87% of Photographers Agree This is MOST Important!
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In this week’s episode, we discuss what most photographers say is the most important aspect of a great landscape photo. Over the past two years, I've had an ongoing survey running where I ask photographers if Light, Composition, Subject, or Conditions is the most important aspect of an incredible landscape photograph - and for the most part I agree with the overall consensus. In this video, I'll share with you the best piece of advice I've ever heard related to how one can assemble a pleasing landscape composition, which we all know is not the easiest thing to do. I hope you enjoy this week's video and as always thanks so much for watching! - Mark D.
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✅QUICK QUESTION: What do you think is most important, Light, Composition, Subject, or Conditions?
Composition for me
The only proper answer: "Yes."
When I first started photography, the first and best piece of advice I received was to "Fill the frame with what you love and leave out the rest." It hasn't failed me.
Years ago, I had one of those "ah ha" moments. I was asked to pick 6 photos for exhibition. I picked them out and then realized each one was taken with a tripod. It turned the experience of knowing the benefit of using a tripod from intellectual to empirical.
Here is a tip that I used with my students and give this a try mark. You might really find. It useful when you get to a scene. Standing in the middle of where you may shoot. Put your gear down and then stand there and close your eyes. Yes, close your eyes ..what do you feel? What do you hear? Is it warm? Is it cold? What are your senses telling you ..1 extra minute and all of your other senses take over ....
It also gets you to breathe and relax instead of rushing to see what compositions are about.It gets you the slowdown.It's a mindfulness process that I go through.When I get to a scene.I've been showing it to a few other my students.And they really enjoy it as it makes them feel relaxed.And calm and when you are relaxed and calm you take better photos
Mark, Another interesting video-Thanks. I noticed no one commented about the missing fence on the mountain. I remove stuff like that too. People think they need to put in place too to protect those not smart enough to watch where they are going. I see fences all around the Grand Canyon now. We had that problem down here as one of the older folks walked into a small hole and herself badly while taking photos. The simple fix was the big orange cone in the hole (little dirt would have been better). That wasn't good enough then they decided to yellow tape off the area so no one could photograph the owls. Guessing people got to close the edge up there and some fell off. I'm always careful on trails, mountain edges etc. Hey, some of the trails with exposed roots were more dangerous than other places I have been. Just a personal thing that I hate to see us trying to protect everyone to the point of ruining the landscape.
I think light is the most important. The best subject and composition can be very boring. A super mundane subject with amazing light can be a masterpiece. Its all important but interesting light is always my top priority.
I’ve come from a landscape painting background. Photography crept in as part of recording a scene alongside sketches…..and then became a dominant part. Yes, I have paint fingerprints on my camera! Everything you said resonates. Investing the time to develop your objective, your intention, is important. Analysing the scene and your reactions to the situation helps embed you in the place and vice-versa. I often find I’m distracted by surroundings so I use is an Artist’s Viewfinder to isolate the possible images. It’s quicker and lighter than looking through or at the camera. I’ve got it marked to give a window with the aspect ratio of the camera, zoom is experimented by reaching out your arm. It’s also cheaper to replace if you stumble badly whilst scrambling around finding the position you want.
Great video, definitely made some key points. Enjoy Bali🎉
Yes, I recently purchased an Artists Viewfinder myself and find using it as you describe is very helpful.
Step one is exactly why AI will not “destroy” photography.
Step two is great advice. Pay attention and ask “what do you love most?”
Step three, put it all together.
I agree about the tripod too!
Thanks for sharing Mark!
Glad to do it Jason
Is there a better channel out there? Thank you for what you bring to each of us striving to achieve what moves us most through our captures.
The equation "light + subject + conditions = composition" is a brilliant idea to always keep in our mind .... You explained the different steps in a simple way and this will help us to make all this easier combined with a little patience ... I guess I have to improve the technique of framing too ... Thank you, your videos are useful ...👍🔝
Great to hear this feedback - thank you!
I'm going to make a deliberate effort to explicitly apply these and see if they help. (I already have trouble with step 2, however, because I've often discovered that there is almost always something worth photographing if you can just learn to see it).
Great video as always! And really helpful to reinforce the importance of slowing down when initially out on location...still struggle at times with that.
My similar steps:
Feel-What is moving you inside? What is the emotion?
Appeal-What is interesting? Light? Color? Form? Texture
Reveal-What choices will you make to convey the magic you feel considering point of view, lens, depth of field, motion
Conceal-Get the shot in your camera.
Such good information and tips. Thank you.
Awesome video as always.
Very helpful. Thank you.
Very helpful insight. You might want to finish with a revised equation: Light + Subject + Conditions + Perspective = Composition. In other words, the arrangement of your favorite parts of the scene can often be altered substantially by changing the position of your camera.
