Sunday, April 26, 2020

5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography


Getting started in wildlife photography is one of the more expensive genres of the photo industry. The lenses and cameras that are often in the bags of pros are more often than not in the higher tier price brackets. However, to get started you don’t need to spend a fortune to gear up with some great lenses for wildlife photography.
Lenses are the thing to invest in when starting out in wildlife or as any photographer for that matter. The glass you purchase can stay with you for many years, while often cameras are updated far more regularly. Meaning, if you spend your money wisely you won’t have to outlay again.
wildlife photography lenses
Now of course as you gain more experience and want to invest it into your work, you might outgrow some gear or wish for more pro features. But when you’re getting started, the lenses I’ve listed below are a great base to build on and invest in, that will not only provide excellent quality results but also hold their value within your gear bag. These lenses will cover a range of shooting situations so you can capture the natural world in all manner of ways to really follow your creative vision.

1 – The Telephoto Zoom 70-200mm

Firstly, we are going to start with the telephoto zoom. For most wildlife photographers this is one of the most used lenses in their arsenal, offering flexibility to compose portraits of wildlife to more landscape style images to put your subjects in the environment.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
The 70-200mm zoom is an excellent investment.
As an investment, the 70-200mm is a key lens to get hold of as it offers so much in the way of performance and flexibility. Most people will feel that 200mm is a little shot for wildlife, but with practice and development of your stalking skills, especially when paired with an APS-C camera it’s a great place to start.
The f/2.8 is the most coveted version due to its fast aperture for gorgeous bokeh (out of focus areas) as well as its autofocus speed. The f/2.8 version is a higher cost lens retailing new at around $2000 but secondhand (especially a slightly older version) can be had at excellent prices. If they are still a little out of the price range, think about the f/4 version. Smaller and lighter they are also a lot cheaper, still offering top performance for getting into wildlife photography.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
The 70-200mm is perfect for working with largest animals.

2 – The Prime Option 300mm F/4

If you want something a little longer think about looking into a 300mm f/4 prime lens. These fixed focal length lenses don’t zoom, so you have to move your feet to get the composition correct. However, due to their nature as primes they have excellent optical performance, offering wonderful sharpness as well as a reasonably fast aperture for creating pleasing portraits with your of focus areas as well as working in less than perfect light.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
300mm f/4 lens.
The 300mm f/4 is a lens that has been on the market for a long time now and both Nikon and Canon lenses can be easily found for an excellent price secondhand even from dealers with included warranties. The 300mm f/4 was the telephoto that I used when I became more serious with my photography and it helped me on the path to shooting professionally. So I can vouch for its excellent qualities.
wildlife photography lenses

3 – Ultra Telephoto Zoom 100-400mm

If prime lenses aren’t your thing then the 100-400mm (or the Nikon 80-400mm) might be a better fit for your style of shooting. The excellent range makes it a very versatile lens for wildlife photography, giving you the ability to switch from close portraits to environmental shots in an instant.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
80-400mm Nikon lens.
Buying new gives you the best options for getting a top spec lens, with the latest iterations having excellent sharpness, autofocus and image stabilization, whilst older models are slightly weaker in all aspects. If you are looking to invest in one of these I’d recommend trying to get hold of the latest model as it will last you a long time and really provide you with a top lens for getting some great wildlife images.
I would certainly recommend these as name brand lenses over third party manufacturers, as they are far better optically engineered. Often when starting out with wildlife photography, some people go for the longest superzoom they can find like the 150-600mm or 50-500mm. But these suffer from optical quality and often lead to frustrating results.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
The 80-400mm is a great compact wildlife photography lens for travel.

