The Importance of
Landscape Foreground

"Landscape foregrounds are
often not given the attention that they deserve."

Two different people can take photographs in the same area with the same camera and end up remarkably different in terms of quality. I am not talking just different scenery, or different lighting effects. I am talking about taking two photographs of the same stretch of horizon.

When the two are viewed side by side, the viewer is captivated by one and just skims over the other. The main difference in the two is that the photographer, that produced the captivating picture, gave some thought to the landscape's foreground before the photo was taken. This added depth, perspective, and interest.

Tips and Techniques

Look Around- Before releasing your shudder, run your eye all the way around the viewfinder. Check the scenery for distracting objects. Then look through your viewfinder and move it around a bit and see what you are missing up close that could add something to your shot. There are great scenic photos out there, but sometimes you have to seek them out.

Move the Horizon- Most people tend to put the horizon smack dab in the middle of a photo. The problem with this is that they are cutting out quite a bit of the subject matter that could be used to create depth in the photo. If you are taking a photograph and your subject is on the ground, try raising the horizon to the top third of the viewfinder. If your subject is in the sky, try moving the horizon to the bottom third of the viewfinder.

Look for Leading Lines- Look around for natural lines that flow from the lower edge of your scene to the subject of it. These commonly show up as waves in the ground, natural patterns, or even shadows.

Get Down- Another way to accentuate a scenic photo is to change your point of view. Getting lower to the ground or lowering the tripod can change the perspective of the shot considerably.

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