By Ian Plant on November 6, 2013

5 Composition Tips For Better Nature Photography
A snapshot shows the world what your camera sees, but a thoughtfully composed photograph shows the world what you see. While composition can be complex, several basic strategies arise when making pictures of natural subjects. Here are five such techniques for powerful image-making.

1. Lead the eye in.


Sea stack, Samuel H. Boardman State Park, OR: A 1/2 sec exposure blurs the wave. Shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and 16–35mm f/2.8L II Canon EF lens at f/16, ISO 50, on a tripod.

One of the most effective ways to create a powerful composition is to use visual elements to lead the viewer’s eye into the scene. Leading elements can be just about anything—lines, curves, or a progression of shapes. Leading lines that stretch from foreground to background are especially powerful, propelling the viewer into the scene. In the image at left, I used an outgoing wave to act as a leading line. Other shapes placed in the foreground can do the same: a curving river can compel the eye to meander throughout the frame, whereas a triangle-shaped rock can point into the composition. Multiple elements can more subtly encourage the viewer to explore the photograph—a near-to-far, bottom-to-top visual progression is often particularly effective.

2. Find a good foreground.


Los Cuernos, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile: A 24–70mm f/2.8 Di VC Tamron SP lens was used with a polarizing filter to intensify the colors, and a 3-stop ND filter for a cloud-blurring exposure: 30 seconds at f/11, ISO 100.

Foregrounds add depth, and the best add punch, too. Providing a point of reference, they can simplify chaotic scenes. At this placid pool of water during a fiery sunrise, I backed up to incorporate the curving shoreline. Its shape frames the reflection of the mountains, enhancing the composition and adding depth to the image.

3. Engage the eye with repeating patterns.


Tarn 2, Acadia National Park, ME: A polarizer over a 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L Canon EF IS lens helped intensify the reflection of autumn colors. EOS 5D Mark III, 1.3 sec at f/32, ISO 100.

People are naturally attracted to patterns, part of our ability and biological need to organize our chaotic world. When the eye explores one, it tends to want to visit each and every repeated element; accordingly, the savvy photographer can use repeating shapes and colors to encourage the viewer to visit multiple parts of the composition. Visual repetition gets the viewer’s eye moving, engaging interest and creating compositional energy.
On the flip side, repetition can also help create harmony and balance, adding structure to a composition, as well as to create order in an otherwise chaotic scene.
You can also create effective images by making the pattern itself the entire focus of the composition, as I did with the quirky shapes and patches of color in the little pond seen here. The less dynamic shapes of the lily pads floating in the water fade to the background, providing general structure and order for an otherwise energetic, chaotic collection of visual elements.

4.Emphasize your subject.


Red howler monkey, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru: A 500mm f/4L Canon EF tele with 1.4x Canon EF Extender III was shot wide open for shallow depth of field. Plant’s exposure: 1/200 sec, ISO 800, on his tripod-mounted EOS 5D Mark III.

Use visual elements to direct your viewer’s attention to what’s important. Framing is one effective tool for simplifying and focusing interest. Examples include arcing tree branches, barn windows, and natural arches, but frames can also be made by arranging multiple visual elements around a subject. Sometimes it works best if there is an element of contrast between the frame and the subject—silhouetted trees around a sunlit mountain peak, for example.
Another way to draw attention to your primary subject is through the use of light: spotlighting, or a dose of brightness behind your subject, can focus the viewer. For this image, I selected a position that framed the monkey with a pattern of out-of-focus leaves lit by the setting sun. A hint of that light on the monkey also helps focus viewers’ attention.

5. Create visual energy.


Lago Pehoe, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile: A 60-second exposure at f/5 created an eerie motion blur in the clouds. Plant used an EOS 5D Mark III and 16–35mm f/2.8L II Canon EF lens on a tripod for the ISO 400 shot.

