Experiment with perspective and controlling distribution of detail
Compose stunning landscapes
Landscape photography is sometimes seen as
an over-shot genre with a very standardised
composition strategy. Many composition
tutorials will use a landscape scene to
demonstrate the key techniques, due to
its popularity and the availability of scenic
subjects. However, many photographers’
attempts at landscape imagery fail due
to a lack of attention to perspective and
the dominance of each area of the scene –
foreground, middleground and background.
Imprecise placement of each component willproduce a lack of balance in the distribution
of important detail, leaving some areas with
the majority of the interest and others devoid
of meaningful features. This can be caused by
something as simple as using the ‘wrong’ lens,
but it’s often influenced by a lack of expertise
in using the visible space to best effect.
The most common mistake is to leave large
expanses of low-frequency detail (such as a
featureless blue or washed-out white sky) or
high-frequency, repeating texture (like short
grass) uncropped in the frame. This can alsobe accompanied by the next biggest offender,
a deficit of clear main subject, something that
is of critical importance in a busy landscape
scene. By introducing an identifiable
structure to the shot – even if the scene is
busy with details, or devoid of features – the
composition will still convey order.
“Most of the time I will orient my camera
towards the sun,” says photographer Bogdan
Maris (500px.com/ticeru). “One simple
compositional rule I follow is to find lines that
lead towards the source of light. Then I’ll keepTechniques
Experimentwith perspective and controlling distribution of detail
Compose stunning landscapes
Landscapephotography is sometimes seen as
anover-shotgenrewith a very standardised
compositionstrategy.Many composition
tutorialswillusealandscape scene to
demonstratethekeytechniques, due to
itspopularityandtheavailability of scenic
subjects.However,many photographers’
attemptsatlandscapeimagery fail due
toalackofattentionto perspective and
thedominanceofeach area of the scene –
foreground,middleground and background.
Impreciseplacementof each component willproduce a lack of balance in the distribution
of important detail, leaving some areas with
the majority of the interest and others devoid
of meaningful features. This can be caused by
something as simple as using the ‘wrong’ lens,
but it’s often influenced by a lack of expertise
in using the visible space to best effect.
The most common mistake is to leave large
expanses of low-frequency detail (such as a
featureless blue or washed-out white sky) or
high-frequency, repeating texture (like short
grass) uncropped in the frame. This can alsobe accompanied by the next biggest offender,
a deficit of clear main subject, something that
is of critical importance in a busy landscape
scene. By introducing an identifiable
structure to the shot – even if the scene is
busy with details, or devoid of features – the
composition will still convey order.
“Most of the time I will orient my camera
towards the sun,” says photographer Bogdan
Maris (500px.com/ticeru). “One simple
compositional rule I follow is to find lines that
lead towards the source of light. Then I’ll keepTechniques