Capture scenic shots like never before with these exciting new techniques and approaches from seasoned pro
Variety is the spice of life and, even if you only shoot one or two genres, there’s always something new to learn – whether that’s a new technique or a slightly different approach to a familiar V subject. So with this in mind, we’re going to explore some of the alternative ways you can shoot landscape photography and capture the world around you in new and visually exciting ways. Some of the techniques we’ll explore on the following pages are close to standard landscape shooting techniques, but with an added twist that could revitalise your approach to this genre of photography – while others will introduce you to often-surprising new ways of capturing the landscape to produce incredibly interesting and unique images you may never have thought possible.
PRO SHOT
Work with the location
With a low angle, centrally composed subject and horizon, this shot is a classic rule-breaker. It throws the rule of thirds out of the window yet still maintains visual balance and a strong framing device that helps to pull the scene together.
1 CONSIDERYOUR COMPOSITION
Composition is one of the most important elements of all types of photography. But when it comes to landscapes, where scenes are often deep and include various C elements at different points within the environment, composition is an essential tool for cutting out the visual noise, creating an image that’s pleasing to look at and helping to guide the viewer’s eye through the scene.
The rule-of-thirds, lead-in lines, foreground interest, framing and diagonal lines are all simple, yet highly effective, compositional devices that work perfectly in the majority of situations. But knowing which ones to use, in which combination and when to completely disregard the rule-of-thirds and instead work directly with the scene in front of you, are all invaluable skills to learn and implement.
1. Therules of composition are fantastic for providing tried and tested approaches to the way elements within a scene are positioned to create a pleasing composition. In many situations, they work extremely well, but sometimes, breaking the rule of thirds will produce the best result for the location.
2. This scene works best with the horizon placed in the centre of the frame, but with the lighthouse placed on the left imaginary line of the rule-of-thirds, the composition is weak and boring despite the strong lead-in line. This shows that following the rules of composition isn’t always the best option.
2 TAKEYOUR SHOTS FROM INTERESTING VIEWPOINTS
We’re all guilty of it, even when we know better. We arrive at a location, extend our tripod W legs to their full extensions and start shooting from that height –
