This type of photography has one requirement: “Loving outdoors”.
I have always admired beautiful landscape pictures. Bright colors attract me the most. I was so happy when created my first landscape photograph. I hiked through Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park, and got one beautiful image of Lower Falls. I had created a lot of landscape images before but this one was the first one that I liked. I was so happy for my accomplishment. Later I figured out it was too early to celebrate since it was a lucky shot.
Some landscape photographers don’t follow any rules just their instinct. The other ones talk about a complex theory. In my experience I did follow my instinct prior to my first landscape image, but without any success. It was hard for me to get bearing where I needed to go.
Later I figured out the easiest way to create a beautiful landscape image is to find a landmark. My first landscape image was just that landmark shot. I created the image from the pathway in Johnston Canyon where million visitors come annually to see this beauty. It is hard to miss it. The only problem is the image is not very unique since I and million other people have similar image.
I wanted to be more unique and started creating landscape images where the location is not recognizable. This can be a scene near busy pathway but very few people pay attention to it. Sort of it can be anywhere. This type of landscape is harder to create since beauty of natural elements is not enough to create attention. So it was necessary to apply something else in order to make it interesting.
In simple terms image composition transforms snapshot into landscape picture.
Imagine you moved in a new home and you need to organize furniture in your living room. Similar analogy applies to image composition. You need to organize a picture to look nice. When I take landscape picture I move the camera to include a rock and exclude a flower or vise verse, so you would do with furniture in your living room.
Prior to my first landscape image I did not know what makes an image tick. I struggled for long time crating numerous images which did not have appeal. Despite lack of progress, I had built a momentum and when I found some of the composition rules presented in easy way it clicked. Later, I learned some more tricks, but this first step was the most important one.
As I learned more compositional rules I realized the composition is not everything. I tried to create an interesting image out of boring scene but the composition could not help. Sort of it is not enough on its own. In the similar way like glue is not enough on its own. You still need two surfaces to connect.
Color theory is easy to ignore and let the camera do its job. If I do image composition right, my image is good but typically not above and beyond. To get it over the top, applying a color contrast can help. For example, as I exhibit my works on art and craft markets, I noticed people being attracted to pictures with beautiful colors.
Applying color theory can be the element to get a landscape image over the top. After all it is used as a competitive advantage in other businesses. For example, if you go through a mall and you find a beautifully organized shop window, I am convinced the person who designed it knows color theory. You are more likely to go inside and check this store.
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