Best Accessories for Landscape Photography | 2024

Pros:

• Enables quick switching between horizontal and vertical orientations
• Flexible camera and system compatibility
• Adapter available for Peak Design Capture Clip

Cons:

• It may seem complex at first
  
  

L-brackets are essential as they enable you to quickly change the orientation of my camera from landscape to portrait without affecting the ball head of the tripod. While a standard quick-release plate can be very useful, some find that moving the camera into a portrait position using one of these is awkward, fiddly and has a tendency to off-centre the camera. With an L-Bracket fitted, swapping orientations is the work of moments. 

Many L-brackets are made to suit only one make and model of camera — however, the 3 Legged Thing Ellie is a universal design that can be adjusted to fit pretty much anything. This makes it a lot more versatile and well worth the investment. Also, if you use Peak Design’s Capture Clip system, Ellie can be bought with an adapter to seamlessly work with it. You can find the whole Ellie range here.

Pros:

• Can create effects not easy to replicate digitally
• Small, light and portable
• Huge range of options

Cons:

• Need to get the right size to fit your lens or holder
• Wide landscape zooms often don’t take circular filters
  
  

Filters are a key piece of equipment every landscape photographer should have in their bag, whether that’s an ND, Graduated ND or a circular polariser. They enable us to make small and large adjustments to the look and feel of the image, and in many cases allow us to achieve things that simply can’t be achieved in post-processing, such as smoothing over moving water or cutting out reflections. 

Pros:

• Brilliant for time-lapse and long exposures
• Wireless and wired compatibility
• Powered by common AA batteries

Cons:

• Need to get the right model for your brand of camera
  
  

The avid landscape photographer can find a multitude of uses for a shutter release and intervalometer. You can remotely fire your camera’s shutter, shoot exposures longer than 30 seconds in bulb mode and create great time-lapses using the interval settings. Triggering your camera’s shutter remotely can also be very handy for avoiding the tiny but perceptible amounts of camera shake that can be caused by physically depressing the shutter button — especially handy if you’re shooting a long exposure. 

The Hahnel Captur Timer Kit is a brilliant option. Available for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony and Olympus/OM System/Panasonic, this intervalometer and remote trigger can connect wirelessly with your camera at ranges of up to 100m, though it also has a cabled mode if you prefer. 

Pros:

• Cheap, simple way to keep your gear clean

Cons:

• Not many!
  
  

In landscape photography, Mother Nature is sometimes on your side and is sometimes… not. As such, it’s always a good idea to have a way to keep your gear clean and dry, especially the front element of your lens. Most landscape photographers have learned the value of keeping handy a microfibre cloth like this one from Zeiss. Not only are these useful if it rains but also when working on the coastline, as seawater can sometimes spray onto the lens.

It’s always best to use a dedicated microfibre cloth rather than just any old rag to clean your lenses, as this will protect the delicate coatings on the front elements from being compromised. 

Pros:

• Can be lifesaving on dark country roads and paths
• Affordable and portable

Cons:

• Not the most dignified thing to wear (but it is worth it)
  
  

The thing about landscape photography is that it’s often done around sunrise and sunset. That’s when you get the most brilliant light, and those spectacular views you just can’t help but capture. However, photographing at these times means you’ll often be walking either to or from your location in the dark. And with many landscape photographs being taken in remote rural areas, there may not be much artificial lighting to speak of.

That’s why a head torch is a good thing to always carry with you. Walking around in the dark can cause accidents, and can be extra dangerous if you have to cross or walk on a road where drivers might not see you. Also, it can be tricky to see your camera controls and tripod locks in the dark, especially if you’re in a hurry to set up before the sun rises. So we’d recommend Filmsticks Head Mounted Torch, which is a great choice — small and affordable, with charging via micro USB.

Pros:

• Secure holder for multiple cards
• Shock-absorbing
• O-ring seal keeps water out

Cons:

• Hardshell can make it more awkward to transport
  
  

Ideally, landscape photographers should be carrying plenty of memory cards, both as backups and as spares in case you fill one up. What you shouldn’t be doing, however, is carrying them loose in your pockets or camera bag, as this is a tremendous way for them to get lost or damaged. Instead, we’d recommend getting a wallet or holder for them, and if you want the ultimate peace of mind, a hard case like this one from Peli. 

Not only does this allow you to organise cards, but also provides them with a hard shell that can take a beating or a soaking. It’s inexpensive too — costing a good deal less than most high-end cards — so there’s really no reason not to snap one up.