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jameshegbert
March 05, 2014
Nature Photography Composition Cheats
© James H Egbert, 2006
Just the other day, I was having a philosophical and ethics based conversation with one of my Son’s over using Cheat Codes to play Computer and Video games. Like a finely primed lawyer I presented what I thought was a close and shut case. I narrowly made it to the end of my soap box top production and plea to the jury when he calmly pointed out, “You know, every one of your articles on photography is just the same thing. You’re giving away free information about something that new photographers should either pay for or at least learn how to do on their own.†Talk about being humbled.
So now that my home “law practice†has closed on its very first case, I thought to myself, “Self? You know he’s right! Why not just write it all out and give away the cheats and call it what it is?†I’ve covered many topics already in my list of photographic articles, why not do the cheats on Nature Photography Composition? These are just a few of the little tricks used by some of the top professional and advanced amateur photographers in the field.
Be Selfish
Remember your first date with the one that caught your heart? Well composing a well thought out scene to photograph is much the same. Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder and that is what you are hoping to be beholding in the final print. What it comes down to is understanding that you need to be totally attracted into the scene, it must move you emotionally before you can even hope to show it to someone else and hope for the same reaction.
I’ve worked with 4 photographers, all standing side by side pointing their cameras at what appeared to be the same scene, and yet, when I took a moment to peer through their view finders I found a very different image in each one. What had happened is that each of them saw the same basic scene, but each one was drawn in by something uniquely attractive to them personally.
I went a step further to learn why by asking them each what made their individual compositions so attractive to them. It was as if I were listening to each one described the love of their life. That was very compelling to say the least. What it really comes down to, is that you must make a photograph with your heart first, then your eyes, then the rules that follow.
What this creates is the opportunity for drama or impact within the photograph. What that is, is entirely up to you alone. This harkens back to a statement made by the first “Cheat†writer, Ansel Adams when he pointed out that there are always two people in a photograph, the subject, and the photographer. You must put yourself into your photographs.
Someone else once told me that I should be creating photographs that I feel are good enough for me, not what I think someone else would think are great. This is the key to communicating through your art, and in fact where it becomes art and not a mechanical reproduction of a person, place or thing.
Maturity Prevents Premature Exposure
What the heck does that mean? Basically it means, that before you squeeze off a shot on a scene that you have emotionally connected with and are ready to do the deed, you need to make sure that the scene is mature enough to be taken. You need to sit back and ask yourself if anyone else will see what you see in the shot. Are you going to fill the frame with color, patterns, textures, shapes and light only to have someone else ask, “Uh, ok What is it?â€
You want to hear the “Ohh’s†and “Ahh’s†or “Wow’s†when people look at your images, and to be totally honest, you want to put that image away and come back to it a week later and be totally swept off your feet again. How do we do this? The first step is to understand the basic rules of composition and use them to mature your composition into something that most anyone can understand.
The Rule of Thirds – If you don’t already have a grid on your view screen imagine a tic-tac-toe grid and place the subject of your scene anywhere except the center box to give your subject an environment to work in. If you have an element in the scene that acts as a line, try never to run it 90 degrees vertical, rather run it diagonally through the scene to add interest and possibly a leading line element to the main subject.
Leading Lines – Leading lines are exactly what they sound like, they are lines that lead you to a point of interest in the over all image. There are two powerful types, Diagonal and S-curve. The S- Curve not only leads you to a subject, but also a more scenic route through the scene so you can stop and see other little things on the way in.
No upstaging allowed – This is often where many less experienced photographers go astray. It is possible to have other subjects compete for attention in your photograph. You want the point of the most impact to demand all of the attention of the viewer, however there are times you need a supporting element that points attention to the subject. Just look for the scene-stealers and get rid of them if possible.
If you keep these three points in mind, you will have gained 75% more control of your images, but the 25% left is just as important. You need to understand lighting, perspective and color too. There are countless articles you can find on these subjects alone and all worth your time to research in more depth.
I always try to make all of my landscape photos as unconventional as I can. Where I live in Colorado, you can’t sneeze without hitting another nature photographer and with that much competition for attention in the market place, I need to make my work stand out from the crowd. I think about how a plain snapshot of the scene would look, and then I try to make my shot it as wildly different from that as possible!
To achieve this I use every one of the rules mentioned above in a variety of combinations, but the one that always pays off, is my connection to the scene I am photographing.
