How I Create Emotions in Landscape Photography

My heart jumped a little every time I heard, “Oh wow!” from some random stranger as I sat on my art show stool next to Gore Rainbow. This is a great piece to use as a give away promotion at the front of my booth. It never fails to draw uninterested passersby into a conversation.

During a slow moment, I asked one viewer what attracted her to this photo. The subsequent conversation made me realize that there is a lot more to composition than using the rule of thirds. Throughout the weekend, I had dozens of discussions about why this is a compelling image. This led me to some general principles that I’d like to share here.

Add a Splash of Saturation
Of course, the rainbow is the attention grabber, but why? Before the brain even has a chance to register the deeper emotional aspect of a rainbow, the eye sees a brilliant splash of color. The contrast of a highly saturated area against a muted background is like an eye magnet. Try it. Look at the edge of your computer screen so you see Gore Rainbow in your periphery. You might not be able to describe the subject of the photo, but the color really stands out.