2019-05-01 Outdoor Photographer

I

n the preceding articles of this three-

part series, we began by exploring

the “vocabulary” of composition in

landscape photography and considered the

key elements of composition from basic

ideas like shape and line, to more abstract

concepts such as the “viewer’s path” and

negative space.

In this final article, we’ll talk about using

contrast and color effectively, as well as

approaches to locations, capturing the

“reality” of a moment versus taking artis-

tic license to interpret the scene and the

importance of timing.

Contrast & Color

Landscape photographers have little con-

trol over the color and contrast of nature,

with the exception of a few filters and

the time of day. Almost all contrast and

color is modified on the computer while

in the post-processing stage. This is the

part of image-making that offers the most

power and control of the entire process,

and contrast and color are usually signifi-

cantly modified before the final image is

complete. A photographer’s experience in

post-processing significantly affects and

improves their ability to see and create

landscape images. I refer to this in a section

below, “Reality Versus Artistic License.”

Here are a few helpful rules about con-

trast and color to be used in composition:

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