by Mario Dimain

Created on: May 27, 2009   Last Updated: May 28, 2009

Breath-taking landscapes that have been photographed from an exotic holiday, often present a not so impressive looking photos. Ever wonder why? It is not because they were shot by a non-professional. They simply lack the simple ingredients to spice up the shots.

We often hear the old saying, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." In most cases it is true, but a talented artist can transform a not so pleasing horizon into a captivating landscape, beautifully painted on a stretched canvas.

The same thing is true in landscape photography. The photographer must have the qualities of an artist or at least has the desire to emulate them. Secondly, the basic knowledge of photography in relation to lighting and contrast is a must. And the last element and often overlooked is patience. Yes, Patience. Surprised?

Now, the question: Do you have what it takes to shoot a compelling landscape? If you have the ability to appreciate beauty, the answer is yes. Yes, you certainly can, even with the simplest camera. Trust me, I have won a photo contest with my wife's point and shoot digital camera.

When shooting a beautiful landscape, you must remember that the resulting photo will be shown to other people. Imagine that you are getting paid millions of dollars for the shot by a hard-to-please client. This thought will evoke challenge. It will accelerate creativity and will awaken the sleeping artist in you. All of the compelling pictures of landscapes that you have seen before will flash before your eyes. These images in your head will work wonders in your photography. They are your inspirations and the driving forces in mastering Landscape Photography.

For a moment, allow me to take you to a place on earth that has majestic mountains, rolling hills, lakes, waterfalls, trees and colorful flowers. This place has all the elements of a captivating landscape. Together, we will capture it in frame the way it captures our eyes. From where we stand, we begin by scanning the horizon in 360 degrees from left to right. By doing so, we get to envision the horizontal frame that isolates the winning shot. Once the landscape we want has been established, we concentrate on it. We will take series of shots from different perspectives. We will keep in mind that the best way to present any landscape is in a horizontal frame, so we try to avoid vertical shots.

We continue to the next step. We now harness the artistic wisdom of the pictures in our heads. We will emulate the photographers

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