As photographers, we are always looking for ways to capture beautiful photos that will stand out from the crowd. Sometimes if we visit a popular location, it can be very challenging to capture a scene in a new and interesting way that no one might have already seen a million times in their social feeds. I will be sharing with you my Top 7 Compositional Tips that will no doubt take your photo to the next level and will help you create interesting images that will get your work noticed.
1. LEADING LINES: These are lines that guide your eyes to the main subject in your photo. These lines can be implied lines such as paths, fences, bridges, rocks, patters, etc. These lines can be vertical, diagonal or curvilinear as long as the end goal is the same- make your eye travel to the subject.
2. FOREGROUND – A foreground will create depth in your photography, making it look 3 dimensional and having the viewer feel as if they are in the photo. The use of a foreground is best done with a wide-angle lens in order to create an imposing foreground that can compete with the background elements. This is particularly effective in landscape photography since this technique will bring the viewer directly into the scene allowing them to experience it as the photographer did. Make sure the placement of your foreground is directly linked to a relevant and interesting background.
3. FRAMING – Another technique to draw attention to your subject is to frame it – this involves placing elements in front of your subject such as leaves, windows, arches or anything else that will “frame” your subject and lead the eye to it. This also gives the viewer a frame of reference of where the photo was taken.
4. SUBJECTS FOR SCALE – Many landscape photographers prefer excluding people from their landscapes. However, sometimes placing a subject can make the mountains/oceans/valley appear bigger and vast. This can really add more drama and interest to your scene. If there is nobody around, consider placing yourself in the frame and using a self timer to take the shot.
5. LONG EXPOSURE – This consists of creating texture by having static elements in your photograph paired with moving elements. This contrast between soft and hard elements also adds a layer of drama to your photo. Long exposures will keep your shutter open to capture the flow of water, trailing of the sky, vehicle light trails or people. If shooting long exposures, your essential gears will be a tripod and ND filters to block daylight allowing you to keep your shutter open for longer periods of time.
6. ZOOMING DURING LONG EXPOSURE – This involves turning the zoom ring on your lens during a long exposure shot. This is best done at night where you can create the special effect of lights coming out of the photograph. This is a very creative and underused technique that requires trial and error to get the desired outcome. The more you twist that zoom ring, the more lights will come out. Subtle twists will still provide you with a relative clear image of the light source
7. SUNRISE AND SUNSET: Shooting at sunrise will almost always give you a photo that very few other people have. The reason is because not many are willing to wake up that early to drive somewhere for photography. It requires a lot of will power and discipline. I shoot sunrise if I am familiar with the area and know exactly where to set up. Arrive 20 minutes before sunrise to scout your location and do test shots. Trust me the last thing you want to do is get flustered and waste time trying to set yourself up. You have about a 30-minute window before the sun rises.
Sunset is my personal favourite time to shoot. For 2 main reasons: 1) You could get extremely accurate weather forecast for that area. You’ll know if it’s going to be rainy, sunny, cloudy, windy, etc. with a lesser margin of error. 2) Sunset has amazingly rich colours. It is a transition of yellow/orange/red and blue as the night descends. The colours are particularly richer because of the pollution of the day. If it’s a cloudy day, I recommend using an ND filter and doing a 3-4 minute long exposure for a very dramatic photo that captures movement.
To conclude, I will leave you with 2 of my favourite apps to check for wind speeds and cloud coverage:
Windy: This app allows you to track windspeeds. If you are photographing reflections this can be particularly useful. If the wind is 1-2km/hour and the gusts are less than 10 km, it is a guarantee that will get mirror reflections.
Astrospheric: This will allow you to track cloud coverage and visibility if you are chasing a colorful sunrise/sunset. If the area of interest has cloud coverage between 40-70% you are very likely to get a very dramatic and colorful sky.
In the end, the best advice I can give you is to take your time. When you arrive at a specific location, change your lenses, alternate between standing or crouching for your photos, try long exposures, change your aperture and take as many photos as possible. You might walk away with 200 different images from one location and present a perspective that nobody else has seen before. I always regret not giving it 100% and getting lazy. While you are there, make the best of it.
Robin Laurenson IG: @motherpixels
