Composition and Landscape

1. Composition and
Landscape
AS
PHOTOGRAPHY
SPACES

2. Composition = arrangement of the elements of an
image to make them aesthetically pleasing.
Because what one person finds pleasing,
someone else will not, composition is largely a
matter of personal taste. However, there are
certain tricks which can be used to make a good
composition. Photographers rarely use all of the
tricks in the making of a single image. When
looking at photographs, try to be aware of where
your eye travels around the image to improve
your understanding of composition.

3. Before photographing
the landscape, take
time to think about
where you will shoot it
from. Viewpoint has a
massive impact on the
composition of your
photo, and as a result
it can greatly affect the
message that the shot
conveys. Rather than
just shooting from eye
level, consider
photographing from
high above, down at
ground level, from the
side, from the back,
from a long way away,
from very close up,
and so on.
Guy Bourdin
Viewpoint

4. Create Depth through Layers
Because photography is a two-dimensional medium,
we have to choose our composition carefully to convey
the sense of depth that was present in the actual
scene. You can create depth in a photo by including
objects in the foreground, middle ground and
background. Another useful composition technique is
overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure
one object with another. The human eye naturally
recognises these layers and mentally separates them
out, creating an image with more depth.

5. Robert Capa

6. Leading Lines
When we look at a photo our
eye is naturally drawn along
lines. By thinking about how you
place lines in your composition,
you can affect the way we view
the image, pulling us into the
picture, towards the subject, or
on a journey 'through' the
scene. There are many different
types of line - Diagonal,
Horizontal, Vertical and
Converging lines all impact
images differently and should
be spotted while framing a shot
and then utilised to strengthen
it.Henri Cartier Bresson

7. Leading lines
Andre Kertesz

8. The "S" Curve
Much like it
sounds, a running
creek, a winding
path, the curve of
girls hips,
anything that
makes an "S"
shape through
your picture will
add interest and
action to the
picture. Man
Ray

9. Ansel
Adams

10. Framing
The world is full of
objects which make
perfect natural
frames, such as
trees, archways and
holes. By placing
these around the
edge of the
composition you help
to isolate the main
subject from the
outside world. The
result is a more
focused image which
draws your eye
naturally to the main
point of interest.
Bressai

11. Gregory Crewson

12. Diagonal Lines
Diagonal lines
Setting your subject
matter on a diagonal will
almost always make for
a more dynamic picture.
Even if this is an
invisible diagonal that
draws your eye between
two points. Move around
the subject and look for
a diagonal.
Weegee

13. There are patterns
all around us if we
only learn to see
them. Emphasizing
and highlighting
these patterns can
lead to striking
shots – as can high
lighting when
patterns are broken.
Imogen
Cunningham
Pattern

14. Patterns & Grid Lines
David Rayson

15. Colour
William Eggleston is well-
known for adding shades of
red to his works

16. Texture
Texture particularly comes into play when light
hits objects at interesting angles

17. Depending upon the scene – symmetry can
be something to go for – or to avoid
completely. A symmetrical shot with strong
composition and a good point of interest can
lead to a striking image. Another thing to try
is to break the symmetry or pattern in some
way, introducing tension and a focal point to
the scene.
Symmetry

18. Edward Steiglitz

19. Henri Cartier Bresson

20. Rule of Thirds
Imagine that your
image is divided into
nine equal segments
by two vertical and
two horizontal lines
intersection. The most
important elements
are placed on or
around the lines and
points of intersection.

21. Rule of Thirds
Another guide in composing is the "rule of
thirds". Simply put, look for naturally occurring
divisions of thirds in a scene. Try to avoid
splitting your painting top to bottom, or side to
side in half. It is more interesting to have a low
or high horizon for instance, with one third at
the top, two thirds at the bottom (or visa-versa)
than splitting an image right down the middle.

22. Rule of Thirds
Cartier-
Bresson

23. Robert Doisneau

24. The Golden Mean
Since the Renaissance, many
artists have proportioned their
works to approximate the golden
ratio- especially in the form of the
golden rectangle, in which the
ratio of the longer side to the
shorter one is the golden ratio
- believing this proportion to be
aesthetically pleasing.
Cartier-Bresson

27. Robert Frank

28. Rule of Thirds and The Golden Ration

29. Anselm Adams
emphasized the
use of small
apertures and
long exposures
in natural light,
which created
sharp details
with a wide
range of focus

30. Henri Cartier-Bresson