The captivating sight of colors spreading across the Arctic sky is something you wouldn’t want to miss. You can witness these lights from the seashore or a mountainside. They can also be seen from the observation deck on one of the ships of Hurtingruten. If you’ve just started landscape photography, here are some valuable tips on photographing Northern Lights:

1. Wear warm clothes

Frozen fingers and shaky hands won’t be of any use if you want to photograph the aurora. The northern parts of Norway are extremely cold during winter. So, you’ll need to put on many layers of clothing. Don’t be concerned about your appearance after wrapping yourself up in this manner. The real star in your photograph is Northern Lights.

2. Check the forecasts

You must pay attention to the aurora forecast as well as the weather forecast. This will help you in getting to the right spot on days when the sky is clear. You must also ensure that the light show is visible during your visit. You can book a guided trip of Northern Lights, as the guides would know the local weather.

Consider installing the forecast app NorwayLights on your smartphone. This will give you easy access to the Northern Lights forecast on-the-go.

3. Move away from the city lights

To photograph the aurora you’ll need to move away from the city lights. This is absolutely necessary if you wish to click some excellent photos. Make sure you find an ideal spot, which is far from the city center. You can also consider hiring a local guide who knows the right spots for watching this natural phenomenon. Don’t use a flash when you’re photographing this fascinating show of lights.

4. Use the manual camera settings if available

Manual camera settings are always the best when you’re photographing this fabulous show of lights. Of course, the automatic settings would make things a lot more easier for you. However, when it’s dark, manual settings would be your best companion. If you rely on automatic settings, you might not get the Northern Lights in your photograph at all.

The manual settings allow you to adjust the shutter speed, focus, aperture, and ISO. To begin with, you must familiarize yourself well with the settings of your camera. Once you’re good at using them, you can travel to the designated spot confidently and get the perfect shot.

5. Keep the camera steady

To keep your camera steady while capturing the images of Northern Lights, use a tripod. The blurry images might seem quite artistic to you, but you wouldn’t want your photograph to appear like them. In case you don’t have a tripod, look for a big rock to keep your camera still. You can also consider placing it on the hood of a car. Use anything that can keep the camera steady for getting the right shot.

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An adventurous landscape photographer will always embrace what the weather has to offer. For them, neither the foggy environment matters nor the heavy rains. They always look for opportunities in such situations.

Gray skies

When the skies turn gray, you might decide to remain indoors. Of course, a gray sky can bring out negative feelings in some people. At the same time, it’s also essential to know that it also produces a specific mood. It can be conveyed through a certain landscape. The important thing to keep in mind is that you can consider changing your location.

Once you understand this, you’ll not end up wasting your day. Look for abandoned places that can give you better views of the landscape. Technically, it’s relatively easier to photograph landscapes under gray skies with reduced contrast.

Rain

Rain can come in the form of gentle showers or heavy downpours. If it’s the latter, you’ll need to ensure that you and your camera is protected from the deluge. Many photographers get discouraged upon seeing the rain and are not keen to photograph in such situations. Another thing worth noting is that most of the DSLR cameras can sustain heavy damages when exposed to heavy rain.

If you wish to photograph the landscape while its raining, you must make sure that the camera is protected. You’d also need to wear your waterproofs. You can consider capturing the landscape from a spot that can protect you and your camera from the rain.

Snow

A snowy landscape has its own charm, which is hard to resist for many photographers. If you’ve made up your mind to shoot in the snow, look for simplicity. If the snow is moderately light, it gives the landscape an astonishing graphical quality. You can photograph the remnants of harvested fields or farm tracks. If you find yourself in the middle of a heavier snowfall, look for minimalist landscape.

Fog

Fog or mist is never considered a part of bad weather by many landscape photographers. Even the most inexperienced among them would be excited by the prospect of shooting in such conditions. Fog can bring down color saturation to a considerable extent.

So, it’s important to have a stronger emphasis on the tonal values of the image. Photographs that are taken in fog can be transformed easily to black and white. Owing to a reduction in visibility, the images are more graphic and simpler.

Wind

Shooting in the wind can be tricky. For instance, if you’re using a tripod and are without a shelter, the camera can shake. Talking about the positives, wind introduces a lot of drama to the landscape. It carries the ability to transform something ordinary into extraordinary.

While photographing a landscape under windy conditions, you must consider making shutter speed a priority. Capturing moving clouds can be a great way of showing the presence of wind in the photo.

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As the fall season is short, you’d want to make the most of it by indulging in some serious fall landscape photography. There are some elements involved in photographing fall landscapes that you must know, especially if you’re a beginner. Let’s take a look at some of them:

1. Light

One of the most fascinating aspects of fall is that the season looks great in all types of light. Nevertheless, the presence of good light is absolutely necessary. The best light for photographing fall landscapes is the one that you’ll have around sunrise and sunset.

Both partial and full sun images look spectacular during this season. You’ll find the foliage color deepening beautifully with sunlight. Give yourself the chance to experiment with light. You can consider taking the photos in unusual lighting conditions as well.

2. Location

Not all places will have an abundance of fall colors. This is why your choice of location matters a lot in fall landscape photography. The right approach for this would be to research and go scouting for ideal locations. This is especially necessary if you’re looking for a specific element, such as fall color.

Elevation is also worth considering while choosing your location. Foliage situated at higher elevations are the first to begin changing color. You must also take the moisture levels into consideration.