4 – Wide Angle 10-20mm

When shooting wildlife photography, going wide a great way to create far more interesting images than super telephoto shots. Of course, as that isn’t always an option, spending a vast amount of money on a super wide especially if you are not focused on shooting landscapes as well can be overkill.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
Canon 10-18mm lens.
Luckily both Nikon and Canon have excellent low-cost APS-C wide angle lenses that really offer great performance and functionality at decent prices. The new Nikon 10-20mm and the Canon 10-18mm are perfect candidates for wide angle wildlife shooting. Their ultra-wide view can pull the viewer into an entire landscape, while the close focuses of a mere 0.2m allow you to get up close and personal with your subjects (often wirelessly triggering) for impact filed images.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
The 10-20mm is perfect for wide landscape shots or wildlife in the landscape.
wildlife photography lenses
Shot using the 10-20mm wide-angle lens.
These lenses cost around $300-500 so are brilliant options to give a wide scope to your shooting potential.

5 – Macro Lens 100/105mm

If you are interested in getting in close and looking at details as a wildlife photographer you’ll want to look into a macro lens for close up shooting. These specialist optics offer 1:1 life size reproduction ratios that are awesome for shooting insects and plants.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
105mm macro lens being used in the garden.
The 100mm focal length is where you really want to invest as it offers the best in terms of performance, as well as a good working distance to help reduce the chance of your disturbing your subjects and getting in the way of your own lighting. The 100mm macro is a slightly more expensive lens but having been on the market for a while there are often many secondhand copies available offering discounts on the new price of around 30-40%.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography
It’s a truly great investment as these lenses are among the sharpest on the market with optical perfection that makes them a staple in many pros bags. The lenses are also great for a variety of non-macro tasks as well, with them often being used by portrait photographers for their flattering compression that makes beautiful backgrounds.

That’s a round up of a few of the top lenses to invest in if you are getting started in wildlife photography. They maybe slightly higher in price than some of the third party alternatives or lesser models, but these lenses will hold their own for many years, meaning the extra savings and investment will pay off with certainty in the long term.
wildlife photography lenses
If you do wildlife photography what lenses did you start off with? Which do you recommend? Please share in the comments section below.
PIN IT: if you’re on Pinterest and wanting to save or share this article – here’s an image just for you.
5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography

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Friday, April 24, 2020

This week's Photography Freebie


Ebook Photography Freebies

As we make this post our Country is in the midst of the Corona Virus health epidemic.  Many of us are out of a job because our employers have been ordered to close for the foreseeable future.  And we don't know how long this condition will continue.  If we have to "shelter in place" in our homes to keep from spreading the Corona Virus, we might as well enjoy our unscheduled vacation as much as possible. Here's how. You can access the title above (and many more) free of charge for the first 30 days of a FREE subscription.  There is NO obligation to continue the subscription past 30 days.  View them on your computer, tablet or smart device.  If you don't want the subscription to continue,  just cancel before day 30.

Access these freebies here: https://amzn.to/3b76mGJ
You are NOT limited to just Photography Titles with this subscription.  And remember, you do NOT have to continue the FREE subscription past 30 days.  If you choose to cancel before day 30, the subscription cost you nothing.

Please share this post so others can enjoy the freebies too.  Thank you.
It's spider time...

Viral video - Cell phone video, Inspiration for you videographers considering a topic for your next project.  53,597 views on Facebook. Your video may receive more.


The Smartphone Filmmaking Handbook: Revealing the secrets of smartphone movie making
   Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3b76mGJ


(Pssst...as good a deal as this is at only $7.99, how would you like to have access to the Smartphone Filmmaking Handbook absolutely FREE?  Just scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the Amazon Kindle Unlimited Access offer)

