Landscape Field Checklists

Before I leave home

• Camera gear cleaned · memory cards formatted · batteries charged (camera and phone)
• Tripod and tripod plate (the plate is the one that gets left behind)
• Vehicle fuel full · spare tyre checked · someone knows where you're going
• Field pack: water, food (trail mix, energy bars), hat, coat, gloves, rain gear for you and the camera, sunscreen, insect repellent, torch, hand sanitiser, biodegradable toilet paper, blanket, whistle

At the tripod — before the shutter

Technical

• Is the ISO as low as the situation allows?
• Am I in Manual (M) — or A with Exposure Comp. under control?
• Which metering pattern suits this scene — Multi, Center, Spot or Highlight?
• Am I on the tripod? Do I need a remote or Self-timer?
• What are my shutter speed and aperture — and do I have enough depth of field?
• Did I focus about a third into the scene?
• Is the shutter fast enough to stop any blur I don't want?
• Is there actually a card in the camera?
• Is the horizon straight?

Compositional

• Direction of the light
• Rule of thirds · leading lines · a clear focal point
• Blocks of colour · S and Z curves
• Does the point of view give interest and layers?
• Scan the frame for eye snags — cars, bins, signs, bright corners
• Have I maximised the frame so I don't have to crop?

Baseline landscape settings

Setting	Value	Why
ISO	ISO 100–200	Least noise, most apparent sharpness
Aperture	f/8–f/16	Depth of field; f/8–f/11 is the sharp zone
Mode	Aperture Priority (A) or Manual (M)	Aperture is the decision that matters
Tripod	From 100mm up, or below 1/125 s	Or you're raising ISO for nothing
Vibration	Electronic Front Curtain Shut. on; remote or Self-timer below 1/30 s	Shutter-press blur is real
Focus	A third into the frame	Depth of field falls 1/3 in front, 2/3 behind

Composition habits worth keeping

• Off-centre the subject; use the rule of thirds, leading lines, the golden ratio.
• Leading lines must lead in, towards the focal point — not out of the frame.
• Foreground interest, especially an object of known size, adds depth and drama.
• Shoot a test frame and read the histogram; if it clips, correct with Exposure Comp. (in A) or the shutter (in M).

Creative reminders

• Golden hour: roughly 30 minutes before sunrise to 10 after, and 30 minutes before sunset to 40 after — contrast drops, shadows deepen, textures come up, colours saturate.
• Use people for scale, story and a human anchor — dress them to stand out or silhouette them.
• Use reflections — calm days give the glassy surface; they add symmetry and scale.
• Change your point of view — we've all seen eye level. Get high or get on the ground.
• Don't wait for good days. Before and after a storm gives the best skies; fog, rain and snow make photographs.
• Go back. The same location on a different day, season or hour is a different photograph.

Consolidated from references: Photzy 'Before I Leave Home' Checklist, Landscape Photographer Shooting Checklist, Landscape Checklist, Landscape Creative Tips.