Landscape

PHOTOGRAPHY
Secrets
How to take jaw-dropping photos
by finding hidden natural patterns

Tim Shields
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Why do compositions matter so much?

Imagine you are building a house. The first thing you would do is dig a hole and pour a
concrete foundation. Upon that foundation you would build your walls and roof. The entire
house would sit on that foundation.

If the foundation is not level, or if the concrete is not solid, then your house will come
crashing down. The foundation is the very cornerstone of every building that has stood the
test of time.

The Canadian Rockies. Composition is everything.

With your photography, the foundation of every one of your pictures is the composition.
The difference between an okay photo and an award-winning photo is the composition.
And conversely, if your photos are boring, then you usually have your compositions
to blame.
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Yes, there are other factors involved in the making of a great photo such as having tack-
sharp focus, amazing light and great post-processing, but the foundation of every picture
is the composition.

For this reason, I would argue that your photo compositions are the single most important
thing to get right in your photography. And what is so great about compositions is the fact
that finding a great composition has nothing to do with your camera gear, your experience,
or your technical know-how. Compositions are the art side of photography (as opposed
to the technical side) and every photographer has an equal opportunity to find a great
composition. It is a level playing field.

Where do compositions fit in to the Photography

Transformation Four-Step System?

Taking amazing photos is not the ability to do one thing well. It is the ability to complete
a series of steps well. If you can follow a recipe in the kitchen, then you should be able to
follow a series of steps when you are out in the field taking pictures.

I developed a four-step system to taking stunning outdoor photos. Here is the abbreviated
version.

Step One - Planning, research, and visualization: This is how to be in the right place
at the right time. Taking beautiful photos almost always involves planning your shot in
advance. This means you need to look at what other photographers have done before you
in the location you want to explore. Searches for images need to be conducted in relation to
the location. For example, if you were planning a trip to your nearest state park, you would
want to search Google for “state park name photos” or Instagram for “#stateparkname”.
There is more to it than this, but these instructions are enough to get you started.
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The sun rises exactly under the middle of Mesa Arch twice per year

Once you see some photos you like, it is time to begin visualizing the photo you want to
take. This is not copying other photographer’s work, but it is modelling their successes
to create some of your own. If you don’t know what photos you’re taking in advance,
then you are going to have a hard time deciding what to photograph when you arrive
at the destination.

I drove 6 hours to get this shot. The leaves fell off this tree the next day.
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Determining when to arrive and where to stand is critical at this stage. You might even want
to go so far as to determine the day of the year where the sun will rise at a certain point, or
when there will be a full moon, or a fully dark sky, or fall colors, ice, spring runoff or powder
snow. You cannot get the amazing shots if you do not fully complete step one.

Step Two – Compositions: Now you have arrived at your photo destination. What is the
composition you will choose for your first picture? How will you frame up your photo in
your camera’s (or phone’s) viewfinder? The decision you make here will determine the
success of your photo. A bad composition is not fixable. It is a fatal and irreparable mistake.
Generally, you cannot fix a bad composition in post-production.

This composition uses reflections, balance and symmetry, and framing.

What rules of composition will you use for your photo? How many rules can you stack
inside one frame? How can you build on storytelling in your photo? Choose wisely because
you might not be back at this location for an exceptionally long time.

Step Three – Camera Settings: Now you have found the composition you want, and your
finger is on the shutter release button. Are your camera settings right? There are hundreds
of possible settings and options on your camera but there are only two main goals you
need to achieve: correctly exposed and tack-sharp.
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Step Four – Post Processing: Your photo shoot is over and you are back home. You need
to be able to paint with light inside your photo to emphasise the areas of your photo you
want your viewers to see, and paint with darkness to de-emphasise the areas you don’t
want them to see. The goal here is to add drama and mood without overdoing it.

I painted-in light on the normally dark tree trunks to add texture and drama

Proper post-processing is like putting icing on a cake. Not too much, and not too little,
and your result will be amazing and will stop your friends in their tracks and make them
say, “Wow!”
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The Rules of Composition

There are seven rules of composition that I use most often for my photography. These
rules are not rigid rules that must be followed, rather, think of them like helpers. If you use
them, they will assist you to create fantastic looking photos.

Rule #1: Balance and Symmetry

I love this rule of composition. I mean, I really love it. I have travelled by truck for 12 hours
and then paddled across a lake for four hours (starting at 2:00 AM) just to get the balance
and symmetry composition below.

