FRED KEIJZER

iPhone 7

TOAST SAYS: Fred is from the Netherlands – he took this photo on the edge of the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. Some landscape photographers don’t like to include a human figure in their shots, but I think it works well here. This is more than a landscape photo – it’s a travel photo, and a good travel photo makes the viewer feel as if they’re present and part of the action. By photographing the person on the edge of the precipice, Fred makes you feel as if you’re also peering down into the depths. The presence of a person also brings some soul to the scene. You feel small next to such a natural wonder. Looking at this picture makes me ponder the world and my place in it. The photo is a success because Fred got the basics right. He adhered to the rule of thirds and situated his subject about one third from the left of the frame. His model is also standing proud of the horizon, which makes for a strong silhouette. The photo might have been improved had Fred taken the rule of thirds a step further and angled his camera down slightly to give the dusty landscape two thirds of the frame. (At the moment, sky and landscape each fill half the frame.) It’s always worth taking a few different shots of the same scene using different compositions, then choosing the best one afterwards.