Eight Composition Tips for Landscape Photography

In the art of photography, composition is an important part of creation. A master with outstanding attainments in photography art must be a leader in the flexible use of various photography composition techniques. Here are eight composition techniques for landscape photography that I have compiled for your reference! Eight composition techniques for landscape photography

The most abundant - using frames

How to make a flat photo full of three-dimensionality Depth? In fact, you only need to use some real or invisible frames in the picture as the foreground of the picture to frame the theme you want to express, and the picture will have a strong perspective effect. For example, use the frame of a door to frame a person, or use the frame of a window to frame a building. Of course, you cannot use this trick in every scene, if the frame itself does not have a certain sense of beauty or is not related to the theme. If it has a relevant meaning, don't use it. But when some frames are closely related to the theme, can enrich the content of your picture, or are more conducive to expressing the atmosphere of a scene, you can feel free to use them boldly.

Sometimes, the frame is not just a simple visual element in the composition, it also carries more functions and meanings. The most commonly used foregrounds are frame objects, such as door frames, window frames, branches, arches, edges of buildings, etc., which can form a sense of composition. There are also many commonly used foreground elements that are very useful when expressing depth of field and perspective relationships, such as large areas of colorful flowers and moving people, which can be blurred to enhance the atmosphere.

This photo was taken from the ruins of the Aliguge Kingdom in Tibet. The main building of this ruins is in the shape of a pyramid on an earth forest. If it is shown alone in the picture, it will still look good under the light and blue sky of Tibet. It's not bad, but I always feel it's a little less interesting. Using a hole in the earth wall as the frame, the audience's eyes can easily focus on the subject behind the frame. This kind of frame composition is very suitable for expressing such Historic building.

The most concise - minimalist blank space

If painting is addition, then photography is subtraction, especially in landscape photography, only by removing cluttered scenery and redundant elements Only in this way can you get the pure natural scenery. Blank space was originally the most commonly used creative language in Chinese ink painting, but it still works when transplanted to photography. Large areas of blank space appear ethereal and lonely due to the proportions of simple scenery, just like this snowfield. The blank image of a tree embodies the beauty of an oriental artistic conception where silence is better than sound at this time. It is a technique often used in pictorial photography. You may wish to try this method when creating landscape photography. It will be your photography. The works are full of artistic conception, expressing different emotions and opening up a space for imagination. When composing the picture, pay attention to selecting specific and formal scenery to set off the blank space. Minimalism is not empty, minimalism can also be rich.

The most symmetrical - mirror symmetry

The mirror effect is very charming, as if it has magic power. It is also the composition effect most commonly used by photographers when shooting landscapes. It is perfect and symmetrical. The mirror effect is very formal. There are many scenes in nature where mirror reflection effects appear. Calm water is the most common one. I even found a perfect mirror effect on a car body. When taking mirror photos, symmetry is a must. The perfect symmetry effect of dividing the picture into two makes ordinary scenery seem like a fairyland. When taking mirror symmetry photos, you must pay attention to balancing the light between the actual scenery and the scenery reflected on the water surface. Generally speaking, the brightness of the actual scene in the upper part of the screen will be brighter than the reflected scene. Generally, a gray gradient mirror can be used to balance the light ratio to achieve a perfect symmetry effect.

The most blurred-blurred occlusion

Blurring the foreground should actually be a method of expressing the frame composition. You can use a large aperture or a telephoto lens to blur the background. The foreground is blurred to form color blocks or light spots, making the originally ordinary scenery become an element of composition and atmosphere in the picture. In the picture below, the photographer blurred the colorful prayer flags in the foreground into colorful irregular color blocks, and focused on the snow-capped mountains in the distance, combining two important elements of the Tibetan area into one picture. , it also improves both levels of the picture, so it is said to be two levels, one is the level of the depth of field of the picture, and the other is the level of taste and aesthetics of the picture.

The most perspective - far point perspective

A photo is originally flat, but the landscape can have depth. How to express the depth of the scenery requires the use of the principle of perspective. There are many perspective lines in natural scenery that guide people's eyes to the theme of the picture, such as this picture of snow-capped mountains and rivers, and the curve of the river. It guides the viewer's eyes to the snow-capped mountains in the distance, which reflects the depth of the scenery and makes the whole picture have a sense of depth. To capture such a scene, a wide-angle lens and a larger aperture are generally used to achieve greater depth of field.

The fullest - the rule of thirds composition

The rule of thirds composition may be the most commonly used composition method in landscape photography. Many good landscape photography works are through the foreground. It is composed of three parts: the middle ground and the background, or the long shot. This composition method can well express the layers of the scenery, and can also fill the picture fully.

This photo was taken of the Tianshan Ranch in Xinjiang. The photographer used a telephoto lens to crop out a part of the vast nature and divided the entire picture into three parts. The wildflowers on the grassland in the foreground showed bright yellow, and the middle ground And the background has been expanded. The cows and sheep on the green grassland in the middle ground have become the focus of the painting. The grassland in the distance is mottled with light and shadow and has a certain perspective effect. This kind of composition is clear and full, making full use of the lines and colors existing in nature. Finding points, lines and surfaces is always an important step in composition.

