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What Kinds of Landscape Photos Can I Shoot as a Beginner Photographer?

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As a beginner photographer, you naturally have a lot of questions.  Over time, you’ll slowly answer these questions for yourself.  One very early question every beginner photographer has is what kinds of photos will they take.  What will the subject matter be?  Perhaps you might decide to shoot landscapes as a subject.  Now, you have your subject matter and become a landscape photographer.  Naturally, one question which beginner landscape photographers often ask is what kinds of landscape photos they can shoot as beginners.  So, let’s tackle that question.  What kinds of photos can a beginner landscape photographer shoot?

The Quick Answer

As a beginner landscape photographer, you can shoot whatever you want to.  You can shoot landscape photos of mountains, seas, valleys, cliffs, deserts, forests, tundra, icebergs, caves, waterfalls, volcanoes, and more.  You can shoot whatever landscape scene you can safely and legally gain access to.  Enjoy it too.

Photo of landscape photographer Audrey Cramer holding her camera standing next to a car

Examples of the Kinds of Landscape Photos You Can Shoot as a Beginner

I’m a landscape photographer and I’ve shot many different kinds of landscape scenes.  However, there are many kinds of landscape photos which I still want the opportunity to shoot.  But here are some examples of landscape scenes you can shoot as a beginning landscape photographer.  This is a sampling from my portfolio.  There’s plenty more ideas which you can run with.

Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of autumn leaves at sunset at Natural Bridge at Bryce Canyon National Park Utah
Arches, Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of sunset over a sand dune at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Utah
Sand Dunes
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of lone pine tree on a barren lava plain dappled with wildflowers at Craters of the Moon National Monument Idaho
Volcanic
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of a horse grazing the the field at the Gifford Barn in Capitol Reef National Park Utah at sunset
Farms and Ranches, Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of graffiti carved into the walls of the Moqui sand caverns cave entrance
Caves
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of a moody summer evening view of the Virgin River and Watchmen peak at Zion National Park Utah
Rivers and Streams, Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of a broken rainbow with light streaks against moody storm clouds over a field in Panguitch, Utah
Scenes with Rainbows, Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of fiery clouds over the Tropic Reservoir in Utah
Lakes and Reservoirs, Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of fiery orange clouds lighting up over the Boat Mesa in Bryce Canyon National Park Utah
Mesas, Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's professional quality landscape photograph of Upper Mesa Falls on the Snake River near Harriman State Park, Idaho
Waterfalls, Buy prints
Cramer Imaging's black and white landscape photograph of Teewinot Mountain in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Mountains, Buy prints
Cramer Imaging's professional quality landscape nature photograph of black trees against very blue sky and snowy hills in Bannock, Idaho
Tundra

Basically, if there’s a kind of landscape scene you can imagine, you can likely also photograph it.  Just remember to bring your camera along.  After all, you can’t shoot any photos without some kind of camera in tow.

Kinds of Landscape Photos You Won’t Want to Shoot as a Beginner Landscape Photographer

Of course, there is always a flip side to everything.  When thinking about the kinds of photos you can take as a beginner landscape photographer, you also need to think about those which you can’t/won’t/want to stop and think about trying for.

There are some landscape photos which I wouldn’t attempt as a beginner.  These kinds of landscape photos are often very technical/require more advanced education, skills, equipment, etc.  These kinds of photos also include those where your safety is in jeopardy without specific safety gear, outdoor knowledge and experience, etc.  Also, there are other difficulties such as difficult and strenuous hiking to remote locations, permits, etc.  Private property requires permission to access.  Here are some examples.

Cramer Imaging's fine art astrophotography photograph of the Milky Way in the night sky with clouds and light painted trees
Night scenes (especially with the Milky Way) require specific equipment and knowledge.
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of an annular eclipse or ring of fire over Bryce Canyon's Natural Bridge formation
Solar eclipses (rare opportunities they may be) require advanced skills and education as well as specialized equipment and lots of pre-preparation.  Buy Prints
Professional quality landscape photograph of a tunnel or arch in Red Canyon Utah by Cramer Imaging
Photos in the middle of a busy road are merely the tip of the iceberg for potentially dangerous scenes.  You must know your gear and skill level (photography and otherwise) super well before attempting to risk your safety for a landscape photo.
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of Kanarra Falls near Kanarraville Utah with silky water and the ladder
Reaching this waterfall requires a permit and a strenuous hike.  This shot isn’t for a beginner lacking the outdoor experience and proper equipment to reach the site with camera gear.  Buy Prints

I would wait a bit before attempting these kinds of landscape photos.  You need to master the basics first and there’s plenty of other subject matter for that.  You don’t want to squander opportunities for more exclusive landscape photos with unpreparedness.  In this area, your patience and practice will reward you.

If you want to know about a particular kind of landscape subject matter (generic or specific) and whether or not your beginner skill-set and equipment is up the challenge, then do some research.  There are plenty of photographers who shared their knowledge and experience online for the benefit of others such as yourself.  You should find the answers you need easily with a quick internet search.

In fact you can even explore through my landscape photography excursions.  I often share critical details which tell you about the experience such as permits and other difficulties I faced.  I won’t necessarily tell you every tiny detail you need to know, but you can still learn quite a bit.  The less concrete I am about conditions, equipment, etc., the easier you know the shoot was for me.

Conclusion

So, to conclude.  As a beginner landscape photographer, most of the world is your oyster.  You can photograph practically any landscape subject matter you want to.  The only photos I caution against trying immediately are those which in general require advanced skills, knowledge, equipment.  Limited permits for access also suggest waiting a bit.  But, other than those cases, have fun shooting all the landscape photos your heart desires.  There’s plenty of opportunities out there for you.

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