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Photography Tips: Giving a sense of scale to landscape photos

Landscape photography shots can look really bland if there is nothing that stands out in the scene. To give a landscape shot a sense of the dramatic, we will need to emphasize on the differences in scale within the composition. By creating the contrast between smaller objects to the size of the background terrain, a sense of awe can be created.

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Below are some tips for creating this sense of scale.
1. Include a foreground element in the composition
A foreground element can strongly bring out the contrast in terms of scale with respect to the overall landscape. We can be adaptable in employing a suitable foreground element. Such an element can be anything prominent from a lone tree, a building, signpost or simply a distinctive rock. Use the creative eye to find the best object. Also, there should also be a consideration for the Rule of Thirds with regards to the placement of the foreground element. In another word, use the Rule of Thirds to decide on the best place to position the foreground element.

2. Exercise creative rearrangement of the elements of the composition
We do not always have to fixate unto the current placements of the elements. Where it is possible, a photographer may wish to re-arrange the elements for a better composition. For example, we may want to place an appropriate foreground element for enhancement of scale differences.

3. Take advantage of wide-angle lens
Yes, wide-angle lens is widely used for landscape photography. This is simply because its characteristics are suitable for such endeavours.

There are really no hard and fast rules to this. Anyway, hope that this information is useful. Happy photographing 🙂