Do This Before You Upgrade a Lens for Your New Camera

new-camera-tips-5
So, you just got a new camera! Congratulations! You’re in the right place, DPS is absolutely full of amazing tutorials that will help get you started, and point you in the right direction. As for me, if there’s one thing that I could say to someone who has just purchased, or received a new camera, this is it:
If this is your first DSRL or mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, don’t buy any new lenses or gear for at least a month.
I know, I know. You’ve probably heard that the kit lens is terrible. You’ve probably already been given a list of things that are “must-buys” in order to take amazing photos. You may have even tested out your brand new camera, and been disappointed that your images don’t quite look like you’d hoped they would after you upgraded.
I understand, because I’ve been there. However, waiting to upgrade for at least a few months (get that you need like batteries and memory cards, but hold off on any major purchases like lenses) may actually benefit your photography in the long run. To explain why, let me tell you a little about me and my story.
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I received my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel XS, in 2009. I’d done black and white film photography for years, so photography itself wasn’t new to me, but my old fully manual Pentax camera didn’t have things like white balance, or the ability to choose metering modes, and neither did my point-and-shoot digital camera at the time (at least not that I knew of), so there was definitely a big learning curve for me as I transitioned to a digital SLR.
The image above was one of the first that I took with my new camera, and I remember being so frustrated. I hated how yellow it was. I hated the fact that it didn’t really look any better than the images I took with my point-and-shoot camera, and it might have even looked worse! It didn’t take much complaining on my end before well-meaning friends and family members started suggesting different lenses, flashes, and other gear that would help me achieve the look that I was hoping to achieve.
Although I was confident that I’d need to upgrade lenses if I wanted to take my photography to a new level, my husband and I were still pretty newly married and money was tight, so I just kept on with my Rebel XS and Kit lens. I was really frustrated about not being able to upgrade at the time, but the truth was that I didn’t need a lot of new gear, I really just needed to learn how to utilize the gear that I already had.
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I was pretty sure that I was more interested in photographing landscapes and abstract items than I was photographing people. So, I’d take my camera to work with me and go on photo walks during lunch breaks, taking photos of whatever was around. I discovered how white balance worked, and started to chip away at learning a little more about how my camera functioned. The images still weren’t perfect, as you can see by the examples above and below, but I felt like I was making progress in terms of the overall aesthetic of the photos, and I was really starting to have fun. I was still itching to upgrade, but am forever grateful that we just couldn’t afford it at the time, because it turned out that the type of photography that I thought I was interested in, wasn’t actually my passion after all.
New-Camera-Tips-2
Over the course of the next year, I started taking photos of my nieces and nephew just for fun, and much to my surprise, discovered that I loved taking candid photos of kids. I had experience with portrait photography in high school and college, but thought I didn’t like it. As it turns out, most of my portrait experience had been in a studio setting with a professor who was very, very passionate about Rembrandt Lighting. I didn’t enjoy that kind of photography, but I discovered that I loved sitting in the grass in the backyard, and taking photos as my nieces and nephew played. I loved taking pictures while singing funny songs, and telling little jokes to see if I could make them laugh. Around the same time, I took a few senior portraits for some family friends, and discovered that it wasn’t just kids I enjoyed photographing. I loved taking pictures of people, and I especially loved taking portraits of people.
I also really loved portraits that had a nice blurry background, which was hard (but not impossible) to achieve with my kit lens. I began to look into how I could achieve that effect more easily, and quickly came across Canon’s Nifty Fifty Lens (50mm f/1.8). I purchased that lens shortly before my first daughter was born. It stayed pretty permanently attached to my camera body for the next several years.
New-Camera-Tips-4
My love for portraits has only intensified, and though I have made a number of upgrades to my gear since 2010, I’m glad that it took me about a year to make my first purchase. Being forced to wait allowed me time to discover which type of photography I was really interested in. Had I upgraded right away, I probably would have purchased a lens that would be collecting dust in the back of my closet, because I would have gotten something targeted towards landscapes or macro, rather than something more appropriate for portraits. It’s not the end of the world to own a lens that you don’t use all that often, but it’s also something that can be avoided with just a little patience!
new-camera-tips-6
Waiting to upgrade also forced me to really learn to use the camera that I had, which was actually a great camera, kit lens and all! Still need a little extra convincing that the kit lens isn’t terrible? Check out this Flickr Group called Kit Lens Losers. There are some incredible images in there, all taken with the standard kit lens. You CAN take great images, right out of the box. I promise.
When it did finally come time to upgrade to a new lens, I did so knowing that the upgrade was necessary in order to achieve something (better bokeh and the ability to shoot wide open), that my previous setup limited. The lens was important in helping me achieve the aesthetic that I like in photography, but it was only one piece of the puzzle. Learning about white balance, metering modes, shooting in RAW, and a whole slew of other camera settings were just as important as a new lens in terms of the overall affect on my photography.
I’m not saying that you need to have a perfect understanding of your camera before you upgrade, but I firmly believe that we’re never done learning when it comes to photography. What I am suggesting is that if you spend some time really getting to know your camera and what it is capable of before you upgrade, you’ll be able to ensure that you’re spending your money intentionally, in ways that will allow you to continue to grow in your photography – and that’s always a good thing.
new-camera-tips-7
Have you upgraded you gear? If so, what was your first purchase? If you haven’t, please share what has made you decide to wait.

