What is Your Subject?
When looking for something to photograph, we usually start by emotionally responding to something beautiful in combination with light and form. But to help simplify creating a composition, it's helpful to establish a clear subject. This not only simplifies composing, but also helps with focus and depth of field which we'll discuss in Step 4.
In the Canadian Rockies, we are surrounded by majestic peaks and glacial-fed waters. Ultimately our eyes end up looking at the peak(s) of the mountain(s). Our eyes either start at the top of the mountain or end there, even if there are other interesting elements in the photograph.
Key Insight
For the majority of grand mountain landscapes, the peaks of the mountains become our most interesting element. Try tracking your eye movement when looking at a landscape image - where do your eyes go, and where do they end up?
Establish Your Background
It makes composing a lot easier if you think of the image as two main sections: the background and the foreground. As established already, the mountains will most likely be our subject, which will naturally be in our background.
The background of an image is something we normally identify with being far away and occupies the top half or 1/3rd of the frame. It's easier to find a composition by composing your background into the frame first because our background will not change significantly even when moving our position by a fair distance.
Pro Tip
Lock in your background composition first, then look around to find a suitable foreground. If you find a great foreground first, you might be hoping your subject (background mountain) lines up - sometimes it does, but establishing background first makes for easier compositions.
Find Your Foreground
Now that you have established your background (subject), you can look around to find a foreground. The foreground adds depth, scale, and visual interest to your photograph. Common foreground elements at Moraine Lake include:
Effective Foreground Elements
- Rocks along the shoreline (creates leading lines)
- Fallen logs or driftwood
- Wildflowers in summer
- Ice formations in early season
- Reflections in calm water
- Tree branches framing the scene
The foreground changes dramatically with even small movements. Moving just 10 feet can completely change your foreground while your background (the mountains) stays essentially the same. Use this to your advantage!
Arrange Your Elements
Once we have our foreground and background decided, we need to arrange our composition so that it has balance. Imagine every object in your image as a geometric shape. Everything in your image that has a similar tone and appears to merge together forms one object. These objects have an ability to draw our attention to them - how strongly they influence our gaze is referred to as visual weight.
To have an image that is well balanced, there needs to be a sense of geometric order and an even placement of objects with similar visual weight. The five factors that contribute to an object's visual weight are:
1. Size
Larger objects carry more weight
2. Tone
Brighter tones attract the eye
3. Colour
Warm colors feel heavier
4. Subject
Recognizable subjects draw focus
5. Shape
Complex shapes carry more weight
If we first arrange the objects by their visual weight, we can get an overall image that has a sense of balance. Afterwards we can delve into the details of the image and make minor adjustments to the composition in order to accommodate the details.
Two Types of Compositions
Once a foreground and background have been established and we have grouped the geometric shapes and perceived their visual weight, we can decide on one of two main styles of composition. These two styles are not the only options, but for simplicity, most landscapes fit into:
1. Symmetrical Composition
- Even balance across the frame from foreground to background
- No strong opposing subjects - objects distributed equally
- Mountain peak placed in the center of the frame
- Creates a more static, peaceful, contemplative mood
- Works especially well with reflections
2. Asymmetrical Composition
- Visual tension between opposing elements
- Objects of different visual weight balanced against each other
- Subject placed off-center (rule of thirds)
- Creates a more dynamic, energetic mood
- Often uses leading lines directing toward the subject
Creating a Sense of Depth
Now that we have determined what will be in our foreground and background, the next step in creating an interesting image is to create a sense of depth. There are two main ways to do this:
1. Reference to Scale - This refers to having an object in the foreground that we recognize as being a certain size. In landscape photography, having an object like a rock or tree in the foreground tells us that the large objects in the background are far away.
2. Layering Light - Imagine your image split into layers. Each layer has a unique tone which separates itself from the other layers. The more layers of tone you can add to the photograph, the more sense of depth you create. This is why atmospheric haze and golden hour light work so well - they create natural tonal separation between layers.
Why Sunrise Light is Magic
At sunrise, the warm light on the peaks contrasts with the cool shadows below, naturally creating 4-5 distinct tonal layers that give your images incredible depth. This is why we wake up at 3am!