Composition Concepts - Photographing Suilven

In this video I take a group camping in the Highlands of Scotland and spend some time discussing how to compose a landscape photograph. I cover simple compositional ideas, framing a basic view, as well as looking for foregrounds to incorporate into an image.
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[@NicolasAlexanderOtto]

Damn that blue hour shot at the end makes me slighly jealous.

[@alexnail]

Yeah that was a nice moment! Worth staying up for!

[@piero_75]

For me, yours is the best pure photography channel on KZbin. Just great photos and explanations without the need for gimmicks and pointless b-roll. Please keep letting us in on your hikes, Alex!

[@alexnail]

Thanks so much. You obviously missed the b-roll at the start :P

[@AnomandarisPurake]

loved the walk around the water, with the compositional monologue, super interesting! Thanks.

[@alexnail]

Great, glad you found it helpful Sam!

[@tonygaskins565]

Forgot to say i also really liked the shot from the base of Sullivan, I'm not to bothered about the perspective you mentioned

[@alexnail]

yeah, sadly I notice those things whether I want to or not!

[@vincealcazar2870]

Just coming to your Channel via your critique video on Nigel Danson's page. Loved your comments there on color, color grading, color clippings, editing shifts, etc.

[@niallhardie]

Hi Alex, I came to your channel via your recent excellent video with Joe Cornish.I have spent some time over the last week or so watching a good number of your videos, and I have enjoyed both the on location and the technical editing ones. In common with a number of those that have commented, you pull together a style of content that I find very satisfying - I enjoy the on location scenery (in all conditions), but what is particularly of interest is the thought process related to planning, intentionality, and responding to the environment and/or conditions. The insight around composition is excellent - especially seeing where I either agree or disagree! Getting to see you apply your editing process to one of the images you feature in a video would be an added bonus. Thanks for all your work and effort in putting these together, and best of luck in growing the channel further.

[@alexnail]

Thanks Niall, although I must admit I do find it slightly weird the idea of people watching ME in this videos - the nature of the beast I guess! As I’ve said to other people elsewhere I’m still working on improving these videos but they are at least getting there!

[@BP-kx2ig]

Suilven is a fantastic mountain and great views from the top. To get there just drive to Lochinver and there you are. It is not remote.

[@alexnail]

its relatively remote, particularly in the Northwest Highlands where most mountains have walk-in distances of less than a kilometer (excepting 'The Great Wilderness). But of course remoteness is a relative term. No Scottish mountain is remote to someone who has been to the south pole!

[@mikebyrne8420]

Just learned about your KZbin channel when you participated in a critique of 5 of Nigel Danson's photos. Sorry I didn't know of your channel earlier. This is a fabulous video. Subscribed. Look forward to viewing much more of your work.

[@AleRodrigues]

Hey Alex found your channel by KZbin recommendation and it is simply amazing. I like your simplicity in explaining the compositions and I'm certain that you're also an excellent group leader. Soon I'll be sharing some landscape photography channels around the world in my YT channel and blog and yours is on the list. thanks for sharing this content. Will let you know when I do. Congratulations

[@Jameshnielsen]

Wonderful video, Alex. I’m new to your channel, via Adam Gibbs and his Drakensberg vlog where he notes your series on that remarkable location as inspiration for his trip. So glad he referenced you, as I’m thoroughly enjoying your content.

[@alexnail]

thank you so much!

[@briannicholson2971]

Hi Alex, I am sat here watching this now and a year ago to the day I was also wild camping there but the conditions were not a good as you got, I did enjoy the experience all the same, a purely magical landscape 😊👍

[@alexnail]

Yeah I’ve had an unlucky camp there as well, although I must admit I tend only to go if I’m highly confident of *something* just because it’s such an amazing hill it’s kind of gutting if you go up there and get clouded out!

[@briannicholson2971]

@@alexnail hi I was on a 5 day hiking trip and on the way out it was intense sun that made suilven almost invisible with haze, all was good for sunset until 20 mins before then could see nothing, it was quite amazing to be up there and not able to see the surrounding area apart from fleeting sights of the lochans. I made a book of my trip to document it.... Look forward to returning 😊👍

[@alanmorton1370]

Another great video, Alex. I liked the final composition and think you had to look quite hard to see the perspective issues. I can't see you carrying the amount of gear that Joe Cornish takes but maybe a tilt-and-shift lens? I would suspect that the utility of a zoom would probably outweigh the advantages of a T&S. When I first saw an image of Suilven it was from the opposite end and it looked so spectacular, rather like a highland Changabang. Have you considered trying that side? My one visit to that area was spoilt by such low cloud that none of the peaks were visible. It's definitely on my bucket list as well as the big ones in Torridon.

[@alexnail]

I’ve been to that side twice, once seeing nothing and on the second time getting good views but no light to speak of. It’s a fantastic perspective of the mountain but compositionally more limiting. The foreground potential is certainly better on this side. To the SE side the lochans are larger and surrounded by grass. I think in the right light I could make a shot there, perhaps I will try again at some point!

[@alanmorton1370]

@@alexnail Ah, I did wonder if that would be the case. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[@chrisparker5684]

Fantastic video Alex - that first shot of the misty lochans is one of the best I've seen for a while! Thanks for posting!

[@alexnail]

Thanks very much Chris!

[@PeteBrownGuitars]

Alex, for me, your focus on the compositional aspects of photography definitely elevates your channel above others given that I'm reasonably comfortable with the mechanics of my camera and don't have a "gear" fetish. Of course, it also helps that you're able to access and share this spectacular scenery with us!