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5 Uncomfortable Truths About Photography

There is a lot of hype about photography, it’s a booming hobby practiced by huge numbers of people around the world. With the prevalence of high quality images from our phones, and widely available, inexpensive dedicated cameras, it’s no wonder the art is so popular. But it isn’t all roses, and there are some uncomfortable things it’s best just to understand from the beginning.
Here are five truths about photography:
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1. More gear won’t make you a better photographer

Don’t get me wrong, I love camera gear. New bodies, lenses, and accessories are fun and exciting, but they won’t magically make you better at photography. To be a better photographer you need to learn how to find images. The gear can help you capture them, but the finding part is up to you.
Whenever I’m thinking of buying a new piece of gear, I ask myself, “Is my current gear holding me back?” Sometimes the answer is yes. It could be that the lens I’ve been using for night photography is too slow to get the detail I need, or the limitations of my current body are preventing me from blowing up the final shot to the size and detail required by a client. In such cases, I almost always have a specific image that I want to make, but can’t, due to my equipment.
More often though, the answer to whether my gear is holding me back is no. The actual reason I want a new piece of gear is that it is shiny. I may lust over new camera stuff, but if that gear won’t improve my photography in a very tangible way, I don’t buy it.
Some images require certain equipment. Without a big telephoto, this shot of the full moon over the Andes would have been impossible.
Some images require certain equipment. Without a big telephoto, this shot of the full moon over 
the Andes would have been impossible.
Remember that good photography comes from your heart and your mind, not your wallet.

2. There is no “knack”

AK-NoatakPreserve-KellyRiver-1083-469
Some people take to photography quickly, others more slowly, but everyone has to learn. Photography is an art, not a gift.
A few times, I’ve been told by people looking at one of my images, “You have such a gift.” I know they are being kind, that they are offering a compliment, but I can’t help feeling insulted. I want to say, “It’s not a gift! I worked my ass off to make that image! That shot is the result of years of effort, of early mornings, and hours of travel, of study and practice, tens of thousands of failed and deleted shots, and thousands of dollars in equipment. Nothing about that image was given to me, I earned it.”
Of course, I don’t say that. Instead, I smile as though they’ve just said the nicest thing, and say thanks.
AK-WragellStEliasPark-NabesnaRoad-July2006-10
Photography can be learned. With practice you can see the way lines and light interact to create a pleasing image. Or how those elements can become jumbled, resulting in a photo that just doesn’t work. With time and effort, you get better at recognizing the difference. It’s a process I work on every day.
So no, photography is not a knack – it’s work.

