The #1 Secret Rule of Composition in Landscape Photography
There are several things in photography that go towards making a good photo, and composition is probably the most important. You’ve probably already heard about the general composition rules like the rule of thirds and leading lines, just to name a few, which are some of the many evergreen tools to create pleasing compositions.
However, many photographers still struggle with capturing great photos, even if they try to apply these general rules carefully. So, why that happens?
There is one aspect that more than any other affects the success of your composition and a lot of people miss it. The key factor is having a well-defined subject!
Today, we’re going to be learning a simple and effective method of “How to find the subject of your images”. I'll give you some useful tips on always having a clear and strong focal point in your images and avoiding confusing your viewers.
The Problem With General Guidelines
Alright! I bet you've been in situations where you were taking pictures of an amazing landscape, but somehow the shots turned out a bit off and didn't really have a clear subject, you know what I mean?
I see this mistake quite frequently during my workshops. I've been there too. It's just part of the deal. Not every shot is gonna be spot-on every single time.
So, the basic composition rules, or better, “general guidelines” are not enough to always nail the shot. To increase your chances of getting strong and balanced compositions, there is a very easy process, which can also help you create photos that much better represent your creative vision.
Okay, let’s go a bit deeper. Composition in photography is all about how you arrange and position the different elements in your photo. So, anything that you can deliberately and purposefully substitute inside the composition can be considered a separate object.
And that thing that captured your attention and inspired you ultimately becomes the most significant object. That specific object is what becomes your subject. Your goal is to make that object not just the subject of your image, but the main focal point, the anchor point where to guide the viewer’s eye.
So, now you defined the subject for the scene you're standing in front of, it is essential to position that subject within the composition.
The term “composition” is controversial to me. Composition is used across a wide range of artistic disciplines. In music, as you may know, is combining different musical elements such as melody, harmony, and rhythm. It’s literally moving notes, instruments, and sounds around as you like.
In photography, though, you can’t always really move objects. Especially in landscape photography. You have full control over most of the elements involved in creating a musical piece, but you can’t physically move, for example, a tree, a river, or a mountain wherever you want.
What you can really do, though, is crop the scene in a way that all the elements fit in a specific way.
The things you choose to let in your frame have different weights depending on the distance from the edges, brightness, sharpness, contrast, and so on. A pleasing composition will use the positioning of these different weights to make a balanced photo.
It is very important to take an active part in becoming fluent with the language of composition, and with using the power of composition to enhance your creative work.
That’s why, in my opinion, the rule of thirds (and other grids) should be used to help you to position the different elements in your frame and not as a rule stating that “your subject should be here or there”.
It's extremely important that when someone looks at your photo for the first time, their eye is immediately directed to the subject without any distractions. The viewer should be fully engaged with the main focus of the image, without anything else pulling their attention away.
And that's the thing you gotta keep in mind with every photo you take. Sometimes you'll hit the mark perfectly, sometimes not so much. But striving for perfection, while also being willing to make compromises, will give you the best outcome possible.
Alright, now that you've got the lowdown on finding all the stuff you want to capture in your photo and locating the main subject, let's address the confusion that often pops up for photographers—figuring out what exactly the subject is and how to choose it.
The Secret Method
So, here's the deal. If you're having a tough time translating your spark of inspiration, I love calling it “inspiration wave” like the “sound wave”, into an actual photograph, I've got a simple and effective method to help you find out precisely what the subject of your image is.
This method is based on two simple questions.
The first question that I want you to be able to answer is not the most obvious, what is my subject?
Instead of asking yourself “What is my subject?”, try to reframe it into:
“What's the key visual element that defines this photo?"
So you are just standing there, you've had your inspiration wave, you've trusted yourself, you've stopped, and you are looking out onto the scene.
Now answer that question: “What is the photograph of?”. I know, it sounds too easy. But, it actually is! Just ask yourself, "What's the photograph all about?" and let that guide you through the process.
Sometimes the subject can be a little bit obscured. The subject can be color or contrast, a little bit abstract. Something like that. So it's not always the easiest thing to answer, but most of the time it is.
All you gotta do is have a little discipline and self-control to ask yourself this question before you press the shutter. If a genuine spark of inspiration truly drives you, the answer to that question will point you straight to the subject.
I guarantee you, it's that simple!
How to Apply the Method
This is from Landmannalaugar in the Icelandic Highlands, and I was there leading a photography workshop. Before we started our hike, we thought it would be nice to take a few shots right near the campsite
The area of Landmannalaugar is huge, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by its vastness. So, you might think using a wide-angle lens is the way to go, trying to capture everything in one shot. But guess what? It's too much to fit everything into the frame and you’re literally missing the point of the first question you should ask yourself: “What's the key visual element that defines this photo?". Right?
Let’s follow me through the process.
This is my first framing with the telephoto lens.
