SHOTS SHOULD ALWAYS FEATURE STRONG SKY DETAIL

If that dull, flat sky is spoiling your shot, then instead of worrying about it, embrace it within your composition

Landscape photographers go to great lengths to retain detail in skies. After all, the last thing we want is our wonderful scenic image to be ruined by a great glaring area of nothing at the top of the photo.

You can’t argue with this logic either, which is why we resort to all sorts of techniques and tricks to balance exposure, such as HDR photography and using graduated filters. This helps us to avoid overexposure and retain every little bit of detail that might be available in the scene. However, there will be times when embracing the lack of sky detail, and thinking carefully about how you compose your shot, can result in an image that is different from the norm yet still has bags of impact.

When you lose all the sky detail, you need to consider the impact the area of white space is going to have on the overall balance of your photo. A strong foreground, with equally powerful shapes breaking into the sky area, can help to create this balance, as shown here. Conversely, you can also allow a large area of white sky to give a sense of space and tranquillity when set against the other elements within the frame, to create a starker and more minimalist look. While white skies will rarely be your first choice, they are something you can work with by considering the space they offer within the framework of the composition.

It’s often the case that enthusiast photographers can’t pick the moment when conditions offer the best opportunities for classic scenics. But by thinking differently, you can still get successful results just by considering the shapes and space within the composition.