Above all, landscape photographers are thrill-seekers. Traveling around the world to capture some of the most unseen locations and helping viewers feel emotionally connected to nature. Similarly, they endure harsh climates, dangerous hikes, and even sometimes hostile territories.
This list will help you find inspiration and new talent to follow when it comes to the top landscape photographers around the globe. Afterward, you can head outdoors and add your name to this growing list.
The Best Landscape Photographers
1. Sean Bagshaw
First up is American landscape photographer Sean Bagshaw. What started as a passion soon grew into a full-time profession when Sean discovered he could combine his love of adventure with images. In addition, he joins the ranks of some of the most well-known landscape photographers in the world. When he’s not out shooting, he also enjoys teaching. He offers many courses, including Photoshop Essentials For Outdoor Photographers.
Additionally, he released a photo book called Oregon, My Oregon: Land Of Natural Wonders. The book was forwarded by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and Oregonian, Nicholas Kristof. It’s available everywhere books are sold.
2. Matt Payne
Matt Payne is a full-time landscape photographer based in Durango, Colorado. Raised in the state, he developed a deep connection to the wilderness through childhood adventures in the rugged mountains. This early bond with nature inspired him to pursue photography.
Before photography, Matt was a climber and mountaineer, conquering Colorado’s iconic fourteeners. He completed his goal of summiting the state’s highest 100 peaks by 2018, and in 2022, he co-authored a hiking and climbing guidebook for the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Over time, his focus shifted from climbing to capturing the beauty of the mountains through photography.
Matt is committed to ethical photography, advocating for honest editing and conservation. He believes that nature’s beauty doesn’t need enhancement and that photographers should be honest with their audience about their work while aiming to raise awareness for conservation issues.
As the host of one of the industry’s longest-running podcasts, F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt connects with photographers and industry leaders worldwide to discuss photography, ethics, business practices, and environmental challenges. His work and the podcast emphasize the importance of respect for nature and ethical representation.
Matt is also the co-founder of Nature First Photography, an organization focused on promoting ethical practices in nature photography, and the co-creator of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, an international competition recognizing photographers dedicated to realistic landscape photography.
3. Jake Guzman
Seattle-based adventurer, filmmaker, and nature photographer Jake Guzman combines a unique, personal style with global appeal and a sharp eye for commercial photography. He has worked with countless nameworthy clients, including the tourist boards of dozens of countries.
To define Jake’s work in pure genre terms, you’d have to find a good word for the intersection between adventure, landscape, and automotive photography since that’s what forms the centerpiece of the majority of his compositions.
The Pacific Northwest, its breathtaking mountain ranges, and its lonesome, adventurous roads are clearly Jake’s bread-and-butter subjects, and who can blame him?
If you’re interested, you can view more of his work on his website or public Instagram page.
4. Viktoria Haack
Nikon Ambassador and multi-talented genre-hopper Viktoria Haack is originally from the UK, though she has produced the bulk of her widely-published work in remote locations all over Canada, where she is based today.
With an academic background in anthropology and fine art, she is adept at crossover work with subjects and stylistic choices inherited from many other genres. Emotional connection and oneness with nature are common threads throughout her portfolio, as is a mix of extreme wide-angle compositions and ‘nature portraits’ composed with telephoto lenses.
Her work has been featured in most of the industry’s most esteemed publications, including Vogue Italia, Digital Photo, Outdoor Photography, and the BBC.
You can view some of Viktoria’s portfolio on her website, where she also offers workshops for those interested in learning new tricks from a real master.
5. Kai Hornung
Kai Hornung is a landscape photographer based in Hanover, Germany. He stands out among other landscape photographers through his approach to creating abstract scenes of nature.
In addition, his work has been awarded internationally, including recently being awarded the Photograph Of The Year! Furthermore, Kai can be spotted judging
His work has been shown in many publications, including National Geographic. Check out his website for more info on his images and online training.
6. Sarah Marino
With a sharp eye for classical beauty, painterly use of colors, and a portfolio that stretches across the North American continent and beyond, Sarah Marino is definitely the author behind some of the most impressive landscape photography in recent memory.
Today, she travels and photographs mainly together with fellow landscape and nature photographer Ron Coscorrosa. The two are active photography educators, offering eBooks, courses, and classes on nature and landscape photography theory.
You can check out Sarah’s work on her Instagram, YouTube channel, or website, where you can also grab one of her eBooks and sign up for one of her classes.