Comedy Action or Drama
So when we think about creative landscape photography, we want to think impact! Try different angles to uncover obscure relationships between your characters, and shoot at different times of day to explore uncommon themes. The hours on the borders of dawn and dusk are most productive! Think about the graphical elements in your photograph. Look for unusual patterns, colors, textures, lines, contrasts, and shapes.
Just like any powerful novel or entertaining movie, our creative juices in a photograph become a dramatic visual story and requires three basic elements. Our landscape photo needs a cast of characters, a central theme, and strong relationships between the characters. This interaction is what we usually call Drama! What we really want in a creative landscape photo is "Dramatic." The central theme leads to the main relationship. And once I know the relationship, I have identified the characters! Sound familiar? I try to keep all my attention on just one character – one subject.
Here’s a handy survey I found used not only by myself, but many successful photographers to help prepare a composition. It will also help you slow down and take the time to carefully build the scene!
• What do I like about this scene?
• How can I best express this graphically in the photo?
• How can I isolate the main theme and characters?
• What equipment will I use?
• Are there any complications
o extreme lighting,
o fast moving elements,
o awkward angles,
o rain,
o wind etc.
How will these things affect the landscape photograph? How will I minimize them, or how can I use the complications to make more creative landscape photography?
To help you take a really dramatic photograph, you need to ask yourself, "Self? What's the ONE thing here that really moves me and why?" Then you need to ask one more very important question that will make the difference between shooting just what’s in front of you, or creating a uniquely dramatic photograph; “What If?â€
It is the “what if†factor that makes the difference between a point and shoot moment and a truly creative venture. Try it for yourself, the next time you’re taking landscape photographs.
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple & Sexy!
It is very essential to remember the three essentials of a well composed story; characters, themes and relationships! In a maturely composed photograph, the subjects are your characters, the theme is the emotion you are feeling about the scene and what you want to capture, and the relationships add the drama.
To command attention, I try to simplify the number of "things" in my photo so the three essentials remain strong.
A good example is a Three Ring Circus. There are a lot of things going on at all times and it is very hard to focus on all of it so you make yourself focus on just one thing, yet you still end up getting distracted. So you listen to the Ring Master to cue you to what is the most important thing you need to watch. In many cases, the circus uses spot lights to isolate the real thrills!
The same thing often happens when we compose our photos. If there are too many items in the composition, we can strain our emotional message – and dilute the significance of the story our landscape photographs are telling. This is where you become the Ring Master and Spotlight Operator to point out the main subject and keep it simple and sexy!
Working your Subject
Most of the time, I find if I am truly taking my time on a shot, I’ll be trying out different views of my subject, and different orientations with respect to other elements that I may want in my landscape photograph. I am "working all the angles - working my subject!"
Slowing down will lets me explore my subject from all possible vantage points. Down low, up close, adding different foreground elements, standing on something for a new perspective, investigating all possibilities for capturing something unique and dramatic!
Light can reflect in many different ways, depending on where YOU are to see it. So I try to keep moving, recomposing, using the one eye method – I probably look like a complete weirdo to people who may see me doing my thing, but, hey, artists are supposed to be "eccentric!"
If you have traveled to an exotic place and are photographing the dramatic landscapes there, you owe it to yourself to make your time there really count. Investigate the scenery as thoroughly as you can! You may never have the opportunity to shoot creative landscape photography of this place again, so maximize every moment.
The Difference between a snap shot & photograph is a Tripod!
OK, so this hot tip IS about equipment! And it’s not really one of those "Hey! I never thought of THAT!" sort of tips either, but you've been working too hard trying all these techniques to be disappointed with your efforts.
I feel I have to include it to help give you the best chance to make sure the other secrets will work, so you'll be consistently shooting better creative landscape photography.
If you got up extra early to get the perfect light, spent a fair bit of time thinking about how to capture the shot, how to compose it, defining the relationships – I'd feel terrible if you wasted the moment by taking a chance using only your "steady" hand. And if it was really early that you woke up, you probably had enough coffee to make the earth shake! Tripod, please!
Use a GOOD tripod. Of all the photography in the world, landscapes lend themselves pretty well to careful composition and the sensible use of a tripod, because you can more-or-less plan your shot.
My favorite is an old, beat up Manfotto. I've had it for at least a thousand years! :-) But it’s lightweight, and sturdy. I also have a tiny pocket-sized one that I carry with me everywhere – to perfectly capture those unexpected opportunities! (My digital point-and-shoot camera is with me all the time too).