The most interesting - diagonal composition

In landscape photography, you must train yourself and try to look at the world with an abstract geometric perspective, and you will find the existence of points and lines in nature itself. noodle. Just imagine, when you look at a photo, all the lines that appear in it are horizontal and straight. Although it can give you a sense of calm and balance, it will also make the picture boring and tiring. Therefore, we need to look for curves and slashes to break up the picture and make it interesting. Diagonal composition is a very common way to let lines or the edges of scenery separate the picture by diagonal lines. The picture below was taken on a section of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. In the mountains and canyons, the brown mountains are covered with A black asphalt road cuts across the middle, and the winding road extends from the lower left corner of the picture to the upper right corner of the picture. Even if the plane divides the picture, it also forms a good visual guide line, giving the whole picture a sense of perspective. Pay attention to the motorcade on the road. These cars look small against the huge mountains. They play a role in expressing the proportion of the scenery in the picture, and also give the desolate scenery a little more life. Essential Landscape Photography Tips for Beginners

Quality Issues

Using the best techniques possible is a wise choice to obtain high-quality images. If your goal is to take great pictures, be sure not to be technical. Now, there is a serious problem that because people think that post-production software can change the shortcomings of early-stage shooting, people's mastery of technology is common. While software has many wonderful features, they don't change everything. No matter what you do, an out-of-focus picture will always be out-of-focus. For severely overexposed pictures, using post-processing software will not change anything.

Relying on a lot of software for post-processing is not a good start for taking pictures. My goal, and I hope your goal, is to get the best possible picture you can get on location. You want to aim for every photo you take on location to require very little editing. There is a saying that has been said many times before, but I still can’t help but repeat it now: Garbage in, garbage out.

Only strict technical requirements can produce exquisite images. Everyone can learn how to take great pictures, but it requires certain techniques. Only through continuous practice can you achieve success.

Use good equipment

Buying a good camera is important, but of course you don’t need to buy the latest and greatest. I have a lot of equipment because I'm trying to find better ways to get good pictures with it. I'm not a gear geek, and like you, I'm trying to learn about new photography gear. A machine suitable for nature photography is a real pleasure to use, so it’s important that your camera has the features you need. I'll tell you exactly what equipment I use and why, but I'll also make other suggestions that will save you money or make it easier to carry.

Develop good shooting habits

No matter what kind of camera you use, it will always be updated quickly. Digital technology is developing rapidly. This is even more true today. You'll always be tempted by the latest and greatest bodies and lenses. But the camera itself won't take a great picture on its own, so don't rely too much on these devices. Developing good shooting habits and insisting on photo quality are the keys to becoming a truly excellent nature photographer. Using a tripod whenever possible, finding a suitable subject, good use of light, careful focus, thoughtful composition and creative angles are all necessary elements for a great picture. When you embark on the journey of photography, machines and equipment are updated so quickly, but shooting techniques are not improved so quickly, so there is no need to invest too much energy in updating equipment. Learn to pay attention to the art knowledge of natural photography far more than cameras and The lens is much more important.

Become a better naturalist

The more you know about nature, the better photos you will take. You don't need to get a degree in biology to be a good naturalist. Many bird flower lovers are self-taught. Many professional guide manuals will also provide very detailed information. Many nature centers, local universities, and parks offer natural history courses that can broaden your knowledge of nature. The more you learn about nature, the more you will enjoy spending time outdoors and the more you will find to photograph. The best nature photographers are learning digital photography while also trying to be as knowledgeable about nature as naturalists.

Professional and Amateur Nature Photographers

How much better are professional nature photographers than amateur nature photographers? I only know a few professional nature photographers, and some of them are worse than amateurs. Even if a photographer is good at taking pictures, some may not be as good as an amateur photographer. Professional photographers just depend on whether you make a living from photography, amateurs just have other sources of income.

Professional or amateur actually has nothing to do with knowledge or skill level. It just indicates the source of income. Alan Charnley is one of the best photographers I know and he is without a doubt in my top ten of nature photographers. You may have never heard of him because his pictures are never for sale. He has been my dentist for 30 years. The images he takes are too good to be true, but he doesn't need to make money with these nature photography images. He takes photos just because he likes them. Many amateur photographers like Allen are just as good as professionals. Anyone can become a great nature photographer as long as they devote the time and energy to finding beautiful things and then photographing them.

The best places for nature photography

The most amazing thing about nature photography is that you can complete your shooting anywhere, you don’t need to travel around the world. Even if you're in a big city, there are natural areas nearby. Maybe you should start shooting in your own home. If you have a lawn at home, you might want to plant it into a garden. This way, you'll have plenty of opportunities to photograph flowers and the insects that are attracted to them. Feeders and water baths attract many different species of colorful birds. Any meadow filled with wildflowers is also a great place to photograph, especially on a cold, dewy morning. The forests, lakes, marshes and coasts around you offer numerous opportunities for nature photography, and there is also plenty of public land available.

Tread carefully on this land

It is important to respect your subject and its surroundings. Minimize your impact on the natural world. Although it is difficult to have no impact at all, you can minimize your impact. Don't damage the subject you want to photograph. Don’t pick wild flowers. Try to stay on paths or in open spaces and don't trample fragile flowers. Don't disturb wild animals.

For example, I like to take photos of wild orchids. I must not damage the orchids that are in the flowering stage. It is important to identify whether they are in the flowering stage, so that the orchids will not be harmed. Every year I photograph a pair of nesting birds near my home. I always choose the angle from which it is easiest to photograph the nest. The birds have become accustomed to the angle from which I photograph them. But some birds are easily frightened and will even abandon their nests if disturbed, so photographing them is too risky.