A landscape is never entirely still. Mountains soften through atmosphere, forests shift as light moves between the trees, and water reflects changes in sky and weather. Landscape photography begins with observing these transitions, then choosing the moment when light, colour, form, and distance come together within the frame.
Focal length changes the relationship between foreground, distance, and form. A wider view can give surrounding space greater presence, while a longer focal length can isolate distant elements and bring visual layers closer together. With an approximately 28-76mm equivalent range, the XCD 2,8-4/35-100E moves between wide-angle and medium telephoto perspectives within a single zoom range.
Across a landscape, fine detail may extend from nearby texture to distant terrain, while bright sky and shaded ground share the same frame. Colour shifts gradually through atmosphere, vegetation, stone, snow, and water. Resolution, tonal information, and natural colour reproduction help preserve these relationships, allowing the character of the place to remain present within the image.
Looking down into the frame changes the relationship between photographer and landscape. Across Hasselblad’s contemporary medium format cameras, waist-level shooting remains embedded in the design language, preserving a considered way of seeing and composing. On the X2D II 100C, a 90° tilting display carries this approach forward, bringing foreground, line, balance, and space into closer consideration.
Gear used in this shot
Landscape photography often happens between moments. A break in cloud, low light at dusk, or the last colour above the horizon can alter a scene quickly. Work from the lower end of the native ISO range when light and stability allow. Choose aperture for the depth the composition requires, then use shutter speed to decide how water, cloud, and foliage are rendered.
The X2D II 100C pairs 100-megapixel medium format imaging with HNCS HDR and 5-axis, 10-stop in-body image stabilisation, extending handheld possibilities as light shifts. Stable support remains valuable for long exposures and carefully aligned compositions. When a longer exposure is part of the image, a neutral-density filter can help maintain the chosen shutter speed in brighter conditions.
Landscape photography focuses primarily on place, while nature photography covers the natural world more broadly. Landscape images often explore terrain, light, weather, atmosphere, and space. Nature photography can also include wildlife, plants, macro subjects, and other elements of the natural world.
Focus where the composition requires the greatest clarity rather than automatically focusing at infinity. For scenes with significant foreground-to-background depth, consider aperture, focus distance, and the position of key details together.
Focus stacking is useful when a single exposure cannot provide the required sharpness from foreground to background. It combines several frames focused at different distances, so a stable camera position and consistent exposure help maintain alignment.
They offer different ways of working with the landscape rather than a simple hierarchy of performance. The X2D II 100C combines 100MP medium format imaging with HNCS HDR and 5-axis, 10-stop in-body image stabilisation for greater handheld flexibility. The 907X & CFV 100C combines 100MP medium format imaging with a modular design and waist-level shooting approach for a different relationship with viewpoint and composition.
The 20-35E places greater emphasis on expansive perspectives, while the 35-100E offers a broader range of framing options. The XCD 3,2-4,5/20-35E covers approximately 16-27mm equivalent, while the XCD 2,8-4/35-100E spans approximately 28-76mm equivalent from wide-angle to medium telephoto.
Not every landscape photograph requires a tripod. Handheld shooting can offer greater freedom when exploring viewpoints or responding to changing light, while stable support remains valuable for long exposures, carefully aligned compositions, and slower shutter speeds.
Stability, focus, exposure time, and movement within the scene become more important as illumination falls. A stable camera position can support longer exposures, while careful focus helps retain detail in lower-contrast conditions.
RAW offers greater flexibility when refining exposure, colour, highlights, and shadows in post-production. This can be particularly useful when a landscape contains broad tonal transitions or subtle differences in natural colour.
The required resolution depends on how the photograph will be cropped, viewed, and printed. Higher resolution can provide greater flexibility for retaining fine detail, making selective crops, and producing larger prints, but it should still be considered alongside lens performance, focus accuracy, exposure, and technique.
Learn how to achieve the signature Hasselblad look.
Read Story >Learn how to achieve the signature Hasselblad look.
Read Story >Learn how to achieve the signature Hasselblad look.
Read Story >Learn how to achieve the signature Hasselblad look.
Read Story >Learn how to achieve the signature Hasselblad look.
Read Story >Learn how to achieve the signature Hasselblad look.
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