Where to Focus in Landscape Photos and How to Shoot Sharper Shots

Ever wonder where you should be focusing when shooting a landscape? Here’s a 9-minute video by Nature TTL featuring renowned photographer and Nikon Ambassador Ross Hoddinott. In it, Hoddinott discusses both focusing and advice for shooting sharper photos.

Hoddinott sheds light on one of the main things to trip up a number of photographers: where do you actually focus in a landscape photo? A rough and ready approach of a third way into the image might seem “good enough,” but there are other methods to try too.

Hoddinott doesn’t rely on the hyperfocal distance calculation either, finding that it leaves the background to drop off and become a little soft. Instead, he relies on a method called double distance focusing. This is where you take the closest point in the foreground, double the distance to it, and focus at your new focal point.

Hoddinott also covers a number of other ways in which you can improve your sharpness in images, with tips ranging from the basic “use a tripod,” to the more overlooked things like arming yourself with a viewing loupe to properly review images in the field.

Watch the full video above to understand focus point choice and image sharpness properly in landscape photos. You can also subscribe to the Nature TTL for more nature photography tips and tutorials.

The video above was produced by Nature TTL and was sponsored by PhotoGuard