Pay Attention to Foregrounds
Here’s a little ‘question’ for you to ask next time you’re out and about with our digital cameras.
Next time you’re taking a landscape or urban landscape shot pause before you hit the shutter and ask yourself:
“What’s in the Foreground of this shot?”
I find that many photographers give backgrounds of shots real attention - but few take the time to consider foregrounds.
If they do consider them it’s usually more about making sure the foreground is empty and that there is nothing obstructing the main focal point.
While empty foregrounds can mean your main subject is unobstructed - it can also leave your image looking quite boring.
Alternatively - a foreground with some sort of secondary interest point can really lead viewers into a shot and help create a more dynamic scene.
The foreground point of interest need not be anything too amazing - it could simply be a rock, tree, pathway or fence post. Alternatively you might want to get down really low and shoot from that position to make the ground itself the interest point.
More tips on using the foreground of your shots to add impact here.
I’d love to see the results of your experimentations with foregrounds over at the foregrounds assignment.
Read more posts like 'Pay Attention to Foregrounds'
Digital Photography School is Digg proof thanks to caching by WP Super Cache!
Darren,
I love this site! I followed similar wisdom from you on another post on a recent photowalk at the Santa Barbara Mission. I am thankful that I remembered your words.
Here’s a link to a photo where I remained aware of the foreground, and was able to compose a nice photo.
http://beta.zooomr.com/photos/trevorcarpenter/706000
Thank you so much for this site. I have been using a Canon Powershot but just bought a Nikon D40. There was a free class offered which I attended last night…after reading your site for almost 4 months now, it wasn’t very help. A compliment to you for sure. Thanks so much for teaching us amateurs.
Excellent article. Another thing in this image is your eye is dragged into the scene by those lines in the sand.
Must admit it really reminds me of an image I shoot last year, indeed initially I thought it may even have been the same location.
http://www.neverhappen.com/index.php?showimage=474
This is THE most useful and interesting photography blog I have ever come across in my whole entire life! If only I had have had this knowledge years ago, I could have really improved my photography skills. One hundred, thousand thanks!
Thank you so much for your teachings- it has helped me a lot since I got my first camera.
Though I am taking the new shots to try out this one, I think the following photo can show, how important both background and the front are: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/48252583/?qo=9&q=by%3Aliis5bet&qh=sort%3Atime+-in%3Ascraps