Every photo tour brings a new opportunity to meet a wide variety of people with diverse professions, life experiences and nationalities. To me, this remains one of the most enjoyable aspects of leading photo tours, no matter how stunning the location may be. Yet, despite this broad diversity, the participants I have the pleasure of meeting all have one thing in common—they enjoy the pursuit of creating images in and of the natural world.

When asked to recall their most memorable photographic experiences, participants muse elatedly about chance encounters with wild animals, the serendipity of magical light after a storm breaks, or the pleasure of exploring new terrain in a distant land. Without fail, the tactile, direct experiences with Nature are the ones that enthrall us and motivate us to keep searching for that perfect shot. Simply put, it is Nature that makes nature photography so enjoyable. It can’t be helped. We humans are inseparable components of the natural world in regard to our actions, biology and psychology.

In my professional work, I quickly came to realize that the “natural connection” that lies in the heart of photographers can also be triggered in just about anyone who views a photo of someone in harmony with the natural world. The inclusion of a human figure in an otherwise landscape-based image instantly gives it a new and often deeper meaning. The story and circumstance of the image becomes more attainable in the viewer’s mind when a fellow human is represented. Through the reading of body language, setting and circumstance, it is easier to relate to the experience and feel the potential emotions of the subject.

When I am photographing any type of landscape, I often look for effective ways to include people in some of my compositions. I have found that it is a relatively easy way to build both concept and visual impact in even the simplest settings. Where appropriate, I will create a landscape image both with and without a person to provide a choice to my clients. More often than not, they choose the image with the person.

But, as in every aspect of creative photography, it’s not as easy as simply making someone stand or walk through your composition. When including people in our photographs, we need to pay attention to an extra set of variables in order to make them visually effective.

One of the most common effects of including a person in your landscape is to provide a sense of scale, both visually and symbolically. The relative size of a known object (your average human) versus its surrounding area (the picture frame) implies relative importance to each. In common terms, a large figure in the frame means that the image is all about the person and their actions or character, such as in sports and portrait photography. A small figure in the frame also implies importance to the person, but with the addition of their relationship to the environment in which they are placed.

As in all aspects of photography, it is imperative to retain two-dimensional separation between a subject and its background. Even though a human figure is easily recognizable, careful consideration in regards to its surroundings is still required, especially when the scale is relatively small.

The concept of two-dimensional separation is best illustrated in the case of silhouettes, where the subject relies completely upon the background to be seen. However, any perfect silhouette can be compromised without careful consideration of body position and outline. Indeed, even the most attractive human figure can take on the appearance of a tree stump if not postured well.

In several of the previous images seen here, the use of a bright color to bring attention to a small human figure is evident. It is a simple tool, which relies on the sensitivity of the cones in our retinas to colors such as yellow, orange and red, which has been used by professionals for decades. Even the smallest presence of these colors in a large-scale landscape image helps direct the eye immediately to the subject.

The use of any or all of these visual guidelines can help create an effective image where human presence provides additional depth and meaning. When successful, the illustration of the connection we all share with the natural world can become one of the most enjoyable aspects of nature photography.

All images copyright © 2006 Todd Pierce