Are you interested in starting landscape photography but are not sure exactly what it is? Well your in the right place. In this article we are going to be talking about what exactly landscape photography is and answer some of the most common questions about it.
Definition
A landscape photo is typically any photo which shows a scene, as appose to a portrait or still life image. Therefore landscape photography covers a wide range of subjects from a deserted country road to a busy city skyline. From sunsets and coastal views to rivers and farmlands. You can be underwater, underground or in a floating Indonesian fishing village.
There is really only 2 rules, the scene you are taking must be outside and you must be sharing a scene not a person, animal or object. That’s not to say that these cannot be in the scene, but they shouldn’t be the main focus of the image.
Having an experience
The joy of landscape photography is that it is all about getting out and exploring new places. Experiencing the beauty of this world. Watching natural phenomimes happen right in front of you. Finding special places at the end of a long walk. Making memories of places you may never go again.
With landscape photography, every day is different. The weather changes, the light changes and the scene you are shooting will change. This the beauty of landscape photography, you can never take the same photo twice. But this can also be frustrating as it can take many attempts to get the perfect photo. Let me know in the comments if you want some tips on how to reduce this frustration
Is it art?
Quite simply yes, it is art. Photography is a mixture of art and science. We use a scientific machine to capture light and turn it into a picture, but how we use that machine depends on our artistic input.
Where we hold the camera and the settings we use come from what we find beautiful. What we want to share with the world.
Can it include buildings and people?
Yes, as we mentioned earlier a landscape is a scene. That scene can include buildings and people, but they cannot be the main focus of the image, however including building or people in your scene can help to tell a story. Let me know in the comments if you want to learn more about how a landscape photo can tell a story.
Can you make money?
Landscape photography is a very competitive market and therefore it can be hard to make money from it. You have to have a unique style and be very good at it to stand out from the crowd.
However there are a few ways you can make money with your landscape photography, you could sell prints, you could sell photo gifts or sell on stock sites. Again let me know if you would like any more info on these options in the comments.
So there we have it. Landscape photography is just a photo where you are showing a scene.
My advice to you if you are getting started is not to think about it too much, if the weather is nice, pick up your camera go for a walk, and just capture anything that grabs your attention.
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