[@alexnail]

Thanks Pete - I think it still needs a bit of refinement so that it appeals to a wider range of photographers, sometimes I think it needs to be a bit snappier, but thank you for the compliment!

[@PhilippLutz]

I love the combination of a hiking trip vlog + discussing compositions on camera and in retrospective. Looking forward for the Drakensberg adventure ;)

[@johnchambers6272]

Excellent video with a couple of very nice images, no doubt your clients would have been very happy with the way the weather turned out. Hopefully many more will subscribe to your channel as the landscape photography content that you put out is right up there. Thank you for sharing.

[@alexnail]

Thanks John, yes that was certainly a wonderful day and one that they greatly enjoyed. Although I must admit the conditions were less kind on the subsequent days!

[@klaus.bernhard]

Hi Alex, lets say, this are the kind of videos,which inspires really strong. Great 👊all the best from Austria, Klaus

[@alexnail]

Thanks Klaus!

[@tomwhite71]

Top class Alex, love that image

[@alexnail]

Cheers Tom!

[@ianperkins1360]

Great video, Alex. Looking forward to more of the same!

[@keithtimmis]

Great video! I really enjoy and learn a lot from your content that focuses on composition tips.

[@alexnail]

Glad I could help!

[@tonygaskins565]

Great images Alex, I loved the shots, especially the one from the summit of Sullivan. its been 30 years since I climbed Sullivan.

[@alexnail]

Might be time to plan another trip then Tony. It’s wonderful from the top and the bottom!

[@stigfloberghagenphotography]

Thanks. These composition videos are really interesting and helpful 👍🙂

[@alexnail]

My pleasure :)

[@nickrailer2202]

Another fantastic vlog, amazing light and scenery with great technical guidance, thank you for sharing 🙌

[@alexnail]

Cheers Nick!

[@thevalleywalker]

Hearing you say about the 1st time you had seen Suilven reminded me of the 1st time I saw it (I havent seen it in the flesh sadly) years ago. Someone had camped on the spot you camped at and had woken to an inversion all around with the sister peak poking out of the mist - it truly blew me away at the time.. and then having seen it from other angles over the years I have got fascinated with it. A great talk through on composition with some fabulous conditions although I must confess to not really caring about composition much as I genrally take what I see & like for it. Don't get me wrong I will try and work rules into an image but I never get really hung up on it. Looking at your finished image (which I really liked) and listening to you talk us through it I was wondering what ration you had shot in or did you crop to suit the composition? Got me also thinking about shooting it in a portrait orientation. Anyway, another good watch and I hope you carry on - ts always interesting and informative and you always have great landscapes in your videos. Btw.Spetember's calendar view is a rather differnt one from you - what amazing conditions they are from the Fisherfield. atb Al

[@alexnail]

Thanks Alan. Yeah I can definitely understand that approach to composition. A lot of people take images instinctively and besides that, if you can enjoy photography it doesn't really matter which approach you take (although I probably wouldn't try to work 'rules' into an image!). I always shoot in 3x2 with a view to cropping. I rarely shoot portrait just because I have a strong preference for landscape as a format, but the specific ratio doesn't bother me!

[@ThyWorshipMetal]

Looking forward to this! I’ve only seen Suilven for one day and love it to bits

[@alexnail]

Yeah when you first set eyes on it it's quite amazing!

[@iank1638]

Lovely images Alex, esp 13:52. and the final ones. I appreciate the in depth discussion re composition. Hope to get out on a trip again with you soon !

[@alexnail]

Yeah hope to see you again Ian!

[@carlreid4161]

I thought when you mentioned a reference point it immediately clicked with me as before you said it I thought the image including Col Mor was a good image, in terms of balance the light was all on the right, very interesting point that Alex. Watching you positioning your camera around the pond to get all the elements and breathing space around them was a takeaway for me, as just the right amount of water beneath the reflection and the rocks, the colour in the water did you use the CPL? The diagonal cloud also played into your hands I’m wondering does it make your portfolio Alex?

[@alexnail]

Thanks Carl. I did use a CPL but in its ‘off’ rotation if that makes sense! And yes, several shots for the portfolio from this day!

[@owenclarkephoto]

Interesting video Alex, enjoyed listening to your thoughts on composition. I'm also making slight adjustments to the framing out on location, it can be so difficult to tell what works best in that exact moment. The very last image at 18:53 is beautiful.

[@alexnail]

Yeah I find it particularly hard when I’m physically in an awkward position, so I try to be conservative by zooming out!

[@andrewherbert9938]

Lovely stuff Alex

[@alexnail]

Cheers Andrew!

[@stevef2114]

Lovely image at the end... not sure any perspective correction is needed as there are no vertical straight lines in nature and there arent any in the shot either... did you have to tip your camera? How many focus points did you do for this ..3 ? Would love to camp in this region. Did the west coast in a camper about 8 years ago.. .would love to go back.

[@alexnail]

In nature reflections still obey the laws of physics and that is where the straight lines come from. But due to the complexity of mapping the globe of vision onto a 2d image you could argue various cases both for and against paying attention to these perceived issues. For me it's a problem because a reflection *should* be directly beneath the thing being reflected. Only 2 images were necessary to get sharpness throughout.

[@stevef2114]

@@alexnail i understand, but that was very marginal. Why dont you use T/S lenses? Size and weight?

[@alexnail]

@@stevef2114 yeah it only really matters if I notice it, because then it takes me out of the image. It's much the same as why I edit so carefully. An editing artefact might be marginal to someone else, but if it takes me out of the image then it becomes problematic. Yeah, the size, weight, expense and general utility of tilt-shift lenses don't really make sense for me.