No matter how incredible the vistas are in front of you, your resulting images can be ruined by poor composition. In this video, learn some of the most common composition mistakes and how to avoid them.
There have been more instances than I can count in which my early days were plagued with poor compositional understanding. I can clearly recall spectacular golden hours, obscure weather, and rare moments that I had my camera for, but the images I captured were middling at best. One example that jumps out was during a major storm in the summer of my first year with a dedicated camera. Once it broke, it gave way to an apocalyptic sunset that has never been repeated in the UK, to my eyes. I just didn't know what to do with it. I still have the image and it is a real missed opportunity.
As a new photographer, you often hear rules of composition and how important they are — the rule of thirds, foreground interest, and so on — and you might even try to jam them into your shot, but that isn't understanding composition. Videos like this one by Nigel Danson help to give you a better visual sense of what to avoid and it can be invaluable.
