Capturing landscapes is a great hobby, and nowadays many new photographers are aiming to learn it professionally. Landscape photography is an excellent way to capture some magnificent natural as well as man-made scenes and elements to save them forever.
Even though learning this particular type is not easy, there is plenty of competition for an expert landscape photographer in the market. People are now trying to add more innovation to their landscape shots, which has led the landscape photography field to become more advanced. This has caused many hurdles for novice photographers who want to break into the landscape photography niche.
Many people think that investing a lot of money in a good camera with a powerful lens and some other exceptional features is enough to become an ace landscape photographer. However, the truth is, a powerful camera isn’t the only thing needed to become a landscape photographer. There are a lot of other requirements that anyone learning this kind of photography needs to meet, and practicing patience while learning is one of them.
However, anyone using the Nikon D610 for landscape photography is likely to capture magnificent shots easily. The D610’s easy to use features and lightweight body make it a good camera for learners, who may find themselves using it for hours. Moreover, the camera has some fantastic features like a 24.3 MP full-frame sensor, good autofocus abilities, decent continuous shooting speed, and a wide ISO range to help you become a better photographer quickly.
Given below are some of the best tips on using your Nikon D610 for landscape photography.
Take Risks With The Weather
Weather is probably the most critical factor for any landscape photography session. The weather at your location can sometimes determine everything about the pictures you’re capturing. This factor usually leads many landscape photographers to plan a shoot only when the weather is pleasant, and the sky is clear enough. Though there’s no harm in shooting landscapes during clear sky hours, this isn’t always a great idea. Pictures taken inn still weather conditions sometimes lead to monotonous landscape shots, with no intensity or drama in them.
This is why you should always be brave enough to try shooting when the weather is rough, and there is no sunlight. Try to capture a landscape when there is just a little bit of sunlight, and the sky is full of clouds. Cloudy and windy days add a unique element to the landscape being captured. This gives your shots a creative touch and makes them stand out among other shots of the same landscape.
Nikon D610’s users can easily make use of rough weather to their benefit. This camera is very resistant to wind and rain and can easily be used out in rainy and dusty days. This means you can fearlessly experiment with different weathers while using the Nikon D610 for landscape photography.
Capturing The Sky Isn’t Essential
Naturally, planning a good landscape shot makes one imagine a beautiful sky on the top of the frame. There have been so many exotic landscape shots with beautiful skies that it seems a little weird to think of capturing a landscape with no focus on the sky. However, try taking one great picture without the sky covering too much of the frame. You’ll see no noticeable difference in the shot’s beauty.
Contrary to what many novice landscape photographers might think, capturing the sky in a landscape shot isn’t necessary. Cut out the sky and shift your focus somewhere else if you feel like there’s nothing extraordinary or unique about it.
Sometimes, there might be something on the ground that you think needs to cover more area in the frame than the sky. If that’s the case, you can easily compromise on the sky’s presence in your shots. Another case where capturing the sky becomes a secondary option is when its color composition isn’t going well with the other elements of your frame. Instead of spending a lot of time adjusting the camera’s settings, you shouldn’t capture the sky at all.
This is particularly easy for Nikon D610’s users, who can quickly check the frame’s composition. They can see how the sky looks in a particular shot on the camera’s crystal-clear screen even before they press the capture button. The users of this camera can also get opt for grid display on their screens, which helps them decide what parts they should keep in the frame and what they should leave alone.
Create Depth With Lighting
Many new photographers don’t fully realize the value of shadows and 3-dimensional angles for landscape photos. They simply shoot the picture from the front with sunlight falling directly on the landscape, thus hiding the entire shadow.
If you want to excel as a landscape photographer, you have to use the lighting and angles creatively. This includes shooting in a way that lets the light fall on landscapes somewhat uniquely, adding intensity to the picture. Trying out different shooting angles gives you different shadows to capture even with the same landscape. You should try your best to use the lighting of the frame in a way that brings out the best in it.
You can also take more advantage of the lighting by setting the ISOs right. The Nikon D610 comes with quite a wide ISO range to let you set the ISO level exactly how you like it. Using ISO, exposure, and autofocus the right way, you can create the most dramatic shot in whatever light available to you. All you need is a little patience, and you’ll surely find out the best possible depth to add to the shot.
Don’t Travel Too Far
Traveling to far-away tourist attractions and other popular landmarks is a common practice among many landscape photographers. While it’s true that traveling to such picturesque places can be a rewarding experience, it doesn’t always lead to a great shot for landscape photographers. Going too far away from your place of residence means you’re going somewhere unfamiliar. There’s a chance that you’ll come back without getting anything worthwhile because the weather there wasn’t suitable for photography sessions.
Also, when you visit a place or look at a landscape for the first time, you find it good enough to capture from whatever angle you first see it. This means you don’t usually spend enough time trying out better angles to capture the landscape. You might also not be able to wait for some other kind of lighting under which the same landscape could look better. This is why capturing far-away places isn’t as rewarding as shooting local ones. With the latter, you know better about which time of the day and which particular weather would be most suitable for the shoot.
You can capture your local landscapes from as many angles as you want to, without fearing that you’d spend all your time just on a single landscape. Thankfully, the Nikon D610 comes with enough battery life to let you stay out in your locality, searching for the best possible angles and lights to shoot the landscapes. This camera has a lightweight and easy to grip body, making it easier to have it along all day without feeling tired or annoyed.
Golden Hour Is Your Friend
For anyone with even a little experience of learning and trying landscape photography, the value of the golden hour is undeniable. This is the time right after the sunrise and a few minutes before the sunset when the light is kind of warm, golden, and diffused. Golden hour’s light is perfect for anyone trying to capture those magnificent natural landscapes, especially the buildings and monuments.
If you’ve ever wanted to capture anything like those picture perfect landscapes dripped in golden and yellow light, then you should befriend the golden hour. Try to set your daily schedule in such a way that you’re always wide awake, fresh, and fully free during the hour of golden beauty every day.
If you’re learning to shoot landscapes under someone else’s supervision, you can request them to train you during golden hour for a few days. However, this is not to suggest that you never shoot in times other than this one. Instead, you must know the tricks to capture the best of light in your shot no matter what time of the day it is. However, with golden hour, things are sure to get a little warmer, making your pictures stand out.
The Nikon D610’s fast processing speed is an excellent feature for anyone shooting during golden hour. Since the perfect lighting passes by quickly, a fast and easy-to-use camera like the D610 can allow you to make the best use of golden hour. Having to spend less time setting up and adjusting the camera allows you to focus more on capturing the landscapes. This gives you enough time to capture multiple shots of the same thing, and you can choose and edit the shot you like the most later on.
