4 tips for photographing a mountain landscape

The mountain is synonymous with freedom, clean air, wide open spaces and also synonymous with adventure. To transcribe these large grandiose spaces, it is possible to optimize the setup of any landscape photo like a pro. In this article you will find some tips for become a mountain landscape ace !

1. Prepare your materials 

Are you just getting acquainted with your camera or is it an old friend who has been with you for years? Whatever, to satisfy your dream and finally honor this mountain landscape that you love so much, you will have to know your objectives and your settings at your fingertips. Why not train in different weather conditions? Because in the mountains, we know that the weather can turn in one direction or the other at any time! Knowing how to quickly adapt your settings to the situation will be of great use to you when taking landscape photos in the great outdoors.  

We also advise you to bet on lightness, select your hardware to avoid overloading. Finally, be sure to protect your camera from knocks and bad weather by providing a waterproof and padded camera bag. Did you know that low temperatures impact the battery? Prepare a spare if you are going to do snow photography!

2. Balance your mountain landscape

First, let's talk about the rule of thirds applied to landscape photography and give you some tips on how to use it. Dating from the Renaissance, this rule is still used today in painting as in landscape photography. It is based on the principle of dividing a frame into three equal parts. Determine from a center line which will represent half of the frame and from two side lines which will each mark a third of the frame. This logic makes it possible to give balance to a composition, but not only... The interest of the rule of thirds is that it allows you to place objects in such a way that the eye is attracted by certain points of your picture. There, you know the secret of any composition of mountain landscape.

For a beautiful landscape photo, should you use the panoramic mode? Yes and no. The wide-angle certainly makes it possible to immortalize a grandiose panorama, for example a sea of clouds at the top of a pass. On the other hand, it takes so many elements into account that it tends to make everything very small, especially in the snow photo which tends to flatten spaces. To have the choice, the pros usually carry a telephoto lens that will allow you to emphasize the mountain landscape while integrating a subject in the foreground. It can be a person, a statue or even a cabin in the foreground that will give an idea of grandeur.

Finally, we cannot repeat it too often: the horizon line should be... Horizontal. Unless you want to have fun with style effects of course!

3. Play with natural light

Take your landscape photo at the right times of day. Needless to insist when the sun is at its zenith, the light will only be very white, especially in the case of snow photography, and strong and risks flattening the panorama and its unevenness. Look out for the raking light of the aurora to capture some more dramatic shots of your favorite mountain scenery. Ditto for the hours before sunset which produce a golden light that gives a touch of poetry to any mountain landscape.

At last, the quintessential mountain landscape photo often shows the starry rays of the sun. To do this, simply close the diaphragm of your lens. That is, you will need a high denomination setting, such as f/16.

4. Be safe

Who says photo of mountain landscape, says adventure, but also taking risks. While it's tempting to see everything with your eyes glued to the lens or move forward by changing your settings, be sure to watch where you're stepping. Analyze the terrain as you hunt for a spectacular angle off the beaten path! As well, when practicing sports such as skiing or mountaineering for snow photography, be sure to keep a safe distance from your subjects, an accident easily happened when you're in the heat of the moment.

Now you have all the keys in hand to make the mountain landscape one of your favorite topics worthy of an outdoor magazine. What are you waiting for to immortalize the magic of the summits?!