Start with the light
A simple field exercise for more intentional landscape photographs.
View this photograph & print options →Before changing camera settings, look at the direction and quality of the light. Side light can reveal texture; front light can make colors feel direct and clear. Backlight can create silhouettes or glowing edges.
Choose one scene and photograph it from three positions. Keep your subject consistent and watch how shadows change. Avoid looking at the sun through an optical viewfinder.
Review the histogram as well as the screen. Bright screens can make an underexposed image look fine, and a histogram helps reveal clipped highlights. A small amount of clipping in a bright reflection may be acceptable; decide which detail matters.
Practice: return to the same place at a different time of day. Compare your photographs and write down what the change in light did to the mood.