Using Foreground Subjects to Landscape Photography

Unlike any typical blog posts regarding landscape photography, this post do not cover the basics of landscape photography. This post suggests a pointer which you can consider in your check list while doing landscape photography to improve the overall visual appeal of the image.

As landscape photography typically uses a wide angle at a higher aperture setting, you tend to get a flat distant image. In many of the cases, the landscape photograph that is taken is far less realistic and appealing than being witnessed through the real eyes.

How if we can improve the appeal of your landscape photography by a small little consideration while you compose your shot?

The tip is simple. Include a foreground subject in your landscape photograph. The reason why many landscape photographs look dull is due to the fact the images are flat. Try bringing in a foreground subject such as a tree, a big rock or a pavement. Since you would be using a higher aperture, you will have a deep DOF.

Couple of examples more...

A is for Ants

These photographs were taken for an online photography competition.

I thought I would throw a little more insight on working with living subjects for macro photography. This technique is not a new one and possibly a lot discussed over the internet.

Golden Tip: Freeze the action, but don't kill 'em.
The best way to slow down a living subject for macro photoshoot is to freeze them. You can captivate your subject in a small jar and put in your refrigerator to slow down the subject. Try with 1 minute inside the fridge and if the action is still higher, try for 2 mins. This is good enough to slow down your subject for the next 3 - 4 minutes, but ensures that your subject will walk away on its own once your photoshoot ends.

You can repeat the above procedure to do more number of shoots. But wait till your subject gets back its complete action before you repeat your task.