Frame a landscape
James Maloney uses simple compositional techniques to capture top-notch landscapes on his daily walks
Utilize compositional techniques
We’ve become used to all manner of limitations over the past year. Faraway trips have been few and far between, and for many of us a daily walk has provided the only opportunity to head out with the camera and capture a few landscapes.
If you’re lucky enough to live in a national park you’re probably surrounded with stunning scenery, but for the rest of us there’s no need to get disheartened. Every trip into the countryside is ripe with opportunity, you just have to look beyond your camera settings, identify promising scenes and look for the compositional cues mentioned here. Being a landscape photographer, I find myself more in tune with the elements and landscapes around me. I am always keeping an eye on what the weather is doing, where the sun is and how the light is changing, while also looking out for elements I can use to create stronger compositions.
Going out for a walk and exploring new locations or finding a new perspective on something familiar is the best way to train ourselves and better our landscape photography skills. During these difficult and unpredictable times we’re living through, more and more people are getting out for daily exercise and taking photographs.
This is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors and improve your craft. Just remember, you don’t have to travel far from home to capture great landscape photos. See more of James’s work at www.jamesmaloneyphotography.com or follow him on Instagram: @jamesmaloneyphotography
Leading lines
Leading lines help to make a strong image: they draw the viewer’s attention into the frame or towards the subject and create depth. You can find leading lines in all environments, whether it’s a road, a river, a rock formation or a treeline. When you find a leading line, it’s your job to create and capture the best scene around it.
Find a frame
Using elements within a scene to frame your subject can obscure areas that fail to add much interest. Framing helps to focus more attention on the main subject. Branches, flowers, tunnels and doorways all make good natural frames. You can always shoot a little wider so you can refine the composition later by cropping it in post.
Practice patience
Waiting for the perfect moment can make all the difference. I waited for the swans to move into the centre of the frame and for the light to shine through the clouds before I fired the shutter. If you’re shooting handheld keep your camera level and steady, and ready your settings so you can capture the image at a moment’s notice.
Minimalism
The saying ‘a little goes a long way’ can help improve an image. Some photos have so much going on that the subject becomes lost. Minimal images use simple compositions to isolate subjects, which grabs the viewer’s attention.
This lone tree is a good example. It attracts the viewer’s gaze and then encourages the eye to drift downhill towards the areas of negative space.
Composition
You can combine compositional techniques to enhance your photos. Be mindful of all the elements around you. In this landscape I used the rails and walkway as my leading lines, which draws the eye to the reservoir and moors. I had to be patient and wait for the light to creep through the cloudy sky and highlight the landscape. All of these elements together helped to significantly improve the image.