It’s common in action and sports photography to include space for the action to go. Giving this shrub rose a little room to the left is important. Thankfully, unlike in the days of film, this problem can easily be fixed in post. Nothing can ruin a good photo faster than a horizon line that’s slightly askew. But wherever the horizon line is placed, great care should be taken to make sure it’s perfectly straight. Even though only a sliver of the water is showing, it still gives the scene a sense of place. I placed the horizon line extremely low in order to emphasize the pine needle branches and the dramatic clouds. In the image on the left, the water was the least interesting thing about the photo. Incidentally, the large tree on the right of the image works well as a leading line toward the rising sun. In the sunrise image above on the left, I placed the horizon line higher in the frame to show more of the fallen trees in the water. Depending on the scene, the horizon line can be placed high or low to emphasize or de-emphasize various areas of the photo. Well, just like some subjects, a horizon line doesn’t always have to be in the center either. In the first installment of this series, I talked about the “Rule of Thirds,” where the subject is slightly offset from the center of the frame. While I’m on the subject of lines, this might be a good time to discuss horizon lines. A high horizon line (left) emphasizes the lower portion of an image while a low horizon line (right) emphasizes the upper portion. The resulting compressed perspective accentuates the curve very well. Unlike straight lines, which are best emphasized by wide-angle focal lengths, curved lines look best when shot with longer lenses. Had I pulled back a bit on the focal length I would have gotten the classic “S-curve,” but it didn’t quite work within the composition. In the image above, I included a portion of the winding footpath to lead the viewer into the colorful forest area. Leading lines and paths don’t always have to be straight to lead one’s eye. A curving path leads the viewer’s eyes into forest. However, once you begin studying the scene, you will soon begin seeing them almost everywhere you look. It’s easy to find leading lines and paths in an urban environment, but they may not be as obvious in the natural world. It’s a great technique to really put the viewer into the scene. In the image above, I used the wooden fence as a path – transporting the viewer down the disappearing trail into the forest. Typically, leading lines lead your eye to a specific point of interest, whereas, paths take you to a faraway vanishing point. Last year, I wrote The Pathway to Leading Lines, about using leading lines and paths to direct a viewer’s eyes to an important element in the photo or to guide them on a journey through the scene. In Part 2 I’ll be highlighting a few more popular methods, but some might not be used that frequently. Last month in part one of this series, I discussed some of the most commonly used compositional techniques in nature photography. Outstanding Young Nature Photographer awardĪ fence leads viewers’ eyes down the path of a forest trail.
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