Images and tips by Ian Plant
TIP 1
Use leading lines.
Leading lines connect the foreground of the image with the background. This creates a visual path for the viewer, encouraging them to more deeply explore the composition. The transition from foreground to mid-ground to background also creates the illusion of depth. Getting close with your wide-angle lens will exaggerate the size of your foreground lines; this is what I did with these ripples in the sand dunes of the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. Tamron 15-30mm lens @15mm, ISO 100, f/11, 1/60 second.
TIP 2
Create a visual progression with an interesting foreground.
Leading lines and other leading shapes are great, but you don’t always have to be so direct with your compositions. You can also create depth and draw the viewer into the scene using more subtle visual progressions. It all starts with an interesting foreground. For this photo taken in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, I selected a curving stretch of shoreline to frame the reflection of the mountains and the gorgeous sunrise sky. I was very careful to avoid any visual merger between the curving shoreline and the reflections. Tamron 24-70mm lens @24mm, ISO 100, f/11, 30 seconds, 3-stop neutral density filter.
TIP 3
Include a point of interest in the background.
Leading elements push the viewer’s eye, while a point of interest pulls the viewer to the part of the composition where the point of interest is located. This helps you to direct the viewer’s attention where you want it to be. For this photo taken in the dunes of Death Valley, I have two points of interest competing for the viewer’s attention: the setting sun to the right, and the lone photographer to the left. Tamron 17-28mm lens @17mm, ISO 80, f/16, 1/100 second.
TIP 4
Don’t just look for leading lines—curves work great too!
Lines get directly to the point, but curves take their time getting there. Leading curves get the viewer’s eye moving back and forth, while they also draw the viewer deeper into the composition. This encourages the viewer to explore more of the photo. So, while the effect might not be as strong as when using leading lines, curves are more likely to hold the viewer’s interest longer. I used the squiggly curves created by water eroding the soft, colorful claystone of Badlands National Park; the curves come in from the lower edges and corners of the image, holding the viewer in the central part of the composition. Tamron 15-30mm lens @15mm, ISO 100, f/11, 4 seconds.
TIP 5
Make sure your leading elements lead somewhere interesting!
Leading lines that don’t lead anywhere important aren’t likely to successfully engage the viewer’s interest. It’s a good idea to first define your background point of interest, and then look for leading shapes that point the viewer in that direction. For this photo taken in a slot canyon in Utah, my point of interest is the sandstone in the background that is glowing with color, which is light reflected from the sunlit rocks at the top of the canyon. Once I had selected my background point of interest, I looked for leading elements that would point the viewer towards that spot; in this case, striations in the sandstone of the canyon wall. Tamron 17-28mm lens @17mm, ISO 100, f/11, 0.3 seconds.
TIP 6
You can use the same techniques to create depth even when you aren’t working with wide-angle lenses.
Although it can be easier to use leading shapes and a progression of visual elements when working with wide-angle lenses, you can often use the same techniques even when working with longer focal lengths. For this photo taken in the sand dunes of Death Valley during a sandstorm, I was using a short telephoto zoom. But I was still able to incorporate a visual progression of elements, in this case the multiple layers of shadow and sunset light on the dunes. The layers, working together, create a logical path for the viewer to explore more of the image, starting at the bottom (foreground) and working up to the dunes in the background at the top. Tamron 70-180mm lens @157mm, ISO 80, f/16, 1/125 second.