Composition and The Importance of Foreground

Photography Composition: The Importance of Foreground

Create Depth

Figure 1: Foreground Used to Create Depth

One of the most common uses of foregrounds is to add depth to an image. This is achieved by showing a foreground that is very close to the lens while the background stretches into the distance. Figure 1 shows an example of a photographic composition using foreground in this manner. An interesting thing about this foreground is that it doesn’t have any significant objects of interest in it. Rather, the foreground is just a simple, flooded salt plain. The purpose of this foreground is not to draw attention to itself but to lend a sense of scale to the image. One clearly gets a sense that this salt plain stretches over a significant distance.
This use of foregrounds to add depth works particularly well with wide angle lenses. Wide angle lenses tend to make near objects appear larger and distant objects appear smaller. This stretches out distances — which adds to the perception of depth.

Place Center of Interest in Its Environment

Figure 2: Foreground Used to Place the Center of Interest in Its Environment

Another common use of foregrounds within photography composition is to enhance the center of interest by showing how it fits into its environment. Figure 2 shows a foreground used in this way. When viewing the actual waterfall, one is struck by its stunning beauty. However, it isn’t just the beauty of the falls that is so breathtaking. It is how the waterfall is set in a shimmering environment of ultra lush moss and grass. It was imperative that part of this environment be included in the image to impart that beauty. One way to achieve this was through the use of the foreground.
When utilizing the foreground to set the center of interest in its environment, one thing must be kept in mind: the foreground should not be overpowering. In other words, the foreground should not draw too much attention to itself. It should support the center of interest, not compete with it. This was a concern with this waterfall image. In the first shot that was taken, the stump in the foreground was too large; this diminished the impact of the waterfall. Consequently, the image was recomposed to reduce the size of the stump in relation to the waterfall. Once this was done, the old stump assumed it supporting role as required.

Establish Mood

Fig.ure 3: Foreground Used to Establish Mood

• Use of weather: A misty lake in the foreground.
• Use of contrast: A foreground with heavy contrast to set a somber mood.
• Use of tone: A dark foreground to set a dramatic mood.
• Use of color: A foreground with a preponderance of red to set the holiday spirit.
• Use of selective focus: An image of a bride with a soft focus in the foreground to give a romantic feel to the image.

Leading the Eye

Figure 4: Foreground Used to Lead the Eye

This is one of my favorite photography composition techniques (I have to admit that I am a bit of a sucker for leading lines or curves in an image). By themselves, curves can add impact to an image. For instance, smooth curves can add grace to an image, and jagged curves can add a feeling of tension. However, it is when curves are utilized with some other object (often the center of interest) in an image that curves reach their full potential. In this use of the foreground, curves in the foreground of an image are used to lead the viewer’s attention to another object in the image. This is a very powerful technique.
Figure 4 illustrates the use of curves to lead the viewer’s attention. The scene of this waterfall was very interesting. The water tumbling down the stairstep falls was eye catching. In creating the image, the use of curves added impact to the photographic composition. The fallen log in the lower right corner of the image points the viewer’s eye directly to the main part of the falls. The branches next to the log direct the viewer’s eye toward the base of the stream of water on the left side of the image.
One thing to keep in mind when using foreground curves to enhance an image is that each curve must have a specific purpose. That purpose must somehow strengthen the image in some way. Otherwise, the curves may actually weaken the image.

Add Contrast

Figure 5: Foreground Used to add Contrast

The use of foreground to inject contrast into an image can be a powerful technique in photography composition. The important point here is that the eye is drawn to contrast. Thus, when used in this manner, the foreground is going to drawn the attention of the viewer. Depending on how the foreground is used, this can be either a good or a bad thing. If the foreground is utilized to somehow strengthen an image, or another object in the image (most likely the center of interest), this can add significant impact to an image. Otherwise, the foreground will serve only to distract the viewer’s attention from the center of interest and detract from the image.
Figure 5 shows an image where the foreground was used to add contrast to an image. In this image, the foreground consists of sand dunes that sit below the desert mountains in an early morning moonset. These dunes add contrast in three ways:

• Contrast of tone: This is probably the most noticeable contrast. The mountains and sky are illuminated by the early morning sunlight. In addition, the moon sits brightly above the glowing mountains. Conversely, the dunes sit in deep shade rendering a dark counterbalance to the image.
• Contrast of color: The dark gray of the dunes contrasts sharply with rich reds of the mountains and the blue of the sky.
• Contrast of lines: The dunes have strong curved and diagonal lines that contrast with the horizontal lines of the mountain ridges.

Adding a Dynamic Feel

Figure 6: Foreground Used to Make an Image More Dynamic

A foreground can be used to create a more dynamic feel within a photography composition. There are so many ways that this can be done that it is impossible to list them all. In fact, the ways in which a foreground can be used to add a dynamic touch to images is only limited by our imagination.
Figure 6 shows one image that relies on the foreground to add a dynamic touch. In this scene, the late-afternoon sunlight falling on the reddish soil of the desert contrasted beautifully with the blue of the sky. By itself, this would have made a good image. However, the addition of the foreground mountains added strong diagonal and vertical lines, a contrast in texture, a contrast in tone, and the dark trees on the right that jut upward into the blue sky. This added impact to the image and made the addition of the foreground worthwhile.

No Foreground Needed

Figure 7: No Foreground Needed

If a foreground does not contribute to an photography composition, it detracts from it. Figure 7 is a case in point. The area in front of this waterfall consisted of a small lake. Some experimentation with the composition showed that including the lake as foreground in the image only resulted in a dark, featureless mass of water that contributed nothing to the image. In addition, including the lake in the foreground required a wider angle shot. This caused the waterfall to recede into the distance — diminishing the size and impact of the waterfall. Consequently, it was decided that the foreground would be eliminated from the image. In this case, the elimination of the foreground strengthened the image.

Make Foregrounds Work