On a hike an artist might stop and admire a view, resigned to the fact that people would find it hard to believe that he had not exaggerated the beauty of the scene had he stopped to paint it. With photography on the other hand the elements that go to create beautiful pictures of nature are taken straight from real life and are therefore more readily accepted.
When a landscape painter takes stock of scene he can use a little artistic licence to alter what he actually sees, he does not have to make a faithful record, especially if he is an impressionist. The photographer on the other hand is somewhat limited by what his lens records although there are techniques (and Photoshop) that can be used to increase the aesthetic qualities of a photo.
Some subjects are very popular among photographers. Sunsets in the African bush, wild animals drinking from water holes and penguins walking in a row are so frequently capture on film that any repeats runs the risk of seeming unimaginative or clichd. The challenge is to capture a unique angle and emphasis that presents the scene in a fresh light. A good start would be to walk around the subject or scene looking for the perspective that striking.
One feature that is quickly grasped even by those who take pictures with their cell phones is the importance of foreground. When a person is high in the mountains faced by a panorama of peaks and clouds the grandeur before him might be too overwhelming to take in in one go. The viewer needs to be led into the landscape; a maintaineer in the foreground for example walking along a ridge that disappears into the distance could help lead the eye into the scene without distracting from it.
One well established rule of composition is the Rule of Thirds, where the frame should be divided by two horizontal and two vertical lines with a focal point being roughly on a point of intersection. There are variations of this rule but it can be counted on to help balance a composition.
Other techniques such as getting the best distance between the subject and the lens are also important. A naturally talented artist may get most things right with very little instruction. However, even a talented person can improve through learning the basic rules and adding them to his repertoire of natural skills.
Like the delicate bone structure of a beautiful face, beautiful pictures of nature have to be structured and contain vital elements such as color, form and texture. The structural elements are not always apparent at first glance but part of the pleasure in looking at art is to slowly uncover the hidden and mysterious qualities that contribute to its beauty.
When a landscape painter takes stock of scene he can use a little artistic licence to alter what he actually sees, he does not have to make a faithful record, especially if he is an impressionist. The photographer on the other hand is somewhat limited by what his lens records although there are techniques (and Photoshop) that can be used to increase the aesthetic qualities of a photo.
Some subjects are very popular among photographers. Sunsets in the African bush, wild animals drinking from water holes and penguins walking in a row are so frequently capture on film that any repeats runs the risk of seeming unimaginative or clichd. The challenge is to capture a unique angle and emphasis that presents the scene in a fresh light. A good start would be to walk around the subject or scene looking for the perspective that striking.
One feature that is quickly grasped even by those who take pictures with their cell phones is the importance of foreground. When a person is high in the mountains faced by a panorama of peaks and clouds the grandeur before him might be too overwhelming to take in in one go. The viewer needs to be led into the landscape; a maintaineer in the foreground for example walking along a ridge that disappears into the distance could help lead the eye into the scene without distracting from it.
One well established rule of composition is the Rule of Thirds, where the frame should be divided by two horizontal and two vertical lines with a focal point being roughly on a point of intersection. There are variations of this rule but it can be counted on to help balance a composition.
Other techniques such as getting the best distance between the subject and the lens are also important. A naturally talented artist may get most things right with very little instruction. However, even a talented person can improve through learning the basic rules and adding them to his repertoire of natural skills.
Like the delicate bone structure of a beautiful face, beautiful pictures of nature have to be structured and contain vital elements such as color, form and texture. The structural elements are not always apparent at first glance but part of the pleasure in looking at art is to slowly uncover the hidden and mysterious qualities that contribute to its beauty.
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Get more information and details about how you can take beautiful pictures of nature more effectively and easily. You can find landscape photography tips and find simple methods for shooting photos that are stunning and memorable.
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