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. So, 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, and forests. You may also consider photographing tundra, icebergs, caves, waterfalls, volcanoes, and more. Indeed, you can shoot whatever landscape scene you can safely and legally gain access to. Enjoy it too.
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 mere sampling from my portfolio. There’s plenty more ideas which you can run with.
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.
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.
