Landscape Composition Using Lines
Bring Landscapes to Life by Working with the Lines in the Landscape
The landscape photographer needs the ability to recognize underlying or inferred lines in the scene. This is an important part of the compositional process and ensuring lines help the landscape composition rather than detracting from it. The viewer’s eyes follow lines in a landscape and a danger to good composition is a poorly considered line that may distract the viewer away from the areas the photographer considers the main interest.
Use lines in the landscape in conjunction with the rule of thirds. This guide suggests preferred positioning for the main items of interest in the landscape rather than a rigid requirement. It is one of many factors, and as each situation is different the final judgement rest with the photographer’s artistic judgement.
Because lines may be implied, the landscape photographer should carefully consider the whole scene. However, one of the joys of landscape photography is just being there and marvelling in nature’s glory, and the pace of landscape photography is unhurried and relaxed, so it is not a chore taking time to consider all aspects of a scene. Reward the viewer with pot of gold at the end of the road. If the line leads nowhere, the viewer may feel cheated or disappointed.
Man-made construction such as roads, paths and the bridge in Fig 1 may seem more obvious than lines suggested by more subtle natural features. Consider shadows, patterns and natural features, as in Fig. 2, where the incoming edge of the small wave suggests a line for the viewer’s eyes to follow towards the large rock. Even though the implied line is not a geometrically perfect diagonal, it is more diagonal than horizontal or vertical.
Horizontal lines tend to produce passive relaxing images, while diagonal lines make for a more dynamic image with impact.
Exceptions
Sometimes photographers try to jazz up an image with a diagonal aspect by holding the camera on an angle. This does not work in landscape photography, as there is general expectation that the horizon is flat and perfectly horizontal. Take particular care around water, as the sea does not have a slope. This is why landscape photographers use spirit levels as part of the compositional process. They come built into a good tripod or are available as separate accessories.
In Fig 3, there is a combination of a seascape horizon and the diagonal line created by the remnants of the old pier. This adds drama to a featureless sea, leads the eye towards the sun, and clouds near the horizon.
Obvious features include such details as paths fences, but lines can also be more subtle, as in Fig 2, where the wave front is a diagonal line leading to the large rock on the beach.
Patterns
Finally, some lines or repeating patterns make the journey itself the whole point. This is part of the appeal of Fig 3, where the slightly irregular pattern of the pier remnants has its own story, as well as the sunrise over the sea.
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