Seek out different types of foreground

Once you’ve established your background view, these are the three main foreground elements to search for to lock your shot together

1 Anchors

Solid, distinctive objects with plenty of detail make great, classic foregrounds. Look at the ground around you for shapes and structures that complement your background view. Rugged boulders, colourful wildflowers and gnarly tree stumps are all good contenders. A quick search to the left and right may reveal several different foregrounds that can set up your shot.

2 Textures

Although foreground textures are subtler than the more imposing anchors, they can be just as rewarding. These areas of contrasting patterns attract the viewer’s eye and add interest. Textures always exist in the natural world, so if you can’t find a satisfying foreground shape, get your wide‑angle lens really low and use the texture of whatever you’re standing on!

3 Leading lines

Are there natural lines ‘pointing’ towards your background view? From tracks and streams to fence posts and furrows, leading lines carry your viewer’s eye to the main event further into the frame. Position your lens to bring them out of the bottom corners. Make sure they don’t take the eye out of the frame, but lead to the key point of interest in your background view.