The Importance Of Foreground In Landscape Photography 

The foreground layer takes landscape photography to the next level. When out in nature, it’s easy to devote your attention to distant snowy peaks, red canyons or gently rolling hills. But just because the lighting is perfect and your focus is spot on doesn’t mean the photo can’t be improved.

Be sure to look at what’s close to you. It’s often the foreground in your photo’s composition — the part closest to you — that gives the viewer proper perspective and added dimension.

Adding depth

Most landscape photos are shot with a wide-angle lens to capture the magnitude of the scene. In essence, this compresses distance. The effect on the viewer is that they see a scene where everything is far away and very two-dimensional.

A foreground element, by its very nature, will draw the eye. But more than that, it will work to add depth to the overall scene. It adds that third dimension to a 2D photo. It deepens the scene by giving a sense of distance. The viewer is now drawn in because they have been granted spatial awareness.

In the example below, the castle wall in the foreground provides depth to the photo. The viewer can properly perceive the amount of drop-off from the cliff to the valley below, and perhaps even feel like they are standing at the wall.