So for me, it was this area of the mountain that caught my attention (area in yellow). The light wasn’t exceptional but it was quite dramatic, and it was changing frequently because of the moving clouds.
Then I like the way the trail zig-zags and the people hiking give a great sense of scale. And of course, the colors are absolutely gorgeous. And because this area caught my attention, it made me stop and think: "Wait! That would make an amazing photo!". It was one of those fleeting moments that we all experience every now and then.
So, there were all the elements to create something really interesting.
As it was, though, I wasn't sure about the final result since the lighting wasn't perfect and there were too many people walking along the trail.
Also, the framing was a bit off. In general, it didn’t convey the type of feeling I envisioned. It would have been nice having just one person in a better position, and maybe an even more dramatic light.
So, I could have easily ignored the scene and pointed my camera in a different direction, clueless about what I was missing. But that split-second of inspiration is what truly matters when it comes to capturing a good photo or a great photo.
And in this particular case, that spark of inspiration is tied to this specific area, right here, because that's what caught my eye.
So, the answer to the question “What's the key visual element that defines this photo?", for me, is this area in green. And that, therefore, is what my photo is about. The subject of my photo. The main focal point.
I’d also add. Be spontaneous and less mechanical when photographing. Trust your instincts. Don't overthink and overanalyze everything. Just trust yourself and your inner voice, because your gut feeling will always be right.
There is a great quote from Edward Weston that says: “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.” That’s so true!
And, at the same time, practicing is the most effective exercise for improving composition.
Now let’s move to the second key question.
Second Question You Should Ask Yourself
Another way to figure out what the subject is in your image is by considering where you want the viewer's eye to be led when they first look at the final picture.
So, the second question you wanna ask yourself now is:
“How do I focus attention on my subject?”
Before you press the shutter, take a moment to visualize the final image in your head.
Imagine what it's gonna look like. And here's the important part: whatever object or area you want the viewer's eye to be led to, that's gonna be the main subject of the photo.
If there is any object blocking that visual flow, just get it out of the frame. This point is crucial and overrides everything else. Because in this context, the subject is the hero of your photo. It’s the most important part of the image. It's like the voice of the lead singer in a music band.
So, it is important to keep in mind that the subject will be the element or part of the image where the viewer's eye should be directed when viewing the image for the first time.
Moving back to our example image, I started experimenting with different vertical and horizontal framing trying to figure out the best composition with the best balance.
On the left one, I tried to use this combination of natural diagonals, but the sky here in the top-left-hand corner is quite distracting and takes too much attention away from the subject.
On the central one, I shifted the framing a bit to the left. But it doesn’t look good.
The one on the right, I got rid of the sky and it helps the composition quite a lot. But we’re still not there.
It’s okay but my feeling was the framing was too tight. Anyways, I figured I could make it even better by trying a horizontal composition and perhaps waiting a bit to see if the lighting improves.
Here below I'm going to move around. I'm going to isolate small portions of the mountain and they all have a different look and feel. That's a lot of fun to do with the telephoto lens.
Of course, you can experiment with different focal lengths. You can zoom out and zoom in and try different angles. Just move around your subject if you have the opportunity.
But it was when I found this composition that I said “Okay, this is cool!”.
I love the positioning of the walking trail. The dappled light that we have here in the center that was constantly changing (yellow area), so it might be a great opportunity for something unexpected.
I like the darker background (cyan area) that adds depth to the shot as well as how the snowy area (pink area) helps to create a nice balance between the top-right and bottom-left parts of the picture.
The only part that I didn’t quite like was the bottom of the frame. I cut off too much of the mountain.
So, instead of using a wider focal length, I decided to use the panorama technique capturing multiple horizontal images at the same focal length to include more of the scene, and here is the final result.
Final Result
This is my favorite shot. And the reason for that is because I have isolated the bright area that caught my attention at the beginning and framed it with this natural frame created by the mountains and taking advantage of the different levels of brightness.
Now the area itself tells a completely different story. This is less about the trail and the hiker itself and more about the environment around them.
This is called working the scene, actually. So when you are out there practicing your compositions, don't forget to work the scene.
Also, I highly recommend watching my video about simplification, which guides you through a simple framework for creating cleaner and more balanced compositions.
Conclusions
Now, eventually, these questions are going to become kind of on a subconscious level. You're not going to have to think about them each and every time actively. But when you are just learning and you're trying to master composition, they will really help.
This simple method is not a hypothesis, it’s a conclusion. I’ve tested out this process for a long time, I’m taking clients through it, and I’m amazed by the feedback I received so far.
So, keep these two questions in the back of your mind. Write them down. Put them in your phone and carry them with you in the field when you're going out and taking pictures. They'll seriously improve your photo composition skills.
What’s Your Favorite Composition Technique?
I'm super excited to hear your thoughts and experiences when it comes to finding the subject of your photos. Have you stumbled upon any unique techniques or hidden gems? Let me know in the comments!
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