Your Environment / Landscape / Background

In every shot you have an environment, a background. A scene is part subject, part surroundings and so it’s important that the subject is placed appropriately against the background.

Something which you should always be aware of are lines. If placed wrongly, a subject can appear to have objects such as lamp posts, door frames etc. growing out of them. Be sure to place your subject accordingly so that the images work.

Busy backgrounds can also draw your attention away. This can be handled by focusing well and/or balancing the colours they mix with.

Often there will be elements in the background of your frame which move. This can range from wind making trees rustle to far beyond that. The way to best deal with these issues is to move either the subject or the camera. It’s easy enough to work around these problems, but essential to be aware of them.

Another easy way of tackling this problem is to reduce the background, by changing your angle or moving closer to your subject. Or, thinking practically – could you place your subject in front of the distracting background? Maybe you could place an object in front?

Always keep a close eye on your background and how well documented it is. You can vary your shots tenfold if your background remains consistent and your subjects have been established in different areas.