LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY is an almost universally popular pastime among photographers. And no wonder—there are so many photo opportunities in nature, it’s hard not to spend every waking moment seeking them out. Cityscapes, too, offer opportunities to photograph the fascinating mix of natural and artificial light, man-made and natural structures.

Unfortunately, these beautiful nature scenes don’t always occur in ideal conditions, and there are certain frustrating situations I hear students talk about year after year. There is the difficult backlight from a setting or rising sun and the challenge of maintaining color in a sunset while still properly exposing the foreground. Glare is a frequent problem, as are high-contrast snow and beach scenes with an abundance of white.

Fortunately, there are not only correct exposure solutions for these circumstances but creatively correct solutions. By following a few easy steps, you’ll soon be able to master every situation Mother Nature throws at you.

12–24mm lens, f/8 for 1/320 sec.