Have you ever struggled to find your composition when out practicing landscape photography? Maybe you arrive and aren’t finding inspiration from the scene, and nothing stands out to you. Or maybe the scene is overwhelming with possibilities. This simple exercise can help you find a scene.
We have all been there—we are out photographing, and we are struggling to find a composition we think will be interesting. It could be because the scene seems bland, maybe it's the wrong time of day, or maybe our head just isn’t into it yet. Or maybe the scene is full of possibilities, and we are having a hard time distilling it into a handful of compositions.
In this video, Kim Grant shares a simple technique to help in either situation. Grant starts in the home office, describing how she came across this exercise, how it applies to photography, and then how to practice it. Grant then heads out into the field to talk through using this finger exercise to help you find a scene.
Sitting along the seashore, Grant reviews the finger exercise again and then discusses what subjects drew her attention while practicing it. During this one exercise, Grant observed four things she had not noticed before—the prominence of the color of the sea, the movement of the grasses, an insect flying around, and the dark, defined shadows under the midday sun. Grant proceeds to produce some excellent photographs from these observations.
I found the video quite helpful. I often tell workshop clients to slow down when approaching a scene, but telling someone to slow down and actually slowing down are two different things. This simple finger exercise is a technique you can use in the field to slow down and get your mind to identify what is interesting in the landscape around you.