7. David Thompson
David Thompson is a Nevada-based photographer whose images cover much of the United States. Nature drew him in from a young age as weekends were spent hiking and camping with his family. He would stand at the top of massive dunes taking in the views and deciding one day he would become a landscape photographer.
His images play with color and movement, and his use of leading lines makes the viewer’s eyes constantly dance around every image. Check out his website to learn more.
8. Erez Marom
Landscape and travel photographer Erez Marom began his
Now, he offers photographers the chance to work side by side with him to learn how he produces his beautiful
9. Ryan Dyar
Based in Seattle, Ryan Dyar lives and breathes landscape
His goal is to bring the viewer into the photograph and help them feel the emotions he encountered while shooting. He now leads tours to help others master landscapes in the
10. Guy Tal
Guy Tal creates work that is all about patterns and structure. He is an expert at finding repetition in nature. Each of his images leaves the viewer wanting to investigate more. He is also an author whose beautiful images and writing can be found here.
Tal is a firm supporter of the arts, quoted as saying, “I believe that the practice of creative pursuits manifests not only in the making of art, but also has the ability to transform and enrich life, facilitate meaningful and rewarding experiences, and foster contentment and satisfaction through lifelong discovery and learning.”
11. Alex Noriega
With a dramatic, almost impressionist style influenced self-admittedly by the possibilities and techniques of large format photography, the work of Alex Noriega is a great example of how landscape photography in our day and age can continue to offer fresh vistas while still paying respects to its artistic heritage.
His vast, meticulously exposed and composed landscapes recall the hyper-realist narrative styles of some of the great landscape photographers of the mid-twentieth century. It’s no wonder then that Alex Noriega was named International Landscape photographer of the year in 2016!
12. Casey Mccallister
A self-described outdoor lifestyle photographer with a love for the beauty of natural landscapes, Casey Mccallister has managed to turn his creative dream into a successful brand, working with numerous noteworthy clients including Adobe, Patagonia, Microsoft, and The North Face.
His photography straddles a space between the strictly artistic and the commercial, with colorful scenes that often evoke not just the beauty of the outdoors, but also the human element in travel and adventure. You can follow Casey’s impressive output on his Instagram profile or via his website, where you can also order yourself a print!
13. Scott Smorra
American Photographer, Scott Smorra, is becoming well known for his fine art prints. Since 2009, he has been creating finely crafted large format photographic wall art.
His work is used to communicate the emotions he feels during his outdoor adventures. We love that his main goal is to convey a feeling of peace through photos.
14. Erin Babnik
Erin Babnik began her career as an art historian, using photos to better her lectures before transitioning to the role of a landscape photographer.
She is known for her thrill seeker style that mixes risks and art, making her photos stand out among other photographers.
15. Daniel Kordan
Kordan used to be a scientist but now teaches others the craft of landscape
Kordan spent weekends giving tours and becoming the chief editor of “Continent expedition” magazine. He says “I live in the world, but some places are connected to my soul”.
16. Isabella Tabacchi
International Landscape Photographer of the Year and National Geographic photo contest winner Isabella Tabacchi is clearly at the top of her game as a landscape artist. Active since 2016, she has been racking up a consistent stream of accolades throughout her still-young career.
Mountain scenes clearly fascinate Isabella almost above all else, and that’s no wonder – her first great artistic inspiration came from a trip to the Italian Dolomites. Today, she travels and creates art worldwide, dazzling international audiences with her considerate, emotional images, such as ‘The Tree of Life’, the famous aerial shot taken in Iceland which landed her more than one major award.
To get a taste of Isabella’s fascinating story and her work, head on over to her website, Instagram, or Facebook profile. This way, you can also view dates for one of her upcoming Dolomite photo tours!
17. Michael Shainblum
Michael Shainblum is based in San Francisco, California, but has been working professionally as a photographer since the age of 16. He first made a name for himself through his unique ability to capture the night sky in a distinct surreal style.
Furthermore, Michael has worked with big clients, including Nike, Samsung, Facebook, LG, Apple, and Google. Learn more about Michael’s landscape work on YouTube, where he shares vlogs, tricks, and tips. He also offers
18. Dustin LeFevre
Fine art photographer based in Utah, Dustin LeFevre has been named one of the best landscape photographers in the world.
Nature, light, and color are all recurring themes in his work. Dustin covers much of the American West Coast. Furthermore, he has expanded his passion for capturing landscape photos into workshops.
