Background & Foreground
When exploring the landscape, there are
two elements that vie for the photographer’s eye. These are the wide
expanses of land that stretch from the midground to the horizon, and the
immediate rich detail of the foreground that lies just beneath the eye
of the lens. According to Tom, though, these two features need not stand
alone – both can easily be incorporated into one image.
‘If
you’re able to include the immediate foreground as well as the
landscape, it’s worth looking at how those elements can work together,’
he says. ‘Not only does it add depth to your image, but it also puts the
details of the foreground in context and presents them within the
bigger picture.’
Photo by Phil Hargreaves
Gathered
in the cold and blustery early morning air, Tom Mackie and four AP
readers survey the land and discuss their tactics for the day.
‘This
is a prime location for showing off the gentle undulations of the
heather-covered landscape,’ says Tom. ‘You’ll find all sorts of
beautiful details here, such as bracken and rosebay willowherb, that we
can use in our foregrounds to great effect. Beyond that, you have nice
strong lines and S-shapes that can guide the viewer’s eye through the
location. There are also a few barns and farmhouses that we can
potentially use as subjects.
‘We’re going to be covering various
techniques to create exciting landscapes using composition, filters and
depth of field,’ he says. ‘The light is a little flat today, but that’s
fine because in a location like this, evocative and dramatic images are
a given.’
Tried-and-tested tools, such as polarising filters
and neutral density (ND) graduated filters, can help to bring out the
best in a location. ‘Using polarising filters, we can increase colour
saturation and, weather permitting, darken the blue skies to give us
deep rich tones,’ Tom explains. ‘We’ll also be exploring ND grad
filters, which we can use to control and balance the exposure of our
images. As we’re going to be faced with bright skies on top of
landscapes where we want to retain the detail, this is going to a
particularly useful tool.’
As well as Hole of Horcum, Tom and
the AP readers also plan to explore Falling Foss in May Beck – a
stunning natural waterfall that is one of North Yorkshire’s best-kept
secrets.