Whether you only have a car roof, a table, or a steady boulder, for support, you can use this tiny wonder to guarantee sharp, clear and awesome creative landscape photography.
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
Well, congratulations! You've made it to the end of the list (almost!). And as your reward for being so patient, I have saved the best for last.
I hope photographers aren't like magicians - bound by a code to keep trade secrets! Because if we are, I'm going to be in trouble - because I'm sharing some of the real insider secrets of creative landscape and nature photography here with you. Here we go!
OK, I guess some of these are almost technical tips. But, we all know Mother Nature sometimes doesn’t behave the way we’d like. And it creates more opportunity to use our imaginations and get really creative!
Imagination means we’re creative and we like to find novel ways to solve problems, so when Nature doesn’t cooperate with my plans, I try to be resourceful. As in any dramatic production, I've found the use of props can drastically improve the show! Here are a few examples of my "tricks" that help me make landscape photography that is much more than a snapshot: They'll work for you too, guaranteed!
• If I ever need a little ambiance, or a little more "atmosphere", I breathe on the lens and get it foggy. As the fog evaporates, I take the shot! Photos coming soon!
• I Keep a spare UV filer and a travel-sized container of Vaseline in my gadget bag. A little Vaseline smeared on the filter diffuses light in weird and wonderful ways!
• For spectacular star bursts from point lights sources, or to give a shot a "soft focus" effect, I stretch a piece of pantyhose over my lens. It sounds strange, I know, but try it and you’ll be surprised by the cool effect!
• In situations where there is a lot of contrast from sunlight streaming into a dark space, the shade of a canyon, for example, and you are shooting from the darkness, throw a little dirt in the air to create those wonderful "sunbeams."
• Some people may think this is cheating a little, but some photographers use special effects filters on a regular basis to create extraordinary results, so I don’t really think this is much different. I bring a small spray bottle full of water on my early morning shoots. If there was no dew overnight, I can instantly create my own, by gently spraying a fine mist of water on or around my subject.
If I am shooting big landscapes, a thin glistening of water on my main foreground subject can really bring out the colors in the foreground.
© James H Egbert, 2006
Just the other day, I was having a philosophical and ethics based conversation with one of my Son’s over using Cheat Codes to play Computer and Video games. Like a finely primed lawyer I presented what I thought was a close and shut case. I narrowly made it to the end of my soap box top production and plea to the jury when he calmly pointed out, “You know, every one of your articles on photography is just the same thing. You’re giving away free information about something that new photographers should either pay for or at least learn how to do on their own.†Talk about being humbled.
So now that my home “law practice†has closed on its very first case, I thought to myself, “Self? You know he’s right! Why not just write it all out and give away the cheats and call it what it is?†I’ve covered many topics already in my list of photographic articles, why not do the cheats on Nature Photography Composition? These are just a few of the little tricks used by some of the top professional and advanced amateur photographers in the field.
Be Selfish
Remember your first date with the one that caught your heart? Well composing a well thought out scene to photograph is much the same. Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder and that is what you are hoping to be beholding in the final print. What it comes down to is understanding that you need to be totally attracted into the scene, it must move you emotionally before you can even hope to show it to someone else and hope for the same reaction.
I’ve worked with 4 photographers, all standing side by side pointing their cameras at what appeared to be the same scene, and yet, when I took a moment to peer through their view finders I found a very different image in each one. What had happened is that each of them saw the same basic scene, but each one was drawn in by something uniquely attractive to them personally.
I went a step further to learn why by asking them each what made their individual compositions so attractive to them. It was as if I were listening to each one described the love of their life. That was very compelling to say the least. What it really comes down to, is that you must make a photograph with your heart first, then your eyes, then the rules that follow.
What this creates is the opportunity for drama or impact within the photograph. What that is, is entirely up to you alone. This harkens back to a statement made by the first “Cheat†writer, Ansel Adams when he pointed out that there are always two people in a photograph, the subject, and the photographer. You must put yourself into your photographs.
Someone else once told me that I should be creating photographs that I feel are good enough for me, not what I think someone else would think are great. This is the key to communicating through your art, and in fact where it becomes art and not a mechanical reproduction of a person, place or thing.
