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Framed Landscape

5 Composition Tips for Landscape Photography

It may be hard to believe, but you can take very nice landscape photography even with the most basic equipment. You don't need the latest and greatest ultra-wide lenses (although that does help create a unique perspective) or the fastest lens with a f1.2 aperture. Landscape photography generally benefits from a deep depth of field, and ironically the type of camera with inherently deep depth of field are compact point and shoot digital cameras! DSLRs have shallower depth of field, hence they lends themselves to creating shots with nice bokeh (out-of-focus elements).

These 5 tips will not feature the discussed-to-death rule of thirds. Anyway, for those looking for something on the rule of thirds, just remember this rule: Don't place your subject right in the middle of the frame unless you are aiming for symmetry (see the next tip below).

Symmetry vs Asymmetry

Decide if you want the picture to be symmetrical, or asymmetrical. Slight errors in composition (eg. a crooked horizon) will dilute the effect of the picture. Certain pictures benefit from asymmetry, which means that the left side is dramatically different from the right side. Asymmetry works well for pictures where you wish to highlight the differences between two elements in the picture.

Timing

Yes, timing plays a part in the composition of a landscape photograph as well. Timing in the elements within the picture includes choosing the right moment to click the shutter. I was composing a scene in my DSLR during a nice clear afternoon. The sun cast some interesting shadows across the bridge floor, but I wanted something more. Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned around and saw a farmer walking towards me.  I waited for her to cross the bridge a little more, and clicked the shutter. It made the picture more interesting than if I had shot just the bridge alone.

Timing also includes choosing the right time of day to shoot. You can use the shadow of an object to lead the attention of the viewer to the main subject that is in full view. This type of shadow only appears when the sun is at a certain angle (see my post on light ratios for landscapes).

 

Framing Elements

By choosing your framing elements carefully, you can bring a new point of view to a subject. Slow down,  and look for interesting angles. The best way to do this is by taking a walk. Sometimes we pass by too quickly if we travel in motorized transport. Trees can be easily used as framing elements.

You can also use the framing elements to tell a story, as in a picture of a door panel that has a sculpture of a sentry, guarding the entrance to the palace.

 

Perspective

Using a wide angle lens, we can exaggerate the perspective of a picture to shift the focus of the story to a specific element in the picture. Shooting from a very low angle, with your camera almost touching the ground, using an ultra wide angle lens, can exaggerate the height of vertical elements, and create converging lines that seem to meet at the top.

The other extreme is using a telephoto lens to compress perspective. Telephoto lenses make distant objects appear closer than they are, thereby allowing you to stack elements together.

 

Isolation and Focus

Giving the subject plenty of white space (as designers call it) around it can focus the viewer's attention to it. Panoramic pictures are good solutions if you want to create isolation. Panoramas do not need an ultra-wide angle lens. A standard kit lens is all you need, to take several shots side by side and later stitch them up on the computer. In fact, an ultra-wide angle lens would create too much distortion to stitch a panorama easily.

 

About the Author

Great landscape photography may appear to be a chance shot, where you were there at the right place at the right time, but there are techniques which will greatly improve your ‘chances' of getting a great shot. These are illustrated in full detail in landscape photographer Kajo Merkert's Landscape Photography Guide.

How can I teach my boyfriend simple photography?

I want to teach him about how to fit things in a frame - landscape, portrait, center etc etc, are there any kind of exercises he can do to learn the best way to shoot something?

explain the rule of thirds, (look it up)

explain about wher e the light comes from, and where it goes...

explain about composition, look at images, and see where things are, in teh frame... and explain about perspective, how the viewpint alters ones perspectives... show him his elbows, knees, arms and wrist... they move for a a reason, so you dont justhave to stand up, camera to eye, and shoot... you no longer need to look thru the lens to compose, or focus, i use my boot as a rest, my knee, whatevers handy,

get him to look at a scene, and see... and they say why it grabbed his eye, what makes it special, how can i shoot it...

look at wunderground.com its a weathre site, which allows people to upload their images for free, and believe me, they're stunning, (and ive had a few 10/10) look at what they show, where things go, and the interaction of light and shade, colours and subject matter...

oh me, behind a lens 35yrs, in fornt of a blackboard for 15yrs

Antique English Victorian carved gilt framed landscape

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 9:10 pm and is filed under paintings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.