Have you every photographed an especially impressive landscape, only to have the shot appear much more subdued and with less emotion? It is not easy to capture powerful landscapes on photos along with their atmosphere. Unusual or simply wide landscapes impact the viewer because this person either consciously, or unconsciously, registers certain reference points. These reference sizes are essential in order to document the landscape’s actual size and impact. Definitely use recognizable points of reference, like trees or bushes, when shooting landscapes, if you really want the actual size to appear on the photo. That way an immediate size comparison is possible in your photos.

Here are some more helpful suggestions:

Accent the Foreground
A considerable part of the foreground should be included in the shot. Plants, signs, rocks – whatever – reference points in the foreground are the easiest in order to grant the landscape shot a feeling of size. This technique varies slightly depending on your distance to the ground. If you are on ground level, then draw the indispensable foreground into your picture. Objects directly in front of the lens appear very large. If their size is immediately recognisable, such as with street signs, then they serve as a good size guideline for the viewer. Such types of shots also appear more interesting due to a light alienation.

Bring yourself into the shot
Pure landscape shots should not inherently include any people, and sometimes it is exactly this lack of people that lends some landscape shots a distinct impact. In order to keep the wide landscape feeling, it is sometimes advantageous to include people in the shot. Sand dunes, empty and rocky landscapes without vegetation, or volcanic areas, offer few points of reference for the human eye. In order to deliver the feeling of a wide landscape, simply including one person in the shot, from a distance so they appear very small, will suffice. The point is not to portray the person in a recognisable fashion, but rather to serve as a reference for the landscape’s size.