Last week's blog revealed an easy formula that creates depth. This formula is to have a strong foreground, a middle-ground, and a background. As skill levels develop we start seeing variations to formulas that help to disguise them so that our images do not all look the same. What can we do to make the image even stronger, with even more depth? How about using shapes as well as our depth formula?

We once again have a foreground, a middle-ground, and a background. This time we have added a shape to the image. The foreground forms a triangle that points to the background. This helps to tie the foreground and background together. The rock shelf also forms a kind of triangle also pointing to the standout rocks in the distance.

          Adding shapes to our compositions make our images more dynamic. Triangles that point to our backgrounds are powerful. S shapes and curves are even more powerful compositionally. The foreground captures our attention but then these shapes point us and move us into the image. This is what depth is. We always want our viewers to look into the image. It creates the feeling that we are there and can just step forward into the scene.

          The art of photography is the ability to start seeing compositionally. We start seeing these formulas and shapes. We actively look for them and use them when we shoot. Really pay attention to your foregrounds when shooting landscape images that need depth. Moving just a little this way or that way makes a huge difference. When I arrived on this scene I knew that my main compositional element is the rocks in the distance. Now that I know that I start walking around looking for a foreground to match. I start looking for shapes, lines, and curves. When I find a scene that puts it all together I have my shot.