Projects 1-3 are about the frame format and placing the horizon within the frame. What have I learned? Well it has made me realise that I often approach a landscape scene with a fixed view on how I wish to frame the image. A more rational and probably more successful approach is to first consider the nature of the landscape and then to fit the frame to it. It is also clear that placing the horizon is a compositional design decision which is greatly influenced by what the sky looks like and how it complements the other elements within the composition.
These points are illustrated by the following examples.
The first shot I took with a preconceived idea of isolating part of the landscape in portrait mode.
View from Bledlow Ridge - Portrait Version
The image does not work well. The grass in the foreground is uninteresting as is the featureless sky. It is also clear that horizontal lines predominate and cutting them off, as the portrait frame does, reveals a series of short parallel lines. These lead the eye nowhere and do not illustrate the true nature of the scene. Were the lines to zig zag or create an interesting pattern then framing in portrait mode might have been more successful.
The next image is a panoramic version which acknowledges the horizontal nature of the scene and the result is much better. The high horizon in this shot also limits the impact of the featureless sky but the blue haze remains unappealing.
View from Bledlow Ridge - Panoramic Version
Taking this a step further I isolated an interesting element of the landscape which I think reveals the spring growth and texture of the landscape far better and avoids the most unattractive sky and blue toned distant landscape altogether.
View from Bledlow Ridge - Isolating the landscape
My learning points from Projects 1-3 are as follows:
- Don't prejudge the format of the frame...consider the landscape carefully first...take time to consider the scene first!
- Consider alternative approaches - worth trying both portrait and landscape if the image is a strong one.
- UK landscape is typically flat and fits the landscape format more readily.
- Generally sky with interest will improve a landscape image....if the sky is dull and featureless it is probably be better to keep set the horizon higher to avoid large blank areas within the frame - an exception to this is where a minimalist approach is being taken and a blank sky is consistent with the scene as a whole.
- Look carefully within the frame - there may be a better image in there by isolating part of the frame.
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