One of the greatest balance and symmetry shots I have taken

Balance and symmetry compositions are difficult to find in nature. This rule of composition
involves and equal amount of visual weight on each side of the photo, or on the top and
bottom. What makes the composition above so unique is that you can visualize an X going
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through the photo, with the tree island in the middle of the X. The island is the main subject,
and the mountains on either side provide equal balance from side to side.

Balance and symmetry compositions are naturally pleasing to the human eye. We
like them. We really do. Take for example, Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. Hundreds of
thousands of photographers flock to this location every year to get their perfect balance
and symmetry shot.

Perfect balance and symmetry

There is an equal amount of visual weight on the right side, compared to the left. The
effect of having a mirror image (from one side to the other) also adds to the appeal of
this composition.
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Even moving subjects can have balance and symmetry. Notice the reflections?

Finding a new and unique composition

that is as perfect as Horseshoe Bend
is going to be a challenge for you but
remember this principle when you are in
the field. You do not need the balance
from side to side to be perfect. Use it
when you can find it.

One of the appealing attributes about

the Eiffel Tower is its symmetry from
side to side. Add to that symmetrical
fireworks and you have the formula for
an amazing photo. Be on the lookout for
buildings and monuments close to home
that have symmetry on both sides. They
make for excellent photo subjects and
usually look the best when placed in the
center of your frame, as long as they are
large and in-charge within your photo.

Balance and symmetry in architecture

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Rule #2: Leading Lines

This is my second favorite rule of composition. This rule involves finding elements in the
real world that “point” towards the background or main subject.

The canoes and docks are “pointing” towards the main subject

The elements that point to the back of the photo might be obvious, or they might be subtle.
They have the effect of pulling the viewer’s eye towards an element in the photo you want
them to look at.

The rows of lavender point at the old monastary

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There are leading lines, and then there are curved leading lines. These can be the best
of all, because they draw the viewer’s attention to multiple parts of an image. But they are
tough to find in a natural environment.

There are leading lines, and then there are curved leading lines

A technique you might want to use when you are in the in the field is to hunt around for an
element or landform that might be used as a leading line. This will make your photo more
interesting and will generally keep the viewer’s eye inside your photo longer.
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Curved leading lines pointing to the main subject

Leading lines do not always need to start at the bottom of a photo

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Rule #3: Framing

The composition rule of framing involves framing in a main subject between something
else. The framing may take place from side to side, or top to bottom, or all around the
main subject. This is a technique that pushes the eye of the viewer toward the middle of
the photo.

The Eiffel Tower is framed in between the two illuminated roads on the sides of the frame.

This waterfall is framed in by the canyon walls

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Classic framing involves shooting through a

window or doorway. Hence the word “frame”.
It is much easier to find framing compositions
in architecture, but much more difficult to find
them in landscapes.

Look for caves or any naturally formed shape

that can be used to frame in a main subject.
One great trick is to use a very wide-angle
lens and place your camera inside a small
structure (where you will not fit inside). Take
the shot using a timer so you don’t introduce
camera shake. This gives the effect of a much
larger opening and is amazingly effective at
storytelling in your photos.

A 14mm wide angle lens was wide enough to make a rock arch look like the inside of a cave.
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Rule #4: Rule of Thirds

This is the most well-known of all the rules of composition, yet I use it the least to help me
find new compositions. Instead, I use this rule as a last second tweak to place the main
subject correctly inside the frame.

Even a photo of a group of trees can utilize the rule of thirds.

The “horizon line” and the most prominent tree are both on third lines

From my book The

Photo Cookbook
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The rule of thirds will help you avoid the classic composition mistake of placing the face
of your subject smack-dab in the center of your frame. It is more effective to place your
main subject on either the left or right third line, and to place your subject’s face at the
intersection point where two third lines meet.

The butterfly is on the left third line, facing into the photo.

The building is placed on the right third of the frame

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The pier is placed on the top third of the frame

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Rule #5: The Golden Ratio

The golden ratio is another rule of composition that can make photographs more interesting.
This is one of the oldest composition rules in the book. It comes from the mathematical
ratio 1:1.618, originally found by Euclid of Alexandria back in Ancient Greece. Since then, this
formula has been expressed in architecture, sculpture, painting, drawing, and photography
because of its aesthetically pleasing look.

