It can happen to everybody. You see a beautiful landscape and you want to capture the moment – but your picture does not live up to the beauty of what you saw.
Here are a few simple tips you can adopt to take better landscape photos, regardless of whether you have a smartphone or a digital camera.
With landscape photography there are a few ‘rules’ that you can obey. Even though you can break the classic rules in portrait or street photography, with landscape photography it really makes sense.
THE “RULE OF THIRDS” HELPS YOU TAKE BETTER LANDSCAPE PHOTOS
The first rule is called ‘Rule of Thirds’ and it is about what your photo is made up of.
Imagine breaking your photo down horizontally and vertically in thirds. Imagine this grid of nine parts and align the important subjects of your image along these grid lines such as the horizon or a house or people. Our image becomes more balanced.
The ‘Rule of Thirds’ does not only work with landscape, it works with any other topic as well.
However – if you don’t follow the ‘Rule of Thirds’ it doesn’t mean that your photo is not interesting or not in balance. You can see in this example of horses in Iceland the grid of the ‘Rule of Thirds’. I composed the horses in the bottom parts and the snow on the mountain in the upper parts.
Copyright: Christina Czybik
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
If you photograph landscapes, you can take different approaches. You can take a photo and cut out the sky entirely. Or you can focus on the sky if you have dramatic clouds or a colourful sunset. You can also place people or structures into your frame.
Another great tip for landscape photography is that you look out for lines that are leading the viewer into your picture. Carefully choose what you want to show in the foreground. This is also a great way to lead the viewer into the picture and to create a sense of depth in your picture. And last but not least: remember that the higher the sun is in the sky, the harsher is the contrast between light and shadow. Try to take a picture during the ‘Golden Hour’ before sunset and sunrise.
This is a photo of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. I wanted to show the vast size of the area. I chose to cut out the sky and all other elements of a foreground to have the focus only on the beautiful mountains.
Copyright: Christina Czybik
This beautiful sunset in Viti Levu, Fiji shows the dramatic clouds and colorful sky with reflections in the water. I chose the silhouette as my point of interest.
Sunset on Veti Levu, Fiji on June 19, 2014
Copyright: Christina Czybik
This is a little graveyard in Iceland. I composed the lamp and the house along (and inside) the imagined lines of the ‘Rule of Thirds’ grid. I also focused on the lines that lead your eyes into the picture.
Copyright: Christina Czybik
This is a sunset shot from the island of Sylt in Germany. There were no dramatic cloud formations in the sky so I focused on the beautiful warm light and reflections the sun threw on the water and sand. I also composed the horizon along the upper grid of the ‘Rule of Thirds’.
Copyright: Christina Czybik
This image of a house in Calico Ghost Town in California is a really great example of lines leading the eyes of the viewer into the picture and to your point of interest.
Copyright: Christina Czybik
You see that the rule of thirds can be very helpful in creating your photography. Now it’s your turn to start trying it out! You can send us your photos via Instagram with the hashtag #afrikangallery or message us on our Facebook page Afrikan Gallery here.
