Learning Landscape Photography with Your Point and Shoot Camera

The fall leaves are hitting their color peak and you think:

If I only had a better camera... If I knew what all those f-stops and shutter speeds meant... etc.

We all have.

I don't consider myself a professional photographer by any means, but what I've learned so far is:

While it's true that the nicer cameras are more expensive and they can provide better over-all quality, there is one thing that sets the amateurs apart from the pros and that is a basic understanding of their cameras.

Many of the pros I know carry a backup camera that is, more often than not, a consumer grade point and shoot. My own camera is a point and shoot (although slightly high-end) that I love. The Canon Powershot G7.

If a pro carries the same point and shoot as a backup that you carry as your main camera, I guarantee you that pro has taken the time to get to know that point and shoot. If they've got to use it, they want to get the most out of it.

The quickest of course would be to pull out the manual and read, but let's be honest. How many of us know where to begin?

Let's try camera modes.

There is usually Landscape, Portrait, Action, Macro, Night-time/Party, etc.

Let's start with Landscapes. The mode is usually represented by a pair of mountains. Pretty straight forward, right?

The trick is understanding what that mode is telling your camera's brain.

Before we start, turn off the flash. It will save you from unwanted light and battery drainage.

Landscape mode is telling your camera to focus on the horizon (or as far as it can possibly see). And it's also telling your camera's brain to get as much in focus as possible between you and your subject as well as how to see the light and evaluate it. That will be different according to where you point the center of the lens. If you want more clouds and sky, your camera will see that and adjust accordingly, generally making the skyline darker or a silhouette. If you want to see more of the details of the land (trees, mountains, buildings, etc), then angle your lens down to get more land and less sky (this time the sky will lighten and cloud detail will be lost.)

You can also create a different effect by exposing for the sky, but aim for the land or vice versa. When you aim at the sky initially, hold down your exposure button halfway and then re-aim at a different angle. You will get darker or lighter effects depending on where you aim. Focus shouldn't be a big issue in this case if your subjects are only a few feet apart. (That will change when you start zooming close to your subject, but rather than trying to explain the mechanics, I encourage you to experiment.)

Using the landscape feature is also a good way to trick your camera to shoot through windows if you are on a moving tour bus or you're in the passenger seat and can't stop the car. When you are using the landscape feature, you don't have to worry so much about focusing as long as there is a bit of a distance between you and your subject. Again, focusing can get tricky when you start zooming in on your subject while using the landscape feature.

Don't limit the landscape feature to landscapes. Once you understand what the mode is telling your camera to do, you can apply that mode to any number of shooting conditions. And always turn off your flash unless it's absolutely necessary.