Those of you who followed my series of blogs on 'The ten ingredients of great landscape photos' will know that composition comes very high up the list! Those of you who have attended any of my training courses will also know that I always teach composition as the first topic. Why? Because learning the art of composition is the most important skill for any developing photographer; in fact, simply by mastering composition, you can hugely improve your photos with any camera. It's for this reason that, in this series of blogs, we're looking in depth at the art of composition.
The ingredients of great landscape photos
Other than finding a great subject to photograph, composition is the next most important factor in any great landscape photo.
What are composition rules?
I firmly believe that understanding and improving your composition is the quickest and easiest way to improve your photos, whatever camera you use. This is why it’s the topic that I always cover first in all of my training courses, both for mobile phone users and DSLR camera users
Why do snaps so rarely do justice to a beautiful view?
I'm sure we've all stood looking at a beautiful view, pointed our camera at it and snapped the shutter, only to get home and realised that whilst the view was beautiful, the photo is just plain dull! The reason for this is that we are used to seeing with our amazing binocular vision which sees the world in in three dimensions. As soon as we lose that third dimension in creating a two- dimensional photo, this view can immediately lose its essence. Put simply, a two-dimensional representation of a beautiful view can often be boring!
So, how do we make photos of beautiful views interesting?
To make a two-dimensional landscape photo more interesting, it's necessary to use one or more tricks, to build interest into the image. In a 'point and shoot’ snap of that beautiful view, there is likely to be little to grab the interest of the viewer, and they are more than likely to glance at it and then look away (which equals boring!). Instead, to develop as a photographer, you need to move away from taking a snap and move towards composing an image which grabs the viewers’ attention, pulling them into, and through the photo. This journey forces them to look longer at the photo, and in doing so, makes it more interesting to look at.
One of the easiest ways of improving that photo is to use one or more little tricks, often called ‘composition rules’ to make the image more interesting to look at and help to do better justice to that beautiful view. Although there are loads of composition rules (just Google it and you will find hundreds!), below are a handful of what I believe are the most powerful ones to have in your mental checklist when composing a photo.
Ensure you have a focal point
Construct your frame using the rule of thirds
Utilise lead-in lines to help draw the viewer into the frame
Use layers to help give depth
Find foreground interest especially when shooting wide
Embrace symmetry
Provide a sense of scale
Use the rule of odds
Keep your edges clean
Embrace diagonals
Use negative space
Ensure balance
Over this series of blogs, we'll look in detail at each of these 'rules' to help equip you with a mental checklist for how to compose better landscapes. We start this week with looking at the importance of having a focal point.
Composition Rule #4: Use Layers to Give a Sense of Depth
In going from a 3-dimensional world to a 2-dimensional photo, one of the things we lose is a sense of depth. There are complex reasons for this, but essentially a photo has a lack of binocular cues: photos don't provide the differences that our two eyes normally use to perceive depth in the real world. So, anything that helps to provide a sense of depth in an image is going to make it more pseudo-3-dimensional and interesting to look at.
Finding or creating layers through composition is a powerful technique which can help to create depth and dimension in your images. Here are several ways to effectively use layers:
Make sure that you compose your images incorporating foreground, middle ground, and background elements to create a sense of three-dimensionality. This layering technique gives your image a more immersive feel, drawing the viewer's eye into and through the scene.
Use a strong foreground element as an introduction to the image. Use natural elements such as rocks or flowers, or use lead-in lines or interesting patterns and textures to help draw the viewers eye into the scene.
Utilize the middle ground to connect the foreground and background. This area can either provide context to support the main subject, helping to guide the viewer's eye through the image, or it can contain the main subject itself (a lighthouse, waterfall, or lone tree etc.)
Choose a compelling background that complements the other layers. A dramatic skyline, a mountain range, or a vibrant sunset can serve as a powerful backdrop, adding depth to the overall composition and help to draw the viewers eye towards the back of the frame.
Employ overlapping elements such as overlapping hills, or other landscape features to create a sense of distance and scale. This can help the viewer perceive the spatial relationships between different parts of the scene.
Use tonal variation to create depth. Maintain darker shadow and brighter highlight areas to preserve contrast, especially in golden hour shots where low-angle light sculpts landscape contours and textures.
By using this layering technique, you can create landscape photos that feel more three-dimensional and immersive, effectively conveying the depth of the scene to your viewers.
In the image below, the animal tracks provide foreground interest, but also act as lead-in lines into the frame. The abandoned house and the textures of the wall around it provide compelling middle ground interest, and the beautiful sky and sunset colours also provides a compelling background to the image.
In the image below, natural tonal variation of the rising sun has produced beautiful natural layers in the landscape. Importantly, however, the chapel has been positioned to provide a focal point in what otherwise could have been an image with no clear visual anchor.
Want to improve your photography skills?
Don't forget that if you want some direct help with your photography, I offer a range of 1-2-1 photography courses for Devon based folks. If you're not nearby then I also offer residential workshops for beginner photographers or improving photographers.
About me
I first got into photography after walking the beautiful South West Coast Path: I was so disappointed that my photos didn't do justice to the beautiful coastal scenery that I decided to walk all 630 miles all over again, but this time to also teach myself photography along the way!
A few years later and I find myself as a professional photographer, widely published and with landscape photos which have won national awards. But I do much more than landscapes, providing photography training to businesses & individuals on how to take beautiful photographs, and providing professional photography services to businesses across the South West. My commercial specialisms are property photography, business photography, people photography & aerial (drone) photography.
I’m also an author with a number of published books and I give regular talks about my passion for photography, and for Devon, to camera clubs and other groups.
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