3. Panning

This is a technique of freezing objects that are in motion. You can get a bit creative by trying something abstract during fall. Panning is one of the ways to do it. The inherent blur of color in panning will offer a splendid alternative to the traditional landscape photo. You can use a tripod when you’re panning vertically as it helps in keeping the horizontal lines straight.

This would need a slower shutter speed. The amount of blur in photos depends on the shutter speed of your choice. It also depends on the rate at which you’ve panned your scene. You can experiment as much as you want as there are no rights or wrongs in photographing fall landscapes.

4. Mood

Don’t miss the opportunity to photograph a fall atmosphere that’s moody. The inherent color pop in fall looks absolutely stunning when combined with blue skies or fog. You can utilize dewy mornings, cooler days, patches of fog, and rainy or snowy days.

They help in putting a lot of drama into your photos of fall landscapes. Try to use a polarizer when the day is cloudy. It helps in cutting through an atmosphere that’s hazy. A polarizer deepens the vibrancy in fall foliage with colors as well. You can also consider having long exposure for adding some extra drama.

5. Night

Fall can be a wonderful time to take some brilliant photographs under the night sky. There’s truly something magical about photographing after sunset. You’ll enjoy the quiet environment and stillness along with those twinkling stars. One of the things that complements dark blue sky is the yellow foliage.

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1. Plan your location

You need to have a clear idea about the location you’re planning to capture. This will make things easier for you to plan your trip to the desired place. There are certain skills that can be of great help, such as knowing how to read maps. If you understand how to use maps, you can find your perfect location without much hassles.

More than the actual process of capturing photographs, landscape photography is about careful planning. It helps you in maximizing your time at the location. Planning your trip to the location also ensures your safety. It helps you get to the right place on time and find your way back as well.

2. Have patience

Give yourself enough time at the chosen location so that you’re able to wait if the need arises. Sometimes the natural elements tend to ruin a photograph that’s composed perfectly. This is why landscape photography demands a lot of patience from you at times.

There are some instances where the white clouds take some time to disperse. In such a situation, you’ll need to wait until the sun breaks through. This is when you can go for your perfect shot. Make sure that you check the weather forecasts before leaving for the location.

3. Ditch your laziness

It takes time and efforts to get to the top of a mountain for capturing some stunning photographs. Often, people are amazed at the marvelous landscape in some photos. The reason why they look so impressive is that plenty of efforts have gone into capturing them.

It is, therefore, important for a landscape photographer not to rely on vantage points that are easily accessible. Many people might’ve seen them before. You must try to reach some unique spots instead, but make sure that they can be reached safely.

4. Utilize the best light

You’ll come across the best light for landscape photography either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The harshest light would be of the midday sun. Light is among the most important factors that can affect the appearance of a landscape photo.

The image will certainly fail if the light doesn’t do justice to the scene. You’ll see that the real challenge is developing the ability to adapt to the different conditions of light. Some of the excellent landscape photographs are the ones captured on cloudy or stormy days.

5. Carry a tripod

You might require a tripod to capture photographs of the highest possible quality. This is especially true in conditions of low light that can be seen usually in early evenings or early mornings. In such situations, the absence of a tripod will need an increase in ISO.

This is to avoid the camera shake. For capturing certain things, you would want your camera to be steady. You certainly wouldn’t want to end up capturing blurred images. So, you must definitely carry a tripod if you’re planning to capture a scene using long exposure.

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They capture even the most-ignored elements of a landscape that they come across. Landscape photography brings the viewer into the scene through the techniques of capturing nature’s best elements. When it comes to capturing some good landscape photos, time is the most important aspect.

Once you get to a place you’ve never been to, you must spend some time discovering its various corners. You may also come across some vantage points or key locations in the process. Here, we’ll discuss some of the popular subjects that photographers choose for their landscape photography:

1. Forest

Some forests are light and airy. Others are dark and brooding. Regardless of the type of forest you visit, try to include its true character and feeling. They must be conveyed well in your photograph. You can find a tree trunk that’s slightly different, a colorful vine of flowers, or a winding path.

Lead the viewer to such points of interest. You can capture a particular spot where sunlight is falling directly. Look for lines, patterns, and other elements.

2. A stream or a river

The water must be the center of interest when capturing a river or a stream. A big, slow river will have a different look and feel when compared with a fast-moving stream. It is entirely up to you how the character of the river or stream is to be conveyed.

You can also enhance the photograph by using the reflections that are seen in the water. For example, the colors of reflected autumn leaves can be used for intensifying the image.

3. Mountains

Mountains can be of different types. Some of them are enchanting with lush greenery, while others are rugged and worn. You need to decide what is to be conveyed to the viewer and find the elements that represent the feeling. The spirit of the mountain must be captured appropriately with angle, light, composition, and weather.

4. Plains and prairies

These wide-open spaces can have many elements, such as a stream, a fence line, and a winding road. Some of them lack points of interest and this presents a lot of challenges for the photographers. They must focus on giving something to the viewers that holds their attention. The key is to find a unique element and utilize it as a point of interest. Pick a composition and angle to reflect the plain’s or prairie’s personality.

5. Beaches

You need to first understand how you’re going to convey the shore you’re capturing. Beaches present a variety of contrasts. One can be a tranquil stretch of sands with turquoise water. Another shore can have raging waves crashing against some of the rocks nearby.

Some beaches will have crowds of people who have arrived for sunbathing. Palm trees are great elements for conveying the character of a tropical beach. You can add a little drama to a rugged coastline by capturing a splash of water over the rocks.

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