Maturity Prevents Premature Exposure
What the heck does that mean? Basically it means, that before you squeeze off a shot on a scene that you have emotionally connected with and are ready to do the deed, you need to make sure that the scene is mature enough to be taken. You need to sit back and ask yourself if anyone else will see what you see in the shot. Are you going to fill the frame with color, patterns, textures, shapes and light only to have someone else ask, “Uh, ok What is it?â€
You want to hear the “Ohh’s†and “Ahh’s†or “Wow’s†when people look at your images, and to be totally honest, you want to put that image away and come back to it a week later and be totally swept off your feet again. How do we do this? The first step is to understand the basic rules of composition and use them to mature your composition into something that most anyone can understand.
The Rule of Thirds – If you don’t already have a grid on your view screen imagine a tic-tac-toe grid and place the subject of your scene anywhere except the center box to give your subject an environment to work in. If you have an element in the scene that acts as a line, try never to run it 90 degrees vertical, rather run it diagonally through the scene to add interest and possibly a leading line element to the main subject.
Leading Lines – Leading lines are exactly what they sound like, they are lines that lead you to a point of interest in the over all image. There are two powerful types, Diagonal and S-curve. The S- Curve not only leads you to a subject, but also a more scenic route through the scene so you can stop and see other little things on the way in.
No upstaging allowed – This is often where many less experienced photographers go astray. It is possible to have other subjects compete for attention in your photograph. You want the point of the most impact to demand all of the attention of the viewer, however there are times you need a supporting element that points attention to the subject. Just look for the scene-stealers and get rid of them if possible.
If you keep these three points in mind, you will have gained 75% more control of your images, but the 25% left is just as important. You need to understand lighting, perspective and color too. There are countless articles you can find on these subjects alone and all worth your time to research in more depth.
I always try to make all of my landscape photos as unconventional as I can. Where I live in Colorado, you can’t sneeze without hitting another nature photographer and with that much competition for attention in the market place, I need to make my work stand out from the crowd. I think about how a plain snapshot of the scene would look, and then I try to make my shot it as wildly different from that as possible!
To achieve this I use every one of the rules mentioned above in a variety of combinations, but the one that always pays off, is my connection to the scene I am photographing.
Comedy Action or Drama
So when we think about creative landscape photography, we want to think impact! Try different angles to uncover obscure relationships between your characters, and shoot at different times of day to explore uncommon themes. The hours on the borders of dawn and dusk are most productive! Think about the graphical elements in your photograph. Look for unusual patterns, colors, textures, lines, contrasts, and shapes.
Just like any powerful novel or entertaining movie, our creative juices in a photograph become a dramatic visual story and requires three basic elements. Our landscape photo needs a cast of characters, a central theme, and strong relationships between the characters. This interaction is what we usually call Drama! What we really want in a creative landscape photo is "Dramatic." The central theme leads to the main relationship. And once I know the relationship, I have identified the characters! Sound familiar? I try to keep all my attention on just one character – one subject.
Here’s a handy survey I found used not only by myself, but many successful photographers to help prepare a composition. It will also help you slow down and take the time to carefully build the scene!
• What do I like about this scene?
• How can I best express this graphically in the photo?
• How can I isolate the main theme and characters?
• What equipment will I use?
• Are there any complications
o extreme lighting,
o fast moving elements,
o awkward angles,
o rain,
o wind etc.
How will these things affect the landscape photograph? How will I minimize them, or how can I use the complications to make more creative landscape photography?
To help you take a really dramatic photograph, you need to ask yourself, "Self? What's the ONE thing here that really moves me and why?" Then you need to ask one more very important question that will make the difference between shooting just what’s in front of you, or creating a uniquely dramatic photograph; “What If?â€
It is the “what if†factor that makes the difference between a point and shoot moment and a truly creative venture. Try it for yourself, the next time you’re taking landscape photographs.
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple & Sexy!
It is very essential to remember the three essentials of a well composed story; characters, themes and relationships! In a maturely composed photograph, the subjects are your characters, the theme is the emotion you are feeling about the scene and what you want to capture, and the relationships add the drama.
To command attention, I try to simplify the number of "things" in my photo so the three essentials remain strong.
A good example is a Three Ring Circus. There are a lot of things going on at all times and it is very hard to focus on all of it so you make yourself focus on just one thing, yet you still end up getting distracted. So you listen to the Ring Master to cue you to what is the most important thing you need to watch. In many cases, the circus uses spot lights to isolate the real thrills!
