Hello! In today’s blog post, I’d like to share four basic tips for those who are new to photography or who regularly take photos but are looking to improve their direction and overall quality. These tips are especially helpful for those starting out with nature or landscape photography.
1. Balance – The First Step to Visual Stability
Balance is a crucial element when composing a photo. You need to make sure all the elements within the frame are visually harmonious. If one side feels heavier or the elements are scattered without a focal point, the image can feel chaotic or unstable.
Practical Tip:
Train your eye by observing many photos and artworks. Experiment with different compositions to develop your sense of visual balance.
2. Horizon Line – The Foundation of the Scene
In landscape photography, a tilted horizon can make even the most beautiful scene feel awkward. This is especially noticeable in scenes with a clear horizon, such as the sea.
Practical Tip:
Use the grid feature on your camera or smartphone to easily align the horizon line.
3. Intention – What Are You Trying to Show?
Before taking a photo, ask yourself, “What do I want to convey?” If your intention isn’t clear, the photo may end up confusing viewers. For example, if your subject is a person but their face is cut off or the focus is elsewhere, the message of the photo can get lost.
Practical Tip:
Take a second or two before shooting to think about your subject and composition. Ask yourself what you want to emphasize.
4. Image Quality – The Basic Requirement
You don’t need expensive equipment to take great photos — smartphones can do the job well. But regardless of gear, maintaining a certain level of image quality in terms of sharpness, exposure, and focus is essential. Without enough light or with poor focus, even a well-composed photo can fail to convey your intent.
Practical Tip:
Shoot in well-lit conditions, use autofocus effectively, and minimize camera shake with stabilization features or a tripod to ensure good quality.
Examples
Let’s look at some examples to see how these tips apply in practice.
This photo captures a lively beach scene in midsummer. However, it feels a bit unstable — the horizon is tilted to the left, making it seem like the people might slide out of the frame. The sun appears roughly centered but isn’t quite in the middle, nor clearly off-center, making the subject feel vague. Also, the hill on the far right appears without context, distracting the viewer’s attention.
This next image shows a peaceful moment with a cow and donkey walking. However, two things could be improved.
- The donkey is cut off on the left, making it seem like a framing mistake.
- The tilted horizon makes the whole image feel off-balance.
How does it look when we correct these?
In this revised photo, the same scene feels more natural and stable thanks to a straight horizon and added space in the direction the animals are walking. The flow of the scene becomes smoother, and the animals blend better with the background, clearly expressing the photographer’s intent.
This photo of a building also suffers from a tilted horizon, making the structure look as though it might topple. There’s also an unclear object cut off in the lower left corner, which confuses viewers — is it intentional or a mistake?
How can we fix this?
By straightening the horizon and tidying the frame, the image feels more stable. With buildings, it can be tricky to find a horizon line, but you can use vertical elements like walls or pillars to gauge balance. Doing so gives viewers a more relaxed viewing experience and helps them focus on the photo’s content. If the horizon isn’t clear, make a habit of using structural lines like windows or columns as your guide.
In this photo of persimmons and leaves, the focus is off — it’s locked onto the wood chips on the ground instead of the subject. The lighting is also poor, leading to noise and reducing overall quality.
On the other hand, with better lighting and the focus properly set on the fruit and leaves, the subject becomes clear, and the viewer’s gaze is naturally drawn to the right place. Good lighting and sharp focus significantly improve the clarity and impact of your photo.
As you can see, even when shooting the same scene, the impression a photo leaves can change dramatically depending on how much you pay attention to balance, horizon, intention, and image quality. Of course, there are many ways to take great photos, and some artists intentionally break these “rules” to create impactful work. But if you’re just starting out or practicing nature and landscape photography, these four tips are a solid foundation.
Take these points into consideration, enjoy exploring others’ work, and keep shooting your own!
