3 challenges you need to overcome if you want to do landscape photography

Like every other genre, landscape photography has plenty of challenges. In this video, photographer Toma Bonciu shares three challenges specific for landscape photography – yet we may not think about them. While we worry about the gear, places to visit and the techniques we’ll use, there are a few other very important things to think about. Toma points out to them, and these are definitely the challenges you need to overcome if we want to devote yourself to landscape photography.

1. Fear of darkness

If you want to capture sunrise and sunset – you need to count on the darkness, too. You’ll be hiking through darkness before sunrise and after sunset, and it’s not the most pleasant feeling there is. It’s scary not to see what’s out there in the woods, no matter how fearless you are. Depending on the area you hike at, the fear can be totally justified, as there could be wild animals.

So, the advice is to keep the healthy dose of fear: respect the nature and learn about animals and the forest. Carry the light with you, and if you plan to camp for the night rather than hike, make sure to have the proper equipment.

2. Carrying the gear

Landscape photographers face carrying lots of heavy gear for long periods of time. But cameras, lenses, tripod, accessories aren’t all – you also need to carry the hiking gear. It can be heavy and add up to 10 or even 20 kg. Can you handle it when you’re tired from hiking?

To be able to carry all the gear, you need proper training. Hike regularly, ride a bike, hit the gym… In a word, keep yourself in shape.

3. Horrible weather

Some of the best shots you’ll take will be in horrible weather: prepare for the cold, snow, wind, rain, fog… Keep in mind that you need to handle the weather in order to preserve your health and stay focused. So, make sure properly dress for different conditions and bring appropriate clothes with you. Have all the appropriate hiking gear, not just the camera gear. And also, make sure to protect your camera from the harsh weather conditions, too.

While most of us focus on the technical and artistic aspects of landscape photography, I think it’s useful to get a reminder that there are a few other things we need to take into consideration. Although they are not directly photography related, they are important for every landscape photographer to keep in mind and work on them.

[Landscape Photography: 3 Challenges you need to overcome as a Landscape Photographer | Photo Tom]