The same thing often happens when we compose our photos. If there are too many items in the composition, we can strain our emotional message – and dilute the significance of the story our landscape photographs are telling. This is where you become the Ring Master and Spotlight Operator to point out the main subject and keep it simple and sexy!
Working your Subject
Most of the time, I find if I am truly taking my time on a shot, I’ll be trying out different views of my subject, and different orientations with respect to other elements that I may want in my landscape photograph. I am "working all the angles - working my subject!"
Slowing down will lets me explore my subject from all possible vantage points. Down low, up close, adding different foreground elements, standing on something for a new perspective, investigating all possibilities for capturing something unique and dramatic!
Light can reflect in many different ways, depending on where YOU are to see it. So I try to keep moving, recomposing, using the one eye method – I probably look like a complete weirdo to people who may see me doing my thing, but, hey, artists are supposed to be "eccentric!"
If you have traveled to an exotic place and are photographing the dramatic landscapes there, you owe it to yourself to make your time there really count. Investigate the scenery as thoroughly as you can! You may never have the opportunity to shoot creative landscape photography of this place again, so maximize every moment.
The Difference between a snap shot & photograph is a Tripod!
OK, so this hot tip IS about equipment! And it’s not really one of those "Hey! I never thought of THAT!" sort of tips either, but you've been working too hard trying all these techniques to be disappointed with your efforts.
I feel I have to include it to help give you the best chance to make sure the other secrets will work, so you'll be consistently shooting better creative landscape photography.
If you got up extra early to get the perfect light, spent a fair bit of time thinking about how to capture the shot, how to compose it, defining the relationships – I'd feel terrible if you wasted the moment by taking a chance using only your "steady" hand. And if it was really early that you woke up, you probably had enough coffee to make the earth shake! Tripod, please!
Use a GOOD tripod. Of all the photography in the world, landscapes lend themselves pretty well to careful composition and the sensible use of a tripod, because you can more-or-less plan your shot.
My favorite is an old, beat up Manfotto. I've had it for at least a thousand years! :-) But it’s lightweight, and sturdy. I also have a tiny pocket-sized one that I carry with me everywhere – to perfectly capture those unexpected opportunities! (My digital point-and-shoot camera is with me all the time too).
Whether you only have a car roof, a table, or a steady boulder, for support, you can use this tiny wonder to guarantee sharp, clear and awesome creative landscape photography.
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
Well, congratulations! You've made it to the end of the list (almost!). And as your reward for being so patient, I have saved the best for last.
I hope photographers aren't like magicians - bound by a code to keep trade secrets! Because if we are, I'm going to be in trouble - because I'm sharing some of the real insider secrets of creative landscape and nature photography here with you. Here we go!
OK, I guess some of these are almost technical tips. But, we all know Mother Nature sometimes doesn’t behave the way we’d like. And it creates more opportunity to use our imaginations and get really creative!
Imagination means we’re creative and we like to find novel ways to solve problems, so when Nature doesn’t cooperate with my plans, I try to be resourceful. As in any dramatic production, I've found the use of props can drastically improve the show! Here are a few examples of my "tricks" that help me make landscape photography that is much more than a snapshot: They'll work for you too, guaranteed!
• If I ever need a little ambiance, or a little more "atmosphere", I breathe on the lens and get it foggy. As the fog evaporates, I take the shot! Photos coming soon!
• I Keep a spare UV filer and a travel-sized container of Vaseline in my gadget bag. A little Vaseline smeared on the filter diffuses light in weird and wonderful ways!
• For spectacular star bursts from point lights sources, or to give a shot a "soft focus" effect, I stretch a piece of pantyhose over my lens. It sounds strange, I know, but try it and you’ll be surprised by the cool effect!
• In situations where there is a lot of contrast from sunlight streaming into a dark space, the shade of a canyon, for example, and you are shooting from the darkness, throw a little dirt in the air to create those wonderful "sunbeams."
• Some people may think this is cheating a little, but some photographers use special effects filters on a regular basis to create extraordinary results, so I don’t really think this is much different. I bring a small spray bottle full of water on my early morning shoots. If there was no dew overnight, I can instantly create my own, by gently spraying a fine mist of water on or around my subject.
If I am shooting big landscapes, a thin glistening of water on my main foreground subject can really bring out the colors in the foreground.
mfh1399
March 16, 2014
These "cheat codes" of photography are so helpful. Thank you very much for taking the time to share them!
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