Here’s a simple look at how this one compares to the Rule of Thirds.

The main focal point in the image is where the swirl gets smaller. And then it encapsulates
the rest of the subject with the larger crescent line. This one is a lot of fun to use, and I’ve
found that in images that look really good, but don’t quite fit into the other rules often fall
into this one.

If your photograph doesn’t directly use this one, you can always crop an image in Lightroom
to make it work better. To use the Golden Ratio, open the crop tool and press the o key.
This will cycle through different rules of composition. Once you find one you like, hold shift
and press o to rotate, or otherwise change the crop overlay.
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The climber is in the smaller swirl, and the rest of the rock fits inside the larger, outside swirl

This image works perfectly in an alternate golden ratio

format as shown by this Lightroom Crop overlay.
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Rule #6: Reflections

Finding reflections can be a powerful addition to your photos. You may think they are
difficult to find, but if you look at the world with a creative eye, you will see them everywhere.
They are on cars with shiny paint, on building windows, on drinking glasses, your blank
cellphone screen, on sunglasses, and of course, they are on bodies of water.

Perfectly smooth water is your best friend!

The reflection becomes the foreground in this photo

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If you have a perfect mirror image reflection of your main subject, this can become the
foreground in your photo. I use this technique whenever possible and I love the finished
look of these types of photos.

Reflections add interestingness to photos

Perfectly smooth water found in a puddle. The main lake was not smooth.
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In landscape photography, wind is the enemy of reflections. Try not to get mad at the wind
for ruining your great reflections! It does not help. Trust me… Instead, look for a smaller
body of water, like a puddle, that may not be ripped from the wind.

If you can’t find another body of water to make your composition, it is possible to make an
imperfect reflection using a long exposure. Throw a Neutral Density filter on top of your
lens, place it on a tripod, and try to get an exposure longer than 4 seconds to smooth out
the water. If the water is too rough, it’ll reflect, but not perfectly. Look how the larger body
of water doesn’t show as sharp of a photo as the puddle in the bottom of the frame.
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Rule #7: Foregrounds

In landscape photography, you need to search for a foreground for your image. Good
foreground subjects help tell a story in your photo and they look … interesting. The
foreground can be the main subject, but usually it is not. Foregrounds should complement
the main subject in the background or middle of the frame.

This shipwreck becomes an interesting foreground for the milky way in the background
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Rippled sand tells a story of ocean and beach under this sunset

The horizontal river in the foreground leads the eye into the mountains
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A rocky foreground helps tell the story of this lake

Smooth, but Textured foregrounds are pleasing to the eye.

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Stacking the Rules of Composition

There is a technique that I call “stacking the rules of composition” that will result in your
best photos. This technique involves using the maximum number of composition rules
inside a single frame. For example, you might be able to find a composition that utilizes
leading lines, reflections, framing, and balance and symmetry. In fact, the photo below is a
great example of composition rule stacking.

Reflections, leading lines, framing, balance and symmetry – all in one image.
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Leading lines, rule of thirds, balance and symmetry – stacking the rules of composition.

Composition perfection found in nature.

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Bringing it all together

The composition is everything to your photo. Great compositions equate to great photos.
Poor and hasty compositions usually result in throw-away photos buried forever on a hard
drive.

Taking the time to memorize the rules of composition will help you when you are in the
field hunting for a great photo to take. Knowing what to look for is half the battle, and your
ability to seek out the leading lines, the reflections, and the balance and symmetry shots
will set you apart from the crowd.

Where do I go from here?

Taking stunning photos is not the result
of doing one thing right, it is the result of
completing a number of small steps right.
This is why I created the Photography
Transformation Four-Step System.

When you use this system you will be in the

right place at the right time, you will find
amazing compositions, you will know the
simple and easy camera settings to use, and
you will know how to easily paint with light to
add drama to your photos.

I created a free webclass that will tell you

more about the Photography Transformation
Four Step System. The class is ready for you
right now.

Click the link here to watch it:

https://www.learn.photographyacademy.com/freewebclass

If you want to join our awesome community of photographers, then stop by the Photography
Academy Facebook Group and join us. We would love to have you.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/277613582782585/
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About the Author

Tim Shields is the founder of

Photography Academy, the
author of The Photo Cookbook
and the creator of the
Photography Transformation
Four-Step system.

He loves exploring the outdoors

and photographing the beauty
of this amazing earth.