Six-Pack of Composition Tips

Composition can be a tricky thing. A well-composed image attracts the eye and keeps the viewer engaged. But how do you get there? There are a few simple tips that can help make or break an image.

Here is my six-pack of tips to help improve your landscape images:

1. For a landscape image such as this one, creating a feeling of depth is important. This image was taken in Iceland on a promontory overlooking a huge, wild beach. To provide a feeling of depth, I included the distant rocks in the mist, along the horizon near the long cliffs in the background. They are faint, but they are visible and that allows the eye to travel all around the scene.

2. Another important tip is to have a center of interest. In this case it is the large rock in the foreground. Make sure the center of interest is sharp, stands out from the rest of the image, and has enough interest (shape, size, color, or line) to grab the viewer's attention.

3. Shapes are also important in a successful image. This was a very blustery day, and the shapes of the waves rolling onto the shore were constantly changing. I waited until several of them were in a similar U-shaped form before clicking the shutter. The soft rounded shapes of the waves on shore are a counterpoint to the hard, jagged rock that is the center of interest.

4. Contrast in any image adds punch and appeal. Whether black and white or color, contrast helps give the image life. In a black and white image, ideally there will be good whites with detail, strong blacks with detail, and a range of middle gray tones. Even though this was a very overcast and rainy day, there was enough contrast between the white foam in the water and the black rock and black beach to provide just enough punch for eye appeal.

5. Even the best images need a bit of optimization. I use Lightroom most often. It can help add that extra little oomph that most images need. For nature and wildlife images, you want the modifications to be subtle and in keeping with the look of the original scene. Don't overdo the contrast by either making the light tones too light, or the dark tones too dark. For artsy images you can certainly go a little crazy with over-saturating colors or boosting contrast, but for nature and wildlife, let subtlety be your guide. For color images, keep the colors natural. For black and white, maintain the contrast within a range that is in keeping with the existing lighting conditions.

6. And finally, take lots if images of each scene and each subject. Give yourself plenty of options regarding overall composition, camera height, and your position relative to all the elements in a scene.

So get out there and go for the gusto!

TECH SPECS
1/320 sec. at f/9, ISO 800. Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens set at 27mm on Canon 7D Mark II. Handheld.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The more you get set into your own world, the smaller your world becomes."  --  J.R. Rim