Magazines and books are full of beautiful landscape photographs that many of us could only dream of capturing ourselves, because we lack the technical knowledge and the camera equipment to achieve such impressive, professional results.
But is this really true? The short answer is ‘no'. Cameras don't take photos - people do. Ninety-nine per cent of what makes any photograph a success is you. It is the creative decisions you make that will have the greatest impact on the photographs you take, and not the equipment you use.
Which means that you don't need an expensive camera and you shouldn't be put off by a lack of technical knowledge. With a few simple tips and a bit of creativity, anyone can take beautiful photographs of their surroundings.
All you need is yourself and your phone, and you'll soon be submitting images to the Countryfile Calendar competition. countryfile.com/countryfile-tv-show/countryfile-calendar
1. LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION
It's the arrangement of objects and elements in a photograph that gives a picture a sense of depth and balance. To create a genuine sense of depth, we need to create a composition that has multiple layers: a foreground, mid-ground and background.
To achieve a sense of depth, try placing a foreground object - such as foliage, a fence or signpost – into your frame. This will help accentuate the distance between the foreground and background. Then use the mid-ground area of your picture to tie it all together and bring balance to the image.
2. FIND A NEW VANTAGE POINT
Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av BBC Countryfile Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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We Are an Island Nation - So Let's Protect Our Seas - Living in the UK makes us islanders and personally I'm proud of that definition - not in any political or jingoistic sense, but simply because I love the sea and in this country we are totally surrounded by it.
Living in the UK makes us islanders and personally I'm proud of that definition - not in any political or jingoistic sense, but simply because I love the sea and in this country we are totally surrounded by it. We live inside thousands of miles of coastline, in a nation whose borders were created by nature and made us what we are.
Discover Jurassic Coast - With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular.
With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular. Jo Caird fossicks for fossils and dramatic rock formations. It's an auspicious start to my journey along the Jurassic Coast. This 95-mile stretch of shore mostly in Dorset, but nudging just into east Devon - is blessed with awe-inspiring geological formations and fossil deposits that have garnered it recognition as England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Snaking east from Orcombe Point near Exmouth to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, it's studded with monumental rock arches, seemingly endless shingle beaches and fossil beds from which treasures were prised that altered our understanding of prehistory.
Viking shores
We picture Vikings marauding coastal settlements, looting and raiding. But what was life really like in the Viking Age? Historian Eleanor Barraclough reveals what the ancient artefacts found on Britain's shores tell us about our formidable forebears
Sea horses
On Cornwall's coastal clifftops, Melanie O'Shea meets the hardy grazing ponies that are helping to restore the land, so nature can flourish once more
A wing and a prayer
From their desks at Boulmer, 1,000 RAF personnel watch the skies for airborne threats to the country. Yet beyond the concrete of the base, vulnerable birdlife flourishes - thanks to the hard work of a small team
Cast in bone
Cuttlefish bones washed up on our shores have been used to make jewellery since ancient times. Jo Caird meets a craftswoman who's keeping the art alive on the Kent coast
EDIBLE SEAWEEDS
An ancient food harvested by humans for millennia, seaweeds bring an intense and rich flavour of the sea to a wide range of dishes, as well as essential mind-and-body-boosting nutrients
Spines and sulky faces
Watch where you put your feet at the beach - a weever fish could be lurking
Sea stars
The playful performances of Britain's bottlenose dolphins attract avid fans - but they deserve personal space
Harris's wildly beautiful beach
Cornwall may pull in the crowds, but one Hebridean strand stuns visitors