Kit A Landscape Photographer Needs

Lenses

Wide-angle lenses are an essential part of a landscape photographer's kit bag but don't think this means you have to leave your telephoto lens at home. Lenses with longer reach can pull background detail to you, filling the frame with interest rather than having an empty field stretching out in front of you. For more tips on using longer lenses in the landscape take a look at our article: Long Lens Landscapes.

Your standard prime lens can also be handy to have as it will give a more true-to-life perspective.

Look out for fast lenses if you're planning on shooting sunsets/rises when light can be in short supply.

Camera

A DSLR will be the camera of choice for most photographers but compact owners can still get good results. Later this month Robin Whalley will be explaining why he was so impressed with the landscapes he took with the Panasonic Lumix LX5 compact.

Tripod

A tripod is a must for all landscape photographers and you want something that will give you a sturdy base to set your camera on but you don't want it to be so heavy that you need a break every five minutes when you're walking. Carrying a tripod with you means you can blur water capture sunrises and sunsets without the risk of camera shake ruining your shot.

If you want to shoot panoramas you might want to consider buying a purpose-built tripod head. However, it's not an essential piece of kit and perfectly good panoramas can be captured without one.

A remote release will stop you having to touch the camera which can cause shake but if you don't own one just use the camera's built-in self timer.

Camera bag

You need a waterproof bag that's not too heavy and bulky. Having somewhere to fasten your tripod to is handy too. Extra external pockets for bottles of water or a flask of tea/coffee wouldn't go a miss either.

Clothing

You need waterproof, warm clothing and boots otherwise you'll be miserable five minutes after the rain starts to fall.

Filters

A polariser will enhance the sky, help cut down on reflections and boost colour while a graduated ND filter's handy for when the sky is really, really bright as this can confuse your camera when it looks at this compared to the darker shades that are found on the ground. If your sunset needs a little warmth try using a warm-up filter or apply a photo filter in Photoshop when you're back at home.

Accessories

Food, drink and a comfy seat are items you'll be thankful for once you've walked a few miles to take your shots. You'll also need a torch (a head torch is best if you have one) if you're planning on getting up before the sun's up so you can capture some sunrises in the countryside.


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