Look for ways to convey a sense of energy. Use lines or shapes that tilt or point in opposite directions; think of a line of trees whose branches reach at differing angles into a cloud-filled sky. But be careful: Too much energy going one way and not enough going the other can look unbalanced—a classic example is an animal running out of the edge of the frame rather than into it. Long exposures of moving elements can also convey a sense of energy; motion blur creates compositional lines and shapes, adding further interest. Here, the streaking clouds form staggered, diagonal lines, which add energy to the frame.

By Simon Bray,27 Nov 2010

Photographing reflections can be extremely rewarding and produce stunning results, but sometimes achieving those dramatic shots can be harder than first thought. Today I’ll be highlighting a few quick tips for dealing with reflections, and helping you on your way to taking some breathtaking photographs!

Step 1. The Basics
Reflections come in many different forms and guises, varying from dramatic landscape shots to detailed macro compositions, but there are a few fundamental techniques which will help you achieve better results when dealing with reflections.
With regards to depth of field, try to select a high f-number such as f/11 or higher, this will help level out the subjects of the shot so the eye perceives them in closer relation, enhancing the reflection effect.
Focus depends a lot on the distance between the subject and the reflection. First, try focusing on the subject, then trying focusing on the reflection. This should produce slightly varied results and your preference will depend on how much attention you want to draw to the reflection.
Finally, think about the angle of the light and how it affect the reflection. In a studio setting you can manipulate this to emphasise the reflection, but in a natural setting you may want to explore different viewpoints to find the angle at which the reflection is most visible.

Step 2. Water & Landscapes
The grandeur, colors, and patterns offered by nature can be breathtaking and for me, the essence of this is displayed in a snowy-topped mountain reflecting upon a serene lake. The scene is a photographers dream, but how do you maximise its potential to capture a breathtaking shot?
Firstly, try and go when the light is at it’s best, either bright and early, or in the evening as the sun is setting. Be sure to take along your tripod to ensure a sharp shot and try using a couple of filters. A polarising filter will help you to control the amount of surface shine from the water, and a graduated neutral density filter will help ensure that the sky isn’t overexposed.
Try experimenting with slightly longer shutter speeds than normal to smooth out the water and, as I mentioned before, be sure to take into account the depth of field, angle of the light and try focusing in on the water for that extra level of drama.

Step 3. Shiny Things!
Photography involving reflections doesn’t have to be restricted to water-based landscape shots, there are plenty of other reflective surfaces to utilise that we encounter in everyday life such as mirrors, glass, metal, ceramic tiles and even varnished wood.
It’s important to remember that shiny surfaces such as these don’t absorb light, so if using artificial lighting, think carefully about the amount and angle of the light in relation to your surface. You may want to experiment with lighting from above or behind your subject.
This also applies to the use of flash, which will probably be limited as the light will often just bounce straight back at you.
Try to ensure that your surface is clear of scratches and fingerprints, especially when focusing in on detail within the reflection. Flat surfaces are easier to work with, as they will give more complete reflections.
Once you’ve found your surface, try using different subjects to see what reflections you can achieve. You can use anything you like, but the more interesting the shape, the more interesting the formation of the reflection will be.

Step 4. Experiment and Enjoy
Reflection photography is often described as abstract, which I think can be the case, but when utilising reflections, the type of shots that you create are totally up to you, the photographer.
You may want to utilise a reflective surface to make an otherwise predictable photo shoot more interesting, you may want to capture stunning real life landscapes, or you may want to experiment with angles and lighting to create eye catching abstract art shots. The joy is in the variety of potential shots, now it’s up to you to go and capture them!

The rule of thirds is a “rule of thumb” or guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photographs.

The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.
Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

The photograph to the right demonstrates the application of the rule of thirds. The horizon sits at the horizontal line dividing the lower third of the photo from the upper two-thirds. The tree sits at the intersection of two lines, sometimes called a power point or a crash point.

Points of interest in the photo don’t have to actually touch one of these lines to take advantage of the rule of thirds. For example, the brightest part of the sky near the horizon where the sun recently set does not fall directly on one of the lines, but does fall near the intersection of two of the lines, close enough to take advantage of the rule.