3. You’ve got to be patient

I spent 20 minutes hand holding a big lens to make this image, as I waited for an albatross to turn in profile over the waves.
I spent 20 minutes hand holding a big lens to make this image, as I waited for an albatross to turn 
in profile over the waves.
Yeah, lots and lots of patience.
I’ve guided hundreds of photographers into wild locations to make images. Sometimes we’ve arrived at a site, and the light has been perfect, or the wildlife is waiting in the perfect place, as though they’d been staged there. But that is rarely the case. More often, we have to wait, and wait… and wait.
The pages of magazines are filled with spectacular images, timed to perfection. But those didn’t just happen. The images were made because the photographer knew how to be patient.
Few things are so hit and miss as photographing the aurora borealis. (There are lot of misses.)
Few things are so hit and miss as photographing the aurora borealis (there are lot of misses).
The best images all require time and effort.
This is a hard reality for many of my clients (students) to swallow. They just want the photo to be there, though it rarely is. To be honest, I’m not very good at patience. I like to move and explore, but it’s the times where I force myself to wait and sit silently, that I often walk away with something good.

4. There is nothing wrong with being an amateur

AK-BrooksRange-BairdMtns-aerial-31Jul-12
Being an amateur does not mean you are any less talented than a professional photographer. In fact, in many cases, I’d say it is just the opposite. You see, professionals spend much (most even) of their time doing the dirty work: invoicing, marketing, tip-tapping away at the computer, and much less time actually making and working with images. The images we professionals shoot are often those made for clients, not those we make for ourselves. Inherently, photos made for others are not as good as those we are passionate about. Amateurs can shoot whatever they please, and that means they are making photos that matter to them.
Skill and artistic sensibilities are not the sole territory of professionals. Some of the finest photographers I know do not make their living from it.
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And equipment! Here is the biggest irony: pros often can’t afford the latest and best gear. With the exception of the very top people in the industry, we pros aren’t millionaires, or anywhere close. Out of our meagre incomes have to come our mortgage, food, computers, software fees, travel, and yes, camera equipment. When I made the transition to full-time freelancer, that new reality hit me like a falling piano. Science fiction writer John Scalzi once wrote that you shouldn’t consider leaving your day job until you are making TWICE your normal income with your writing (or in this case photography). It’s good advice.
So yeah, there is nothing, NOTHING wrong with being an amateur.
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5. Postprocessing is a tool, not a crutch

I’m not the first to say it, but I’m going to repeat it, there is no un-suck filter. If your image stinks when it goes into Photoshop or Lightroom, it’s going to stink when it comes out, no matter how much you crop it, add contrast, or saturate.
This image took a lot of work in post-processing, but it was a solid image going in. Nothing in Lightroom will make a bad image good.
This image took a lot of work in post-processing, but it was a solid image going in. Nothing in 
Lightroom will make a bad image good.
For the love of god, don’t over-process your images. What matters in an image is the way it speaks to the viewer, that the photo means something. Make your image meaningful, and you won’t ever have to rely on post-processing to be successful.

Sunset over the Noatak River, Gates of the Arctic National Park, AK USA.


In the end, what really matters about photography is not the final image, but the process of making it. So forget about the shiny new gear, practice the art, be patient, don’t get caught up in labels, and make your best image in the camera. Everything else is details.
Do you have anything else you’d add to this list? Please share in the comments below.

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Thursday, April 23, 2020

How To Ditch Your Stash Like a Pro

Viral video - Cell phone video, Inspiration for you videographers considering a topic for your next project. 1,375 views on Facebook. Your video may receive more.


