Landscape photography is my first passion for creating compelling images. On the one hand, there are so many variables for what makes a good landscape image, so my time trying to capture “the shot” is always fun. Plus, I get to be in the great outdoors while pursuing my love for photography. What’s not to like?!
Looking for creative landscape photography ideas often leads me in unexpected directions – it can be for you as well. Follow me as I go through some landscape photography ideas I have found helpful in continuing to capture more and different images.
Table of Contents
- Landscape Photography Ideas – Blue Hour
- Landscape Photography Ideas – Low Angle
- Landscape Photography Ideas – Telephoto Compression
- Landscape Photography Ideas – Black & White
- Landscape Photography Ideas – Make Canvas Prints
Landscape Photography Ideas – Blue Hour
Photo by Wojciech Dziadosz via Shutterstock
Blue hour photography is a wonderful method for capturing awesome and unique landscape images. What is blue hour photography, and what makes it part of my list of unique landscape photography ideas to try?
Blue hour photography refers to a time of day with a particular lighting characteristic – blue light. Many photographers know golden hour backward and forwards. Golden hour refers to the time of day just after sunrise or coming up on sunset.
In golden hour, the sun is above the horizon but low in the sky. With the sun low in the sky, the light passes through more atmosphere and takes on a somewhat warm and golden hue. This makes for beautiful landscape images.
Photo by Mr. Simon Paul via Shutterstock
Blue hour is when the sun is below the horizon, but the sky is still lit by sunlight. With the sun out of the picture (literally!), the wavelengths of light are more similar to nighttime conditions. The color hues are decidedly cool, leaning towards purple, violet, and blue. Hence the name blue hour.
What time is blue hour? In the morning, it is from an hour or so before to right before sunrise. In the evening, it is just after the sun dips below the horizon and lasts for about another hour. Before or after blue hour is entirely nighttime. The actual length of time will depend on the season, the weather, and your latitude.
Calculating proper exposure can be tricky, with some light values requiring shutter speeds of several seconds. However, the beautiful results are well the effort required for landscape photography ideas involving the magic of Blue Hour.
Landscape Photography Ideas – Low-Angle
Photo by Kedardome via Shutterstock
Extreme low-angle photography is one of the better landscape photography ideas for unique images. Zooming with your feet is a common method for changing the view of a landscape scene. As the name indicates, you just walk closer to the subject to frame a tighter shot. Low-angle photography is similar in intent.
Lowering your camera almost to ground level creates a unique perspective that can work wonders with certain landscape photography scenes. It works especially well with extreme depth-of-field effects with foreground interest. The image above, for example, benefits from a low-angle perspective because it fills the foreground with the beautiful long exposure effect of the water rushing over the rocks in the stream.
Landscape Photography Ideas – Telephoto Compression
Photo by skyNext via Shutterstock
Forced perspective tricks can be accomplished as landscape photography ideas by using lenses other than the normal range of lenses often used in photography. Ultra wide-angle lenses stretch apparent perspective, which is a common effect in landscape photography.
Going to the other extreme and using very long lenses gives a forced perspective effect known as telephoto compression. Instead of stretching the apparent perspective, this effect compresses the apparent perspective, making objects seem to be closer to each other.
In the video above, Henry Turner explains how to use telephoto compression in landscape photography.
Read more: Is a Zoom or a Prime the Best Lens for Landscape Photography?
Landscape Photography Ideas – Black & White
Photo by Sam Kranz via Shutterstock
Black and white landscape photography ideas are part of what got me into this field in the first palace. Seeing what Ansel Adams could do with a landscape scene and black & white film and paper was magical.
You can do black-and-white in film and in digital photography, too. Digital black-and-white landscape photography ideas can turn a current scene into a classic and timeless work of art. Do it in-camera with its black-and-white mode or use a post-processing program like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to adjust any color digital image file.
When creating black-and-white images, focus your attention on elements of the scene that provide interest in the absence of color. It’s common to look for textures and patterns that catch the viewer’s eye. The image of the beach above is a good example of this. The beach sand takes on an almost asphalt-like appearance. Combined with the softer texture of the water coming ashore and the linear element of the horizon, this photo is oozing with detail!
Landscape Photography Ideas – Make Canvas Prints
With these unique and special landscape photography ideas captured in your camera, you will want to display them in the best form possible. If you ask me, a large canvas print from Artbeat Studios is a marvelous way to showcase the results of these landscape photography ideas.
I’ve used Artbeat Studios for years to order prints of all shapes and sizes. And one thing has rung true for all of them – the exceptional quality. Beyond the inherent value of a well-made print, you can also benefit from features like different styles, wraps, and frame options to tailor the look of your print to your specific needs and likes.
Artbeat Studios ensures the best-looking prints by using archival inks to print the image on the canvas. The canvas is then wrapped around a frame made with real wood bars that prevent the canvas from sagging or drooping over time. The result is a canvas print of your landscape image that stands the test of time – as it should!
Generating your print is simple, too. Start the process using Artbeat Studios’ online order portal, and you’ll have a gorgeous print at your doorstep in a few days!
Implementing these unique landscape photography ideas and then printing them as canvas prints will lead you in unexpected directions, resulting in the beautiful art of your favorite genre of photography.
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Hero shot by IZZ HAZEL via Shutterstock.
