Dieter Hege, a photographer from Germany, submitted this fall foliage photo in response to my column, How to Take Great Photos: Landscapes and Foliage, on Nov. 9, 2013.
Settings: 1/125 f/8 ISO 100
Camera: Nikon D600
Lens: 28-300 mm f/3.5
Time: 10:13 A.M.
Several excellent elements of composition jump out at me in this photo of the vineyards and Y-Burg castle in Stetten, a small village in Germany.
1. Subject matter is well placed. In this case the center of interest is the castle.
2. Lighting and color are dramatic, drawing the viewer into and around the vineyard.
3. The horizon line or eye level line is an outstanding feature setting the perspective in this photo. In this case the horizon line is created by the valley receding into the background. This line gives the landscape a definitive 3-D look, and helps lead the viewer’s eye across the landscape.
4. Repetitive patterns and the play of light and shadow across the vineyards heighten the appeal of the scene.
5. Perspective angle is above and at a distance from the subject matter giving an expansive view.
These five identified elements can apply in photographing nature regardless of the type of camera or experience of the photographer.
Hege reminded me in his comments that another important aspect of composition is one’s own emotions.
What stimulates us to chose a particular subject and how it is captured are all a part of the emotional response.
Thank you for sharing this lovely scene.
Discussions about photography are essential to improvement and greatly encouraged. Please feel free to comment at the end of the article—I promise to respond. To submit your own photo(s) of fall foliage for possible posting on this column click here.
