Improve your landscapes with your Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet

Nikon Team •Nikon Quickstart•28 rugp. 2025•3 min read

Nikon magazine's Nikon Quickstart cheat sheets

Use these tips to upgrade your images of the world around you and download your free cheat sheet

Nikon Quickstart is a series of Nikon magazine cheat sheets for beginners, in which we’re demystifying some of the techniques and tricks that will instantly improve your photography and video. This time, it’s landscapes, so you can use your camera with confidence to create better images of the world around you. Landscapes are all about capturing a scene of the world that can evoke an emotional connection and tell a story of place. Read on for the six basic tips of how to get started on better landscapes, things to try and some suggestions on the best lenses for the job – download your free Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet as a handy reminder.

Use these tips to upgrade your images of the world around you and download your free cheat sheet

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 SSmooth, silent, responsive

NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8Lightweight ultra-wide-angle zoom lens

NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VRVersatile focal length range

Try using the rule of thirds

Dividing the scene into thirds, vertically and horizontally so you have a grid of nine rectangles, gives you a framework for plotting your composition. You can set a grid in your camera via the Custom Settings Menu.

Look for leading lines

Finding a path, a row of trees or similar that goes from front to rear in your composition leads the viewer’s eye into the image and towards the main subject.

Add depth with foreground detail

Including details in the foreground can add depth to the image and helps to tell a complete story of your environment.

Capture the beauty of the night sky

For ‘astrophotography’ use a wide-angle lens with a focal length between 14-24mm and set your aperture to f/2.8 or lower. Focus to infinity and divide 500 by your focal length to get the best shutter speed. Use a tripod and remote shutter release.

Use the sea to tell a story

Sunrise or sunset are great times for seascapes. You can use a long shutter speed for a milky look or a fast one to capture dramatic waves.

Use motion in rivers and waterfalls

Use a long exposure (1/15s or slower) to get a beautiful, creamy effect on moving water. It’s best to use a tripod and trigger the camera remotely.

Great lenses for landscapes

Starting out, a wide-angle zoom lens is a solid choice for landscapes, with its ability to take in expansive vistas while having flexibility to zoom in on a particular scene.

Pro choice:
NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S

All round FX zoom:
NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8

DX choice:
NIKKOR Z DX DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR

Download your Nikon Quickstart landscape photography cheat sheet here. Want more? Click here to see all the Nikon Quickstart cheat sheets