Landscape photography (often shortened to landscape photos) captures the world's outdoor spaces, sometimes vast and unending and other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on human-made features or disturbances of the land; when applied to cities and the built environment, this approach is commonly referred to as urban landscape photography. Landscape photography is created for a variety of reasons, one of the most common being capturing the experience of the outdoors. Many landscape photographs show little to no human activity and are created in the pursuit of a pure, unsullied depiction of nature that is devoid of human influence. These types of landscape photographs often feature subjects such as landforms, bodies of water, weather events, and natural light. Other landscape photographs focus on human interventions in the landscape. The definition of a landscape photograph is therefore a broad concept that may include rural or urban settings, industrial areas, or nature photography.
Environmentalism
Some of the most important and celebrated landscape photographers have been motivated by an appreciation of the beauty of the natural environment and a desire to see it preserved. The work of William Henry Jackson in the mid-19th century was instrumental in convincing Congress in 1872 to create Yellowstone, the first national park in the United States. Photography produced by Philip Hyde for the Sierra Club was used extensively to promote the preservation of natural spaces in the Western United States during the 20th century. Renowned landscape photographer Ansel Adams received both a Conservation Service Award and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his work's influence on wilderness preservation and raising awareness about environmentalism. Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky (b.1955) is acclaimed for his photographs of human-altered landscapes. His work highlights environmental concerns and, through the sublime grandeur characteristic of his images, Burtynsky investigates the impact humans have had on the environment. His subjects include mountain ranges, railways, abandoned mines, rural homesteads, quarries, and oil fields. While photographing subjects such as these, Burtynsky balances compelling aesthetics with the realities of damaged landscapes created through the harmful practices of industrialization.
Subjects
Landscape photography commonly involves daylight photography of natural features of land, sky and waters, at a distance—though some landscapes may involve subjects in a scenic setting nearby, even close-up, and sometimes at night. Photography of artificial scenery, such as farm fields, orchards, gardens and architecture, may be considered "landscape" photography as well. Even the presence of human-made structures (buildings, roads and bridges, etc.) or art (such as sculpture) may be considered "landscape" if presented in artistic settings or appearing (or photographed) in artistic style. Further, landscape photography is typically of relatively stationary subjects—arguably a form of "still life". This tends to simplify the task, as opposed to photography of kinetic or live subjects. However, landscape photography often overlaps the activity of wildlife photography and the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably; both wildlife and landscapes may be elements of the same picture or body of work.
Tourism Landscape photography has become a big part of local economies throughout the world. Countries such as Scotland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, New Zealand, USA, Canada and countries in the European Alpine region are very popular with photography tourists and welcome people from all over the world. As a result of this, landscape photography workshops and tours have become big business in these countries. Apps have formed part of this experience telling users how to find the most popular locations and how to photograph them once there.
Methods (technical) Landscape photography typically requires relatively simple photographic equipment, though more sophisticated equipment can give a wider range of possibilities to the art. An artist's eye for the subject can yield attractive and impressive results even with modest equipment.
Camera
Any ordinary (or sophisticated) camera—film camera or digital camera—can be readily used for common landscape photography. Higher-resolution and larger-format digital cameras (or larger-format film cameras) permit a greater amount of detail and a wider range of artistic presentation. However, a larger-format camera yields a more limited depth of field (range of the scene that is in focus) for a given aperture value, requiring greater care in focusing (see: "Shutter Speed and Aperture", below). A camera with "panorama" function or frame can permit very wide images suitable for capturing a panoramic view.
Lens
For "wide open spaces", a wide-angle lens is generally the preferred lens, allowing a broad angle of view. However, medium-range to telephoto lenses can achieve satisfying imagery, as well, and can enable the capture of detailed scenery of smaller areas at greater distances. Telephoto lenses can also facilitate limited ranges of focus, to enable the photographer to emphasize a specific area, at a fairly specific distance, in sharp focus, with the foreground and background blurred (see: depth of field). A big difference between a wide-angles lens and a telephoto lens is the compression of the landscape; the wider the angle the more distance will appear between the foreground and background elements; however, a telephoto lens will make the same elements appear closer to each other. Other lenses that can help include the fisheye lens for extremely wide angles and dramatic effect, and the macro/micro lens for extreme close-up work. While variable-range zoom lenses are widely used, some landscape photographers prefer fixed-range prime lenses to provide higher clarity and quality in the image.
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