The Smartphone Filmmaking Handbook: Revealing the secrets of smartphone movie making
   Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3b76mGJ

(Pssst...as good a deal as this is at only $7.99, how would you like to have access to the Smartphone Filmmaking Handbook absolutely FREE?  Just scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the Amazon Kindle Unlimited Access offer)

 

10 Step Guide to Improving Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

Will buying that new camera or lens or travel to iconic places automatically result in beautiful images?
Landscape photographers often dream about the latest gear or traveling to far away places to capture great images. For example, places like Iceland, Patagonia, Lofoten Norway, or Tuscany. The problem is that we spend too much time in front of our computers seeing all those great images on social media platforms and dreaming about photographing those vistas ourselves.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - leading lines
We believe that going to iconic places or buying the latest gear will automatically make us better photographers, or that this is the only way of capturing great imagery. As with any craft, you need to practice, practice, and then do some more practice. This way you’ll have the greatest possibility of taking that fantastic photo, either close to home, or once you finally go away on that travel adventure of your dreams.
Here are my 10 tips for how to improve your photography without buying new gear:

1) Learn the basics about your camera and photography

Start by reading your camera’s user manual. Yes, it’s very basic and should be obvious to everyone, but you would be surprised how often people buy a new camera and start using it right away, thinking that the camera is going to do all the work. Many camera stores also offer beginner courses. Ask your local camera store about this option before deciding to buy from them.
Learn about topics like leading lines, the rule of thirds, exposure compensation, and the relation between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I will not go into this in more detail as it would merit a whole book, but these topics are available in printed books, e-books and here on dPS.
Read more here:
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - leading lines
Using leading lines.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - rule of thirds
Using the rule of thirds.

2) Do your photography under the right conditions

A word photography literally means drawing with light (from the Greek photós meaning “light”, and graphê meaning “drawing, writing”). I would say that at least 80 % of your most successful images will be taken during the sunrise or sunset when the quality of light is the best. The other 20 % will be taken during cloudy days when the light is much softer than days with direct sunlight.
Many photographers don’t consider this second aspect enough. When starting out, I would often photograph during sunny days with clear blue skies with hard light that produced too much contrast. Today I try to do as much photography when there’s a shift in the weather pattern from high to low pressure or vice versa. The reason is that during this period there’s often a build up of dramatic clouds and the weather shifts between rain and sun creating more drama in your photos.
I suggest that you regularly check the weather forecasts and try to plan your photography for these days.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

3) Scout for new locations and return multiple times to the same place

The majority of my best photos are from places very close to home. Most of the time they were not taken on my first attempt, but rather I had to come back many times to the same location before the conditions were right.
Google Earth is a great tool for your initial location scouting as are social media platforms like 500px, Instagram, or Google+. Remember that you should use these sites for inspiration, and not try to copy the same images that have already been taken numerous times before.

4) Change your vantage point

Have you ever considered the vantage point of your photos? The majority of photographers always take photos from the exact same position as they are standing – at eye level. This creates boring photos that all look the same. It’s also the same vantage point from which your viewers see the world.
By crouching down low or shooting from a higher position, like a hill or even from the top of a rock, it will drastically improve your photos. The visual appearance of your photo can dramatically change by just placing your camera a couple of meters in another direction. You should “work the scene” by looking for different viewpoints and not be satisfied with your first choice.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - low viewpoint
Taken from a low vantage or view point.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
Shot from a low view point.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
Taken from a high vantage point.

5) Use your lenses creatively

Use your wide-angle lens for creating depth in your image and your telephoto lens to compress the landscape. Both techniques are very effective and create totally different effects. By trying to pre-visualize how your want your photo to look, your choice of lens will be much easier. This takes time and comes more naturally as you gain greater experience.
For landscape photography, you often want to maximize your depth of field by taking photos between f8 and f/16. You could go higher than that but then you risk having softer images as most lenses have a “soft spot” between these parameters.
You could also try to zoom or move your lens during the exposure. This technique is more a trial and error basis and often you need to take many photos before you’re satisfied. Luckily all your frames in digital photography are free.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
Use of a wide-angle lens.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
Use of a longer or telephoto lens.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
Created by intentionally moving the camera or lens during the exposure.

