Spring and Lines are the Perfect Landscape Pair

Here in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, slabs of broken ice, the sprinkling of green grass and tiny buds breaking free from winter's capture tell the story of our spring. Yet, despite spring's soft emergence, she encapsulates some of my very favourite compositional elements with a bold, dynamic character. 

Composition in landscape photography is an enormous topic for discussion. However, there is one element that I think outshines many of the rest. Lines in landscape photography are a compelling compositional element as they infuse depth and dynamic storytelling. 

One of my very favourite compositional elements during spring break up is the use of leading lines. As chunks of ice break apart and recede, there's the beautiful opportunity to find lines that lead into your main subject.

^{ISO 100, 24mm, f14, 142sec}

As winter elements begin to fade into spring, look for the opportunity to infuse leading lines into your landscape images. When choosing where to place leading lines in your landscape composition, think about composing lines so that they land at around the one-third or two-thirds position within your frame. This aligns with the compositional Rules of Thirds and enhances the visual aesthetics of a landscape image. 

Also, try and use lines in a way that leads your viewer into the frame and towards the main subject. This will enhance the viewer's experience and facilitate the viewer's lingering within the frame. 

Next time you find yourself surrounded by the icy breakup of a spring landscape image, look for ways to use lines to infuse depth and visual interest and draw attention to your main subject. You'll be glad you did!