4 Pro Tips For Elevated Landscape Photos

If you’re looking to elevate your outdoor images, these landscape photography pro tips will help you capture more compelling and dynamic shots. While landscape photography may seem straightforward, mastering it requires a thoughtful approach to composition, lighting, and subject selection. Whether you’re shooting at golden hour by the ocean or isolating textures in a mountain scene, applying expert techniques can dramatically improve your results.

What You’ll Learn in This Article:

• How to choose the perfect vantage point for seascapes
• Why timing matters: shooting during golden hour
• Ways to highlight textures and patterns using a telephoto lens
• Techniques to simplify compositions and eliminate distractions

TIP 1: Find the Right Vantage Point For Photographic Seascapes

When photographing bodies of water, you want to find a background element like the sun, a tree, a rock formation, or a structure that you will position yourself in relation to. You’ll want to try and find a shooting location where it seems like the water/waves create a visual path to it to create a more dynamic and visually interesting image. The sun can cast a golden light on the water and illuminate this path, so try to shoot on clear days and head out early and stay late.

TIP 2: Head Out Early (or Late)

As many experienced photographers know, the best natural light often happens when the sun is rising or setting. We recommend heading out early in the morning or in the afternoon and setting up all your equipment an hour before sunrise/sunset to ensure you have enough time to adjust your camera’s settings and determine the composition of your shot.

TIP 3: Focus on Textures and Patterns

With so many different elements to a landscape, it can be difficult to determine which you want to focus on and which you really want to shine through in your photos. One of our top landscape photography pro tips is to focus on interesting patterns and textures, using a telephoto lens like the Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VCVXD G2 (Model A057) to really highlight these things and bring them closer to viewers.

TIP 4: Keep It Simple

When surrounded by such gorgeous scenery, it can be easy to get distracted and try and incorporate as much of it as possible into a simple shot. Try and resist this temptation and instead focus on a clear focal point by eliminating any distractions. Don’t hesitate to move in closer to your subject and push other elements into the background. This will reduce distractions and give viewers a better sense of location. Using a lens with a wide focal length setting and close focusing capabilities—such as the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 (Model A063) or the 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046)—allows you to capture dynamic, eye-catching images with strong depth and perspective.

Take Your Scenic Shots to the Next Level

By applying these landscape photography pro tips, you’ll be better equipped to capture nature’s beauty with clarity, creativity, and confidence. From choosing the ideal vantage point to simplifying your composition, each technique helps refine your vision and results. Don’t forget to gear up with reliable lenses—like those from Tamron—so you’re always ready when the perfect scene unfolds.

Learn more about Tamron lenses at an authorized Tamron dealer in your area or visit the TAMRON Store today.

More Photo Tips | Watch Videos | Learn More About Tamron Lenses | Photo Gallery