It's happened to all of us. You stroll past a landscape so inspiring it stops you in your tracks — but when you take a photo, it doesn't quite match what you saw. There's a reason for that: the human eye is a natural filter, automatically drawn to the most pleasing parts of a scene. Cameras need a little help. These landscape photography tips for beginners will teach you how to work your camera and set up the perfect shot.
Learn the basic camera settings for landscape photography
You don't have to be a pro to take beautiful landscape photos, but knowing your way around your camera settings makes a dramatic difference. The three pillars of landscape photography are ISO, aperture, and shutter speed — together known as the exposure triangle.
ISO controls your camera's sensitivity to light. For clean landscape shots, stick to the base ISO (usually 100–200) for the least noise. Raise it in darker conditions, but be aware that higher ISO settings introduce grain.
Aperture describes the size of the lens opening. For detailed landscape photos with a large depth of field — where both foreground and background are sharp — use a smaller aperture such as f/11, f/16, or f/22. Note that a smaller aperture is a higher f-number, which confuses many beginners.
Shutter speed controls how long the lens is open during exposure. A slow shutter speed captures movement — including camera shake — so always use a tripod for long exposures. Faster shutter speeds freeze motion and are better for handheld shooting.
Top Tip: When the sun goes down, use long exposure photography to capture nighttime scenes — shooting stars, light trails from passing cars, or silky smooth water. Mount your camera on a tripod and set it to bulb mode to keep the shutter open beyond the standard 30 seconds. Read our guide to long exposure photography for a full walkthrough.
Invest in the right camera gear
Before you start scouting locations, build up your kit. You don't need the most expensive gear, but a few key tools will make a significant difference.
The top priority is a wide-angle lens. Whether you're shooting with a compact camera or an interchangeable lens system, a wide lens lets you fit more scenery into your frame. A focal length between 16mm and 35mm is ideal for most landscape work.
Next, invest in a tripod. It frees your hands, lets you survey the scene from different angles, and is essential for long exposures and low-light shooting. Read our ultimate tripod buying guide to find the right one for your needs.
Finally, filters can significantly boost image quality, especially in challenging conditions. A neutral density (ND) filter reduces the amount of light entering the lens, allowing for longer exposures in bright daylight. A polarising filter deepens sky contrast and reduces glare on water — an essential tool for landscape photographers.
Choose a point of interest
Composition is everything in landscape photography. It balances the image and draws the viewer's eye to the most important elements. There are several compositional techniques worth studying — the Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines, and the Rule of Odds are great starting points.
For beginners, start with the Rule of Thirds. Divide your frame into thirds horizontally and vertically, creating nine equal squares. Place your key subject — a mountain, a lone tree, a lake — at one of the four intersecting points. Most cameras can display a grid overlay in the viewfinder or on the LCD to help.
As a general rule, landscape photos look better when the subject is off-centre, and the horizon line is straight and positioned either in the upper or lower third of the frame rather than dead centre.
Shoot in the early mornings and evenings
Lighting can make or break a landscape photo. Whenever possible, shoot during the golden hours — the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. The light is soft, warm, and directional, producing far more natural and flattering results than the harsh midday sun.
If the lighting isn't optimal when you arrive, don't be afraid to wait. Conditions can change dramatically in minutes. If the scene still isn't working, schedule a reshoot — landscape photography rewards patience.
Top Tip: Use water as a mirror. In golden light, still water creates beautiful reflections that add depth and symmetry to your composition. Use a tripod and a slow shutter speed to capture the effect at its best.
Experiment with new locations and techniques
Once you've mastered the fundamentals, start pushing the boundaries. Add a human element to your landscape — a lone figure taking in the view, or a child running through a field — to give the scene scale and emotion.
Seek out locations that aren't overshot. Walking a little further or exploring less-visited spots often yields the most original images. As always, be safe, respect the land and its culture, and let someone know where you're going.
Take the time to edit your photos
Capturing the image is only half the battle. Editing is where good landscape photos become great ones — and it's not cheating. Like the darkroom before it, editing software is simply another tool in your creative arsenal.
You don't need to be a master retoucher. Start with cropping, straightening the horizon, and adjusting exposure and saturation. Black and white conversion can emphasise shape, texture, and line in a powerful way. Adobe Lightroom is the most popular tool for landscape editing — read our guide to why photographers choose Lightroom for a full overview.
Top Tip: Always shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. RAW files retain all the data captured by your sensor, giving you far more flexibility in post-processing — especially for recovering highlights and shadows. Read our guide to RAW photography to learn more.
Keep practising!
If your first few shoots don't turn out as planned, don't stress. Every outing teaches you something new, and each photo will be better than the last. Visit a Ted's Cameras store and our team will be happy to walk you through the gear and settings you need to get the results you're after.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camera settings should I use for landscape photography?
A good starting point for most landscape shots is a low ISO (100–200), a small aperture (f/11–f/16) for maximum depth of field, and a shutter speed adjusted to achieve correct exposure — using a tripod if the shutter speed drops below 1/60s. Shoot in RAW for maximum editing flexibility, and use your camera's histogram to check exposure accuracy rather than relying on the LCD preview alone.
What is the best lens for landscape photography?
A wide-angle lens in the 16–35mm range is the most popular choice for landscape photography, as it captures a broad field of view and emphasises foreground elements. An ultra-wide lens (10–16mm) can produce dramatic, immersive results but requires careful composition to avoid distortion. A standard zoom (24–70mm) is also versatile for landscapes where you want to compress the scene and isolate distant subjects.
Do I need a tripod for landscape photography?
Not always, but it's strongly recommended. A tripod is essential for long exposures, low-light shooting, and any situation where you want to use a small aperture (which requires a slower shutter speed). It also forces you to slow down and think more carefully about composition — which generally leads to better images. Read our tripod buying guide to find the right one.
What is the golden hour and why is it important for landscape photography?
Golden hour refers to the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset, when the sun is low in the sky and produces warm, soft, directional light. This light is far more flattering for landscapes than the harsh, overhead light of midday, which creates deep shadows and washed-out colours. Most landscape photographers plan their shoots around golden hour for this reason.
Should I shoot landscape photos in RAW or JPEG?
RAW is strongly recommended for landscape photography. RAW files contain all the data captured by your camera's sensor, giving you far more flexibility to recover highlights, lift shadows, and make precise colour adjustments in post-processing. JPEGs are processed in-camera and discard much of this data. The trade-off is larger file sizes and the need for editing software. Read our guide to RAW photography for a full explanation.