem for you with general landscape photography rules. 

ISO: Always use the lowest ISO possible. This will help you create high-quality images that are lower in noise. For example, if you use a tripod and take photos during daylight hours, I recommend using your camera's lowest native ISO. 

Aperture: Choose a mid-range aperture. These apertures provide sharper and higher-quality images with less diffraction than apertures that are more closed down. An aperture between f8 through f11 is usually a great choice. 

Shutter Speed: Choose a shutter speed that balances your exposure triangle for correctly exposed images. 

Of course, there are always exceptions to these settings but in most daylight situations, follow these settings for manual exposure mode. Practice will make you more confident with your choice in exposure triangle settings. 

Next week we'll dive into another common struggle every landscape photographer faces at some point.