Notes on mountain photography

Introduction: In order to get the best mountain photography effects, you need to travel in a good weather environment. Now let me list the things to note when taking mountain photography. Let’s take a look together! Things to note about mountain photography

1. Weather

First consider what season it is. Then determine the shooting plan in advance according to different seasons. In the cold winter, the mountainous areas will be covered with heavy snow and ice, and the roads will be slippery. At this time, you must pay attention to personal safety, be prepared to keep warm and prevent slipping, and prevent frostbite from falling. If you're going out during the warmer months, it will be a huge benefit to your photography to be prepared with sunscreen, bug spray, and a hat. One thing is for sure, whatever the weather conditions, you need to be prepared with clothing and protective gear appropriate to the season.

2. Time

Most photographers believe that the best time to capture beautiful mountain photos is early morning or evening. Because during the two periods of sunrise or sunset, light will create a unique lighting environment. Typical mountain photos can be taken because the sun does not produce harsh light during these two periods, nor does it cast shadows when capturing the beauty of the moment. Additionally, the temperature of the sun at noon can create smog in the air, making photos appear polluted, which is not the case at dawn or dusk. Moreover, there won’t be too many tourists visiting during these hours to hinder your photography.

3. Lens

Generally speaking, when taking pictures of mountains, you need a lens that can take wide-angle photos. In order to ensure that the edges of the photo are not deformed, the appropriate focal length of the wide-angle lens is 24-28mm. On the other hand, in order to cope with shooting in different scenery environments, it is also recommended that players prepare a zoom wide-angle lens, such as 24-70mm. A wide-angle lens can help you capture the grand scale of a mountain, while also zooming in to get some interesting details when viewing photos.

4. Color filters

In mountain photography, there are three types of color filters that will come in handy, namely color filters, UV filters and polarizers. When shooting in high-contrast landscape areas, color filters can help solve problems such as dark foreground and bright sky. The function of the UV mirror is to filter sunlight while protecting the lens, especially in places with strong sunlight intensity such as mountain tops. There are many benefits to using a polarizer, such as helping your lens see through misty skies, or when shooting in the winter, a polarizer can help reduce glare and light reflected from snow.

5. Tripod

Tripods are very useful in mountain photography for two reasons: First, when taking long-exposure photos at dusk or dawn, tripods can provide a very stable Support; The second reason is that a tripod allows for more unusual shooting angles, breaking the fixed pattern and forming a new perspective. In addition, when shooting mountain scenery, the heavy weight of the SLR camera and lens can be shared, reducing the burden during shooting.

6. Composition

Now that you have overcome the lighting problem and understood what type of lens works best in which situation, all you need is to adjust the composition when shooting. The first tip to improve your composition is not to include too much scenery in your photo. This will make the mountains lose their vitality and the photo will often look unfocused. Another aspect to consider is to ensure that the foreground of the composition allows the viewer to understand the scale of the mountains, creating a sense of hierarchy.

7. Aperture

Setting the aperture before shooting mountains is a very basic task, and there are fixed standards. In order to show the background and foreground very clearly within the composition frame, the camera aperture should be set to a higher value (small aperture). Choose between f/8 and f/22 according to different situations. The specific value depends on your actual situation. , but remember it must be at a maximum of no more than f/8.