5 Landscape Photography Rules You Should Break f/79

The Stop Down Photography Podcast

Captain Barbosa in the film Pirates Of The Carribbean said this about the pirate code of parlay:

The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules.

That’s exactly what the “rules” of photography are. They are guidelines, helpful advice for creating and composing our photos, technical recommendations for using our cameras, and suggestions for post-processing. Learning the rules is an important part of the photographer’s journey. And so is knowing that the rules can be bent and broken.

In this episode, I talk about 5 rules of landscape photography that I think you should break. I got thinking about this when I broke my own glow rule in post processing. Enjoy the show!

5 Landscape Photography Rules You Should Break

The Rule Of Thirds: The rule of thirds is an essential concept to learn as a photographer. It is also a rule that should definitely be broken. Symmetrical scenes or compositions that leverage negative space are examples of when to break this rule.

Fill The Frame: This rule is about making your subject occupy the frame and avoiding dead space. In a landscape scene, leaving a little extra wiggle room at the edges of the frame is helpful. A composition with no leeway at the edges can be a problem if the horizon needs to be straightened - even slightly - in post.

Landscapes Require Extreme Depth Of Field: No doubt, crisp detail from the foreground to background looks great in a landscape. Yet equally compelling landscape photos can be made at wider apertures and shallower depths of field. Try this with the composition technique of framing, and listen to the episode for more ideas.

Golden Hour Or Blue Hour Is The Only Time To Capture Landscapes: The sweet light of the golden hour is beautiful. However, photography is about the light, not about your wristwatch. The “off hours” can be great, too. Overcast days in the forest, or infrared at midday, or unique light just after a rainstorm.

Landscapes Must Be Epic: The epic, almost otherworldly, landscape images of rugged terrain have been a social media trend for several years. And yes, these images look great. Photos of simpler, more peaceful scenes are also great. And, unless you live in the foothills of the Dolomites, the “everyday” landscape is much closer to your doorstep.

If you’re interested in the seascape tips I mentioned in this podcast, have a listen to episode #68, 5 Tips For Seascape Photography f/68.

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