The Offset Foreground vs A Centered Foreground

In almost any landscape photograph the foreground is just as important as the main visual background. A lot of photographers, including myself, will often neglect the foreground when shooting landscapes. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget about this important element as we tend to get caught up in the grandeur of what we are observing and overlook this often simple, yet vital part of what makes a landscape work.

Foregrounds can be subtle or prominent, and they can even be dominant especially when what is there is intended to become the main theme of the image. Take for instance this image of the bow of a canoe pointing toward a sunrise.

In this case the canoe, which is in the foreground, is the dominant subject with the background serving to provide the element of time and place. The placement of the canoe in the center of the image serves to create that sense of being there at the moment and points the viewer toward the rising sun. There is a sense of mystery along with a serene calmness. Without the placement of the canoe dead center and upfront in the dominant position, the image becomes ordinary.

Sometimes a more subtle approach works well like this black and white image of a late winter Kentucky landscape. On the left you find a weathered old stump in the foreground with the background fading off into the mist. That old stump serves to anchor the composition and provide an element of rustic charm to the image. Without the stump, the image would rapidly fall off the interest scale.  By placing it offset to one side, the stump also serves to balance the image with the darker clump of trees on the right. Also, the open side of the stump faces into the image, much like allowing room in the composition for an object like a person or critter to move into the scene...an effective framing or layering of the foreground, middle ground, and background.

Here's another example of a bold foreground blending well with the background. This image, taken on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Oklahoma, demonstrates again the importance of placement for the foreground, which is upfront and center.

Here the jagged, immovable texture of the rocky outcropping contrasts strongly with the softer, flowing element of the sky and prairie far behind in the background. Again it serves as a solid anchor for the composition and provides an ancient, enduring element against the ever changing texture of the sky. Without the foreground rocky outcropping this becomes just another photo of a field and sky.

One final example demonstrates how a long lens can contribute to the success of a photograph.

In this image of an ordinary Meadow Lark you see how the main subject is isolated against a soft foreground and background at the same time. Using a long 500mm lens and some selective cropping both elements were compressed into a natural looking blurred composition with the main subject remaining in sharp focus.

This provides a feeling of distance and isolation one where the Meadow Lark is viewed in its natural environment without the environment interfering with the focus element of the composition.

There is also a sense of a three dimensional depth to the image by including a soft foreground without any sharp elements interfering with the subject and the soft background provides a natural looking mat against and within which the Meadow Lark floats.

Effective use and placement of the foreground can provide that extra element a landscape image requires to create a composition that is not only pleasing but well balanced with a natural appeal. When shooting landscapes look for that extra piece of the puzzle that creates a strong appeal. It can be subtle, bold, offset, or upfront and centered. Which ever is used, experiment with all of them during the same shoot. One is sure to work.