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CameraLandscapes Settings for
uring every photography tour I lead, the number one question I get is what camera settings should be used for any particular situation. In the January issue of Photo Insights, I discussed camera settings for photographing birds in flight. Now I want to talk about the best camera settings for landscapes. Not all landscape situations require the same settings. I’ve itemized the various possibilities. Scenario 1: There is a foreground and background, and you’re using a wide angle lens.
Since all landscape images should have complete depth of field, the lens aperture should be f/22 or f/32. Assuming you are using a tripod, the ISO should be very low, such as 100 or 200. The shutter speed doesn’t matter because the camera is stabilized by the tripod. With a low ISO and a small aperture, the shutter will be fairly long, especially if you are shooting when the sun is low in the sky or the day is overcast. Scenario 2: There are no foreground elements; you are shooting a distant scene like a range of mountains with a telephoto and a tripod. If the distant scene is far enough away so it will
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