OK. You have this fantastic mountain scene…or river scene that you want to capture. You feel the light is good..or as good as it will be right now. What do you do next? Walk around and take 100 shots of it..or spend a few more minutes and try to capture in your mind what you feel will be the best view for you to get?
Try to figure out what is the very center of attention of this scene. Is it the mountain peak, the snow on the mountain itself.? Or the curve in the meandering river…or the trees that surround the river? Once you have figured that out, focus your efforts on the “center of attention.” Once you have made your decision, use your zoom lens on the camera to move in and out of the scene and decide what you can add…or eliminate… to highlight the photograph. Are there some elements in the foreground that would like to eliminate?
Is there something, like a tree or a tree branch, that you can use to help frame your center of attention and have that move your viewer’s eyes to the center of attention?
If is a river scene, capture something that will move the view’s eyes to the center of attention. Always, if possible try to frame your scene with something in the foreground.
But be sure that you are capturing your center of attention and don’t leave any doubt in your mind what is the center of attention. Take several different view so you feel you have the best photo possible at that time. Good luck!
Frank Brueske
Award winning photographer, Franklin (Frank) Brueske, is originally from Southeastern Minnesota. He became interested in photography while in elementary school and purchased his first camera from a rural community drug store when he was is the sixth grade. It took 127 film, was fixed focus, but had sun and cloud adjustments. He still has that camera today. More about Frank
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