Landscapes have long interested photographers as a subject. You can improve your landscape photography with these tips.
Take Photos at Different Times of Day
Don’t limit your picture taking to bright days when the sun is high overhead. In fact, this is when you may get your least-pleasing pictures because bright sunlight can “bleach” everything out and make a photo look “flat”. Instead, try shooting landscape photos on overcast days to create drama in the final shots.
Take pictures at different times of the day, too, such as early morning and late afternoon. You may get more richly saturated colour and create more pleasing photos.
Add Depth to Your Photos
Another way to improve your landscape photography is to add depth. Take photos with items in the foreground to give viewers a way to enter a picture and then follow through to the background.
Take close-up shots that focus on a particular element of the landscape, such as a grouping of leaves; take shots from farther away, as well, to create a more complete picture of the landscape.
Don’t forget to look for objects built by people and objects in nature that mimic each other in shape; for example, a wooden building in the foreground and a rock in the background with the same shape made a much more interesting photo.
Add People and Animals to the Landscape
People and animals in a landscape photo can add pleasing contrast. Consider framing your photo so that they are at the edge of the landscape and not central to it.
Look for Collections of Objects
Look for interesting collections of objects, such as the boulder, weathered animal bone and flower planter that I came across in a seaside village. These three items and the addition of some colour – the green in the planter – made an interesting and pleasing composition.
Look, also, for groupings of like-numbered objects, such as two chairs and two wooden buildings in another photo.
Create Shapes
Try to notice shapes that occur in the landscape. For example, a triangle can be created by having two objects in the foreground and one in the background, or vice versa. You can also create squares and circles, depending upon the objects you see through the camera’s lens. Familiar shapes are comforting and can draw a viewer into a photo.
Edit Your Photos
Finally, discipline yourself to edit your photos before you snap the shutter, instead of waiting to edit out unwanted items using your computer’s photo editing program or with the help of a good photo shop. This way you develop a more critical eye, which results in better photographs.
(Read more about improving your photography in Take Better Photos of Buildings, and Give Yourself Photography Assignments.)
Sharon Hunt - Sharon Hunt has been a freelance writer and editor for two decades, with publication credits including: Canadian Geographic, Far East ...
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