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What is the most ideal accessory for landscape photography?

What is the most ideal accessory for landscape photography?

Anne Warren2119 31-Dec-2020

Landscape photography is the art of capturing images that embody the essence of nature and the outdoors. A good landscape photograph attracts the viewer and gives them a sense of being there and seeing something incredible.

It's hard not to succumb to the charms of landscape photography. Its spaciousness, its contact with nature, its visual beauty, and that feeling of reward after a certain effort. The truth is that it is a type of photography that hooks.

As we move forward in the world of landscape photography we realize that it is not enough for us to walk around with a camera in hand, if we are looking for perfection, any photographer will need some accessories with which to achieve the best landscape.

In this article I will tell you about the best accessories for landscape photography:

  • Camera
  • Objective
  • Tripod
  • Filters
  • Self-timer
  • Backpack

1. Camera For The Landscape Photographer

Go ahead, I really think that it is not the camera but the person behind it, but the truth is that without a camera we have no place to start, it is the most important accessory ๐Ÿ˜‰

My first advice is that you go with the one you have, that you never ever stop taking a photo or trying a photography because you think your camera is not good enough or because it does not have that or that. The one who takes good photos is you, not her.

That said, it is true that there are some features that will help you get better results and more control of the scene:

Camera with manual settings; Yes, more than decent photos can be achieved with a Smartphone, but having absolute control of each parameter is something that will become essential in this type of photography since it will allow you to achieve any technique that you propose.

Have good ISO levels; Sharpness is basic in landscape photography. If you can choose, take a good look at the camera's ISO range.

Sensor size matters; Simply speaking, the larger the sensor, the higher the image quality. For example, a Smartphone, no matter how many megapixels it claims to have, the truth is that it has a very small sensor, which makes the image quality in situations where the light is complicated (little dynamic range) or when you want to enlarge, it looks very damaged. On the other hand, the larger the sensor of your camera, the more possibilities you will have in terms of image quality.

Camera with interchangeable lenses; It's a long-term investment, it seems to me. A camera with interchangeable lenses (Mirrorless or Reflex) will allow you to unleash your creativity and enjoy all kinds of photography.

Live View mode; It allows you to see the result of the photo on the screen before pressing the shutter.

The sealed body; Preferably, whenever your hobbies take place outdoors and you are exposed to rain, dust, etc., I would recommend a sealed chamber.

Mirror lock; (Only for SLR cameras) allows you to block the mirror to avoid shake when taking the photo. With mirrorless, it is not necessary because not having the mirror does not produce such trepidation or movement.

For your satisfaction; we have reviewed the top camera brands where you can come up with ideas for buying a camera for landscape photography.

2. Objectives For Landscapes

Without a doubt, the star lens in landscape photography is the Wide Angle. This type of lens has a wide field of view that allows you to cover a good portion of the scene and also offers a good depth of field, so it helps all planes of the image to be in focus.

A Wide Angle lens is normally considered to be between 18 and 35mm.

My advice? If you have to invest, always have a good goal๐Ÿ˜‰

3. Tripod For Landscape Photography

This is another of the essential accessories for the landscape photographer. Getting a good tripod from day one will save you headaches and money. So if you're going to invest in one, make it a good one. To choose a good tripod I recommend:

  • Make it robust (carbon fiber would be ideal)
  • With few sections on the legs (the more sections, the more unstable)
  • That has an interchangeable head
  • With a diameter of the legs around or above 30mm
  • That has a load capacity greater than what your camera weighs with the heaviest lens mounted on it
  • Non-slip foot caps (to which you can add nails if you need them)
  • That fits your budget

4. Filters For Landscape Photography

Although it seems to us that most effects are made from image editors, if you really want a good result, you must get your image to come out perfect or practically perfect from the camera. In this context, filters are an essential accessory for photographing a landscape.

I recommend three types and for all of them, I make another personal recommendation. Invest in a good one. It is useless to buy the best camera on the market or the best lens if you plant a poor quality filter in front of it. Seriously, if you want one, scratch your pocket, it's worth it.

A polarizing filter: It will help you eliminate reflections from surfaces such as water and at the same time contrast the sky.

The gradient neutral density filter: For scenes where there is a lot of difference between the light from the sky and the ground area, this filter is responsible for darkening or subtracting light from the part of the sky to help you achieve a more homogeneous exposure between the sky and the ground.

Neutral density filter: It is similar to the previous one but affects the entire image. The neutral density filter subtracts light from the scene as a whole without affecting color or contrast. It is ideal for working daytime long exposure in landscape photography.

Other filters to consider:

  • Redo: exclusively enhances the warm tones of the image
  • Gradient color filter: adds a certain color evenly while subtracting light from an area of โ€‹โ€‹the image.
  • Skylight: used to eliminate ultraviolet light.

5. Self-timer

To help us in the task of stabilizing our shots as much as possible, I recommend that you take a self-timer. They are very inexpensive and allow you to take pictures without having to press the shutter of your camera. Therefore, this simple fact eliminates a very possible jitter from your photo.

Always make sure that the one you are buying is compatible with your camera.

6. Backpack, An Essential Accessory For Landscape Photography

Fortunately or unfortunately, the most spectacular landscapes are not usually just around the corner. A backpack becomes, therefore, essential for your photographic outings. These are the main characteristics that you should take into account when making this accessory;

  • Make it comfortable
  • That does not weigh too much (everything adds up)
  • Waterproof
  • That it has enough pockets and sections for the material you may need (in addition to the photographic, think about bringing water and food)
  • Each section must properly support and protect the equipment
  • With some effective and comfortable system to hold the tripod
  • That fits your budget
  • Mario's recommendation: Lowepro PLECAK Photo Hatchback BP 250 AW II in Black and Blue

Bonus tip: Don't forget to leave with batteries (more than one) fully charged and with enough memory cards for the number of spectacular photos you are going to take. ๐Ÿ˜‰

So far this article on accessories for the landscape photographer, I hope it has been useful, has clarified any doubts, or helps you decide when choosing landscape accessories.

However, remember that the most important thing is if you don't have even half of these accessories and you can't get them at the moment, that's fine, don't stop going out to take pictures so practice, walk, have fun, train Your look. The rest, except the camera, is all expendable.

If you liked it, share it to help us reach more photographers. Until next time ๐Ÿ™‚.


I am a New York-based beauty photographer and retoucher. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, studied photography in New York. I work with a Retouching Academy with the help of my amazing RA team. I have written quite a few articles on Photo Editing, Beauty Photography on Fstoppers, Photoshop using guide, and etc.

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