As the photo competition continues to grow from strength to strength entrants will have noticed the competition has been split into themes. In honour of this month’s ‘The Great Outdoors’ theme we have focused this blog post towards taking a great shot outdoors that will be worthy of framing in one of our picture frames.
Landscapes can be tricky to get right, so the key is to practice and experiment to see what works for you.
Keep any horizon shots level within the photograph. It can be tempting to make the shot look ‘edgy ’ but the shot might also look crooked.
If there is a focal point for the viewer to look at, experiment with moving this point to the edge of the frame, rather than making it a centre point.
Look for different angles in which to take your photo. Standing is a common angle, so why not try changing the camera position to lying on the ground for an eye level view, or shooting a scene looking up from the ground. There are lots of different ideas to work with depending on the landscape you are photographing. You could get a bird’s eye view shot if you have a head for heights. Seeing a scene from another perspective often captures interest.
Avoid leaving empty space in a landscape photograph. If there is no point to focus on, make sure the image still have different and contrasting lines to look at. For example, if you want to capture a skyline and there is a point of interest, like a building or tree, this will stand out and look pleasing. If the shot is simply too sparse and has no lines or focal point the photograph will end up with too much empty space and nothing else.
Use both portrait and landscape angles, with the camera on its side. A landscape shot can take on a different angle and perspective using a portrait shot.
Hopefully, the above tips have provided inspiration to get you out there into the great outdoors and begin taking some great photos that you can enter into our April photograph competition.
Photo credit: Steve Picton