19. Marco Grassi
Marco Grassi was born in Italy and is a self-taught landscape photographer. His work is driven by remote destinations. Furthermore, his landscape
In addition, he shares his
20. Cath Simard
Cath Simard is a Canadian-born self-taught landscape photographer with a passion for the wilderness. After quitting her job as a fashion stylist and model, she left Quebec and spent 5 years exploring the world.
Additionally, she is now on a mission to share her passion and vision through her unique images. In other words, for her,
21. Kilian Schoenberger
With one foot in the realm of fine art and another firmly planted in the territory of commercial work, Kilian Schoenberger is another experimental landscape artist who doesn’t let genre definitions get in the way of his craft.
A skilled storyteller with a particular strength for using large forests and woodland areas as subjects, the Munich-based photographer is a strong force in the European landscape scene. He has shot almost all over his home continent.
You can explore some of Kilian’s truly breathtaking work over at his personal website. There, you can also order a print for yourself, sign up for a class or a workshop with Kilian himself, or browse some of his acclaimed photo books!
22. Christian Hoiberg
Christian Hoiberg tops our list of landscape photographers for his night
Additionally, part of his website has a section of tutorials, including post-processing techniques. Also, he has written several ebooks on landscape
23. Philip Slotte
Philip Slotte is a twenty-four-year-old landscape and travel photographer based in Stockholm, Sweden. He first started taking landscape photos when he was just sixteen years old with a phone camera. His work leaves the viewer wondering where he is.
Unlike many other landscape photographers, he enjoys editing his imagery manually instead of using presets.
24. Max Rive
Max Rive was born and raised in the flat country of the Netherlands, where he discovered his love of nature by running around the area with his brother. Later, that love soon turned into a
He quit university and hopped on a plane to the Himalayas of Nepal. After almost dying in an airplane accident, he continued traveling around the planet to Chile, Argentina, Greenland, Sweden, Scotland, Norway, and New Zealand and now offers his own workshops.
25. Marc Adamus
Marc Adamus is a landscape photographer based in Western North America. His pursuit of landscapes has taken him around the globe almost continuously for well over a decade now. He is also included in authoring a book that offers a step-by-step approach to improve both artistic vision and technical skills.
Above all, Adamus’s style is unmistakable. He has a talent for capturing fleeting atmospheres and majestic views. Adamus has been frequently mentioned and recognized as an original artist, innovator, and trendsetter in the modern age of landscape
26. Thomas Heaton
Thomas Heaton is a British landscape and travel photographer who is gaining a lot of attention through his popular YouTube channel, where he shares videos about his travels.
Even more, his followers love his genuine and enthusiastic vlogs detailing some of the more difficult aspects of being a landscape photographer.
In conclusion, those are our top picks for landscape photographers that you should be following today! Even if you just enjoy taking photos while traveling, this list is sure to help you gain some new ideas about how to change your perspective when shooting landscapes.
Similarly, all these photographers share a true passion for nature, which is shown through their images. If you want to learn about the top photographers in other genres, have a look at our series of articles on other famous photographers. Above all, have fun shooting and get back to nature!
Great list! Marco Grassi and Michael Shainblum are my favourite ones 🙂
Thanks so much Anto! It was hard to choose! There is so much talent out there! I imagine they are all struggling with this lockdown around the world due to Covid19 as well!
Hello i from libya i like world photography and i wish good life to you
Some brilliant photographers here, great list!
Very inspiring yet challenging since I am looking forward to get the best images possible! They all are amazing talented it pushes me to learn more and more! Thanks for putting them all together so photographers as myself have a horizon to follow
Wow, some seriously intense photos! My favourite is the one by Dustin LeFevre
After reading the article titled “19 Best Landscape Photographers to Follow in 2023,” I am truly impressed by the compilation of talented photographers presented. The article effectively showcases a diverse group of individuals who excel in capturing the beauty of landscapes. The mention of following them in 2023 indicates an up-to-date and relevant list for photography enthusiasts. This type of article not only introduces readers to exceptional artists but also encourages an appreciation for the artistry and creativity that goes into landscape photography. The inclusion of a variety of photographers with different styles and perspectives ensures a well-rounded selection. Overall, it’s a fantastic resource for anyone looking to discover inspiring landscape photography and stay connected with the work of these talented individuals throughout the year.
I’m really impressed by these amazing landscape photographers! They seem to have such dedication to their craft, taking incredible shots despite harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain.