Hi everyone. So today I wanted to share a bit of knowledge that can really help in landscape photography situations. It may seem really obvious to some of you, but for me it was a real 'light bulb' moment that allowed me to significantly improve my landscape photography.
What I am talking about here is using foreground elements to add depth to your picture and provided a visual stepping stone into the scene. Initially when I started taking pictures they always felt a little flat and lacking, they didn't really draw me in like some of the other pictures I was admiring out there on the web.
Thankfully there are plenty of handy videos on YouTube which I was able to start learning off - eventually they directed me to an online learning center, little place called KelbyOne, but I digress.
The point is I really started to appreciate how useful foreground interest can be in anchoring an image. In some cases it can almost become the subject of the photo but it also helps to provide the viewer with a sense of scale and depth. Take the example below, The rocks in the foreground are a size we can all relate to, roughly the size of a football or a bit smaller. Our brain immediately knows that and as a consequence when our eye moves on to Lion rock in the back ground we immediately know it is a decent sized chunk of earth.
The rocks also act as a handy pathway into the image. They almost form a 'v' that points towards Lion Rock and that also draws your eye towards the main even in the picture.
In landscape situations it is also most likely that if you are going to include some form of foreground interest in your composition you will need to get low down. Now this won't be in every case but in most of the pictures I have taken it has required me to get low and that can really help your end result as it will give the picture a different angel of view, one we are not used to seeing when we stand there and view the scene as we normally would.
I guess what I am trying to get across is that looking for these elements or trying to include them in your pictures can really help transform a snap shot into something a bit more. This last example below helps illustrate it as well.
This is Karekare falls out on the west coast of Auckland. It would be really simple to walk up to the waterfall, point the camera at it and fire off a couple of shots and then leave and I saw a few people do exactly that. Now don't get me wrong some people will be more than happy with those photos and I don't begrudge them that for one moment; but by taking a little bit of time you can get something so much more.
I noticed these rocks at the edge of the pool and figured I would see what they looked like if i included them in the foreground. By setting up the tripod low down to the ground I was able to use the rocks like stepping stones to the waterfall in the background. This waterfall is pretty tall but for me there was no need in this picture to try and get the entire span of it (with my kit lens I couldn't in any case but that is a matter for another day). The water fall is still well represented and the picture has taken a new dimension by including the rocks. I got a few odd looks while I was hunched over my tripod in ungainly fashion but those looks sure were worth it for the final result!
So the next time you are out there and you want to try and get a picture that is a bit different to what everyone else is getting try looking for some foreground interest or getting a bit lower down than where we normally view a scene from, you might be surprised about the effect it has on your images.
What I am talking about here is using foreground elements to add depth to your picture and provided a visual stepping stone into the scene. Initially when I started taking pictures they always felt a little flat and lacking, they didn't really draw me in like some of the other pictures I was admiring out there on the web.
Thankfully there are plenty of handy videos on YouTube which I was able to start learning off - eventually they directed me to an online learning center, little place called KelbyOne, but I digress.
 |
| Click for larger view |
The point is I really started to appreciate how useful foreground interest can be in anchoring an image. In some cases it can almost become the subject of the photo but it also helps to provide the viewer with a sense of scale and depth. Take the example below, The rocks in the foreground are a size we can all relate to, roughly the size of a football or a bit smaller. Our brain immediately knows that and as a consequence when our eye moves on to Lion rock in the back ground we immediately know it is a decent sized chunk of earth.
The rocks also act as a handy pathway into the image. They almost form a 'v' that points towards Lion Rock and that also draws your eye towards the main even in the picture.
 |
| Click for larger view |
In landscape situations it is also most likely that if you are going to include some form of foreground interest in your composition you will need to get low down. Now this won't be in every case but in most of the pictures I have taken it has required me to get low and that can really help your end result as it will give the picture a different angel of view, one we are not used to seeing when we stand there and view the scene as we normally would.
 |
| Click for larger view |
This is Karekare falls out on the west coast of Auckland. It would be really simple to walk up to the waterfall, point the camera at it and fire off a couple of shots and then leave and I saw a few people do exactly that. Now don't get me wrong some people will be more than happy with those photos and I don't begrudge them that for one moment; but by taking a little bit of time you can get something so much more.
I noticed these rocks at the edge of the pool and figured I would see what they looked like if i included them in the foreground. By setting up the tripod low down to the ground I was able to use the rocks like stepping stones to the waterfall in the background. This waterfall is pretty tall but for me there was no need in this picture to try and get the entire span of it (with my kit lens I couldn't in any case but that is a matter for another day). The water fall is still well represented and the picture has taken a new dimension by including the rocks. I got a few odd looks while I was hunched over my tripod in ungainly fashion but those looks sure were worth it for the final result!
 |
| Click for larger view |
So the next time you are out there and you want to try and get a picture that is a bit different to what everyone else is getting try looking for some foreground interest or getting a bit lower down than where we normally view a scene from, you might be surprised about the effect it has on your images.
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