1. GET DOWN LOW
While the Rule of Thirds is a great basic principle of composition, some of the most interesting images are created by experimenting. Explore unusual compositions by putting your camera on the ground and angling it up towards your subject. These unusual angles can reward you with a photograph that is totally unique to you!
2. LOOK BEHIND YOU
Photographing a sunrise or sunset is always stunning but, as a photographer, it is easy to be fixated on the sun’s glow at the horizon while the real magic is happening behind you!
At dusk or dawn, the sky that is opposite to the sun is where the most interesting transformations are happening. Pastel pinks and blues fill the sky, while the first hint of sunlight creates a warm glow over the landscape. This is where you want to be pointing your camera!
3. PHOTOGRAPH AFTER IT RAINS
Have you ever noticed how the bush changes after heavy rain? This is an ideal time to grab your camera a go for a walk. Pay attention to the transformations that occur in nature when saturated by rainfall, get up close to leaves and tree trunks to capture the increased intensity of colour and contrast.
4. PUT PEOPLE IN THE FRAME
To give your landscape photographs a sense of scale, it’s always nice to include a person or object in the foreground of the frame. This technique will give your photographs some added life while also helping to show off how steep or how high you are at a lookout.
5. USE YOUR SMART PHONE
They say that the best camera to have is the one that is with you all the time. Carrying around a heavy DSLR camera all the time would make the most of every photographic opportunity, but we all know that is not always practical. Luckily, advancements in image sensor technology means that your average modern smartphone can produce relatively good results. So don’t be afraid to practice these techniques on your phone’s camera. After all, it’s these photos that are the easiest to share with your friends and family on social media sites.
