How to Ensure your Main Subject is the Star in your Photo

When I was new to landscape photography, I admit, I was a mess when I arrived at a location I intended to photograph. Overwhelm and excitement would overtake me as I ran out into a setting. I'd plop down my tripod, attach my camera and begin clicking my shutter frame after frame, never giving much thought to how I could really showcase the elements in my scene. Instead, I thought a beautiful scene was enough to create the images I was seeking.

Nowadays, I'm still excited about the beauty I get to immerse myself in as a landscape photographer, but I do try to compose more thoughtfully. Of course, I don't always get it right, but it's something I'm at least conscious about. I want to create visually compelling landscape images and to do that, most photos need an identifiable subject.

Now I bet you are wondering how you can compose your landscape images in a way that places your subject front and center as a star in your photo? The answer is, "there is more than one way." However, below are a few steps you can follow to help you get visually solid results. 

First, when you arrive at a location, leave your camera in your bag. Keeping your camera out of your hands will give you time to enjoy the scene and the moment through your senses rather than the camera's viewfinder or LCD screen. Second, walk around the location and purposefully identify the main subject. Third, consider how you can compose your image to best showcase your subject. 

^{ISO 100, 35mm, f14, 1/25 sec} 

Think about the Rule of Thirds when considering composition for the main subject you've identified. First, divide your frame into thirds and aim to fill about one-third of the photo's frame with the main subject. You can physically move closer to your subject or use a zoom lens to achieve this. When the main subject takes up significant visual space within the frame, it's bound the be the star in your photo. 

Now I realize that this approach might seem simple, but it's often very effective. So, if you are capturing a mountain scene, compose your photo to position the mountain prominently in the frame. Likewise, when taking a seascape photo, compose so that the water or sky takes up two-thirds of the visual space in the frame. 

If you want your subject to be the star in a photo, it really can be as simple as thoughtfully identifying and then positioning the main subject prominently within your picture frame.