35mm Landscape Photography Techniques

Adjust the shutter speed on a 35mm camera to create fascinating landscapes.stream and rocks image by Randy McKown from Fotolia.com

Whether you're on vacation or live in an area with postcard-worthy vistas, photographing landscapes is simple with a 35mm camera and versatile lenses. Changing lenses and adjusting depth of field, exposure and shutter speed on a 35mm camera elevates your landscape photography skills from point-and-shoot to artistic.

Vantage Points

Take the time to scout a location, according to Robert Caputo, author of "Photography Field Guide: Landscapes" and "Ultimate Photography Field Guide: Landscapes" who is featured on the National Geographic website. The first image you see may be beautiful, but consider finding a landscape that is even more pristine by shooting high above the telephone poles and or beyond the gray asphalt of a parking lot. Look for hilltops, the roof of a parking garage, lookout towers or trails that offer a unique vantage point. Attach a long lens on the 35mm camera to zoom into the landscape from a high vantage point. Try a 100mm fixed focal length lens or a multi-purpose 70-200mm telephoto lens to get close views of the uninterrupted landscape.

Use a compass to determine where the light will rise and fall for the day. Some landscapes, like mountains and cliffs, are more impressive with long, dark shadows highlighting texture and height. Adjust the aperture on the 35mm camera to open up the shadows a touch, so the scene isn't too dark. If an automatic setting suggests an aperture of f8, manually set the camera to an aperture of f5.6 to brighten the shadow details. Determine where the sun will set and use the warm evening hues to make the landscape scene dazzle. A shiny lake may be beautiful, but when orange and pink clouds are reflected in the ripples, it is breathtaking. Add a wide angle lens, such as a 17mm, to the 35mm camera to get a wide sweeping view of the entire lake.

Sometimes you have to hunt down landscapes. Not every postcard moment will appear before your eyes by accident. Drive down an unmarked gravel road to find fields of blooming wildflowers or hike through wooded areas to find a majestic bend in a creek. Place the 35mm camera on a tripod and slow down the shutter speed to 1/20 of a second (or even slower) to create a painterly effect from rushing water cascading over rocks. The stable rocks and trees in the scene will remain sharp, while the water artistically blurs from its movement.

Naturally occurring patterns found in nature create thought-provoking landscape photography subjects. Caputo recommends compressing a row of symmetrical tree trunks with a telephoto lens. The shallow depth of field creates a visual not seen by the naked eye. Stand back from the trees and try a 300mm lens for a dramatic composition. Also look for windswept circles in wheat fields and the perfectly spaced peaks of a mountain range.