6) Use the elements in your surroundings to your benefit

Is there is a rock, a tree, strong colors, some leading lines, etc., that you can use to create interest in your image and lead the viewer’s eyes throughout your image?
Because we are fed daily with thousands of images, it becomes important to immediately catch the viewer’s attention and make sure that their mind is stimulated. Therefore, the image should have a clear object, this could be a person or a landmark, which the viewer can quickly identify.
If the photo is too busy with too many conflicting elements, the viewer will become confused and move on to the next image. Less is often better than more. Consider excluding elements that do not add to the image. It could be annoying things like tree branches entering the photo from the corner, paper bags and other waste in the photo, etc.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

7) Invest in good quality accessories instead of buying the latest camera or lenses

There are some camera accessories that are more important than the latest camera or lens.
The single most important one is a good quality tripod. You should not waste your money buying a cheap aluminum tripod that will shake every time you put your camera on it, resulting in useless blurry images. In the end, you’ll be forced to buy a more expensive tripod anyway, adding unnecessary extra costs. Instead, spend the extra money on a quality tripod from Manfrotto, Gitzo, 3 Legged Thing, or any of the other top brands. Trust me, in the end, you will end up saving money.
Another very important accessory for us landscape photographers are filters. You definitely need a good polarizing filter to reduce the reflections on water and other shiny surfaces. Polarizing filters work the same way as your sunglasses.
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/?s=challenge
Cameras are also limited in their ability to handle dynamic range. In short, this means the ability to register the darkest and lightest tones and everything in between. An example of this cis when you’re photographing a landscape and the foreground looks good, but the sky is too bright. This is where the graduated filters come into play. They have a dark and light part with a soft or hard transition in between. Generally, you should use a hard transition filter when photographing seascapes, as there is a clear definition between the sky and the water. A soft transition filter is preferred when photographing landscapes where there are trees, hills or mountains.
I’ve tested many different brands and would highly recommend LEE filters, They are expensive, but in my opinion are worth every penny. Lee also produces two neutral density filters called Little Stopper and Big Stopper. These filters enable you to slow down your shutter speed. When you see those photos with silky smooth water or clouds, most likely the photographer used such a filter.
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/?s=challenge
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/?s=challenge
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/?s=challenge
While these accessories will cost you some money, they will be more of a one-time expense. Taking good care of them means you can use your accessories for many years to come.

8) Photograph in RAW format and learn to use a photo editing program

When photographing in JPG mode you let the camera do all the processing of the image. This means you have less control over the final outcome. It’s better to photograph in RAW format and then use a software like Adobe lightroom to post-process them yourself.
For me, the main reason for shooting in RAW is to have a greater dynamic range so that I’m able to save many images that are otherwise too light or too dark. Of course, it’s important to get the exposure correct from the start, but RAW files definitely give you some room for errors. There is a lot of information about RAW format and post-processing, read;  RAW Versus JPG – Why You Might Want to Shoot in RAW Format and How to Use Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop to Make Your Landscape Images Pop.

9) Learn to focus manually

This is crucial for landscape photography. As mentioned above, you’ll hopefully be taking most of your photos in low light during the morning or evening. You will also be using a tripod to avoid camera shake.
10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear
During long exposure photography, it becomes very important to focus manually in order to avoid having the focus move during your exposure as is the risk when using autofocus. You should use a small aperture like f/11 and focus about a third of the way into the scene if you desire to have sharpness throughout the frame. Make sure you use your camera’s Live View mode or focus peaking if you own a mirrorless camera, for manual focus assistance.

10) Think before you shoot and study your photos afterward

Often I see photographers arrive at their location, take out their gear, and do the “machine gun “photography approach, taking dozens of photos from the same location over and over again. It’s important to work the scene, moving around looking for the best viewpoints.
The same applies when you’re done editing your photos at home. Try to study your photos and look for improvements. Compare your work with other established photographers to see how you can do things differently next time. This takes time, but after a while, you’ll certainly notice better quality in your work.

These 10 points are just the very basics to get you started. Make sure you search dPS for more information, study photography books, and feel free to leave a comment below or ask any question you might have. Good luck!