Landscape Photographer Shares Composition Mistakes to Avoid

Composition  •  Landscape Photography  •  Photography Tips

Some people have a natural eye for composition. But others spend a lot of time and effort to get things right. It takes time, but it’s possible to learn how to create a composition that wows everyone. In that process, you will make mistakes, but it’s important to realize that mistakes are the pillars to success. With this view, landscape photographer Nigel Danson shares seven composition mistakes he commonly made as a beginner photographer and how he overcame them:

“Composition is what connects everything together and it’s the thing that most people struggle with.”

A common mistake that beginners make is to try and fit everything in one image. We end up with images that feel cluttered and lack breathing space. Danson explains why negative space is important in images and how you can use negative space more effectively. When done correctly, negative space beautifully balances your photos.

Lighting is another key element of photography. However, a common mistake is to use light just to illuminate the elements. As Danson beautifully showcases in the video, we can actually use light and shadows as compositional elements. They help in crafting a visual path to draw the viewers’ eyes and attention into the image.

Life is fast-paced, but that doesn’t mean that we need to rush when taking photos. Rushing simply causes us to miss out on important details. Having patience is key. If we take some time, we may even find interesting shapes, patterns and textures that complement each other. Danson shows us some examples of how this can actually take our images to an entirely new level. Be sure not to miss it.

Besides these fantastic composition tips, Danson also talks about other interesting compositional aspects. If you’re looking for resources to help you elevate your composition, we highly recommend that you go through this insightful video seriosuly. You’ll definitely find it helpful.