Landscape photography challenges you to simplify complex scenes and find compelling compositions in nature. Whether you’re capturing vast skies, intimate foreground details, or isolated structures, understanding light, framing, and how to use natural elements to tell a story is critical.
Coming to you from Steve O'Nions, this thoughtful video takes you through a series of scenes showcasing various approaches to framing and exposure. A highlight is an abandoned farmhouse surrounded by broken-down gates and trees. O'Nions decides to let the foreground shadows fall into silhouette, using the dramatic sky as the focal point. This choice not only simplifies the scene but also draws attention to the interplay between light and dark. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less is more when building a composition. For a distant view of a bridge, he contemplates a panoramic crop to capture the reservoir’s foreground while emphasizing the expansive sky. This approach reinforces the importance of flexibility in framing to achieve the desired impact.
The video continues with a variety of scenarios, including tree trunks captured in black and white. O'Nions uses the contrast between light branches and dark trunks to craft a visually striking image. He also explores symmetry with boats lined up in a reservoir, making the subtle movements on the water a secondary focal point. The decision to emphasize the sky in these scenes shows the value of understanding how different elements can anchor a composition.
O'Nions showcases another breathtaking scene of rolling hills and a rock in the foreground. By carefully layering foreground, midground, and background elements, he creates depth while using the dramatic sky to add texture and mood. His deliberate use of cropping in post-processing highlights the importance of refining a scene to achieve balance and focus. Check out the video above for the full rundown from O'Nions.
