In this video, Markus Albert describes three essential ingredients for appealing landscape photos.
In a recent article, I shared my opinion about what makes a great photo. I explored the importance of light and composition and tried to answer which of the two is more important.
Markus approaches the subject from a different angle. While the world we photograph is three-dimensional, our photos exist in a two-dimensional space. So, to create great images, you must find ways to preserve the three-dimensional look of the scenes you capture. Creating depth in your photos is essential to drawing the viewer in, and Markus shows three ways to do that.
He starts with transitions, of which there are various types. Examples include big-to-small objects, cooler-to-warmer color tones, or darker-to-lighter areas. In his video, he shows several images that emphasize this concept. He also demonstrates how photo editing can help improve transitions.
The second ingredient he talks about is atmosphere. Even without great light, you can have a great atmosphere. Take a foggy morning in the woods as an example. I've taken many of my favorite photos in such conditions. However, it's not only fog that contributes to the atmosphere in your images. A hazy day in the mountains can do a lot for the three-dimensionality of photos. Instead of using the dehaze slider in Lightroom to remove the haze, keep it or even increase it.
In my early days of photography, I made the mistake of introducing too much contrast and removing haze, and I want to show you an example from my archives. The first photo is very contrasty, and I wanted to give the image more punch.
I edited the second photo, which I took just minutes afterward, a few years later. I kept the haze; hence, the photo feels much more atmospheric.
Markus also explains the importance of light in creating depth. Again, he uses many examples to prove his point. That's why you should watch his video. You'll learn several ways to improve your photos in just five minutes.