Interestingly, I’m still not sure what he was rambling about…
I think what surprised me most was the '87% / composition' stat. Perhaps i don't understand what is going on here, or perhaps i'm an outlier, but Light is, far and away, the most important element for me. Given any particular quality of light, i'll go off and find a subject to put in it. The light will determine the composition - or, to put it another way - the composition will follow from the light. What i'm looking for in a frame is simply the best possible representation that i can manage of that light's potential... the subject is not as critical because pretty much anything, whether epic or banal, can look special given the right light. Maybe i'm taking 'Photography' - drawing with light - too literally, but it really does seem to me that that is the Alpha and Omega of the whole game - and that the 'compositions' are already there in the actual-factual world (they can't not be) just waiting for the illumination to settle on them and, by accident or virtue of intent, be noticed by a passing photographer (which is probably just another way of describing that process of waving the camera at different framings until the obvious choice appears - and / but, it was there all along). Anyway, good vid and an interesting topic to meditate on, so many thanks. All the best for your travels. Cheers.
I think light is usually the thing that gets my attention most-- If the light is flat or dark I then think either B&W or a more intimate detail shot-- If there is great light either sunrise, sunset, light rays then that drives what I shoot. Then I I start thinking or looking for the composition.
I think that composition plays an important role in photography. It's still a bit hard for me to get composition right. I think your advice regarding just stop and look around and enjoy the view really helps you clear your head into what should your composition be. Composition is definitely something that you "feel".
Fantastic ... enjoy your trip!
Love the idea of the equation. If I could be so bold as to add 'Step #5' - Review/Reflect' to your process? As in your example of shooting the waterfall in Bali, after taking your shot, perhaps you may decide that the shutter speed was too high to capture the water as you pictured it would look in steps #1-4. By adding Step #5 and taking time to review or reflect on your shot, you may then decide to go back to the previous steps, in the hope of getting the shot you really wanted, whether while at your location, or even when post processing.
Great recipe for more impactful images. I really advocate for step one, take time to feel the scene and time to appreciate being able to see it.
Super practical advice! So many times I get to a destination and the anxiety of how to shoot it can take over and rush the process. This is a good reminder to slow down and work it out…
Thanks Mark. As usual very inspiring. Logical sequence we do without thinking
These are excellent tips Mark! I am always running and gunning and definitely need to slow down and work your tips! Thanks
Great process, Mark. Gives me a different way to approach a scene.
Great advice Mark. Thanks for another great video.
Hi Mark, these are such helpful tips, thank you! Also, the shots that you captured are gorgeous!
As usual a great video. Love your point of view about the “philosophical” aspect of photography. Thanks!
Excellent tips….⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks for this excellent (tasty) food for thought, Mark! I will apply these steps going forward.
Love this. One thing that I learned from shooting large format film a few years ago is to stop and put the camera down when I get to the location. Just look and observe and as you said, "interview" myself first about what I like or don't like.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for Mark for a wonderful video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another good video mark, well done.
Thank ya my friend!
Thanks!
Keeping it simple, good approach. Carry on. 👍🥂
Thank ya!
GREAT WORK MARK! 🏴☠️
Thanks so much!
I will make you smile... but when it comes to myself, the best thing beside all possible steps is simply patience... lots of patience and not rush. ( that doesn't necessarily mean I always have patience 😂 )
One suggestion: I like your 1,2,3,4 organization on your videos, but I think it would help if you summarized those steps on a "slide" at the end. Thanks.
Great video, Mark. Steps one and two are keepers for me. (BTW, I really love the color grade of your video. Perfectly balanced! XT-5? F-log or film sim?)
Thanks so much! XT-5 F-Log
While some genres require working quickly at times, I like the approach you outlined, especially the part were one enjoys the scene/event before taking any photos.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I used to say composition. Now I say light.
I'm with ya
Great content!! I hope to meet you in person one day.
Light is part of conditionings, and light greatly effects composition.
Doesn’t seem like it makes sense to pick one as most important to me
Thanks mate for another great video. Could you please let me know which waterfall in Bali is featured in your video.
I have shot a few waterfalls in Bali…not very well I might add 😂 and would like to add this one to the collection.
I think I know which one it is but just want to be sure.
Cheers from Western Australia.
What is the ball head you use?
Aspen Ballhead from Colorado Tripod Co.
@@MarkDenneyPhoto Thanks for that, the ball head on my tripod and it wasn't a cheap one, has a slow drift. Nothing worse than getting the composition and let go of the camera only to see the lens slowly droop downwards.
7:42, the image shown. Is it shot with slow shutter speed?? If yes, then how much!!!
Where do show workshops that you offer?
composition might be the required first step, but conditions are what can make a photo special
Content, composition and competence. That's my copyright by the way.
Hello Mark I am curious, were most of these shot in the early morning sun or in the late afternoon sun.
What tripod do you use?
Very informative video, lots to think about to help me improve. However ( not to be petty), the overuse of the verb " love" is irritating....I love my wife, I love my family. I cannot love elements of a composition, I can only love someone who can love me in return. This precludes loving objects, articles or events. Please do not devalue the strongest human emotion by applying it to trivial sentiments. English is an incredibly rich language, with myriad subtle tones and shadings. Be adventurous, explore other shadings than the extremes. Allow the subleties of the full pallette to bloom.
Good video. How did you calculate the percentage as 87%😂
Thank you! Total votes divided by total responses
I'm afraid if I looked too closely and asked too many questions I'd always turn around and head straight home, considering the abysmal quality of the "landscapes" to which I have access. Just sayin'...
Thanks!
Thanks so much!