Maybe you guys can help me. I'm currently building a portfolio of what I call "macro landscapes." During the pandemic it became hard for me to travel beyond my backyard, so I started finding landscapes within landscapes, and started getting smaller and smaller. I found refuge in the moss fields and mushroom forests. I want to portray these worlds as almost full-size landscapes.
Any thoughts on how this can be achieved? Composition rules? Color? Depth? What makes a true landscape in your mind?
I think that these are all very fine images, Dylan. I love the ice masses! These may not fit the stereotypical definition of landscape, but so what? I like what I call intimate landscapes, usually made from a distance of half to two metres, typically of rock formations, or close-ups of waterfalls. You take this to another level, and I find that intriguing and appealing.
I guess if you want to emulate the appearance of typical landscapes, then the inherently shallow DOF of macro work tends to be a "giveaway"; some would focus-stack, but this might lead to a sterile image in some cases. Softening background areas in post, e.g. with lowered clarity or contrast, might emulate the effects of atmospheric haze.
I'm very skeptical about compositional rules. Practice and studying images you find satsfying yourself have been my best guides. Your compositions are good!
Keep doin' what you do!