Ryszard Lomnicki shares four photographic key decisions for his shot showcasing the lushness of the spring greenery in Moravia
(Image credit: Ryszard Lomnicki)
Ryszard Lomnicki is a specialist in long exposure and landscape photography. His expertise allowed him to travel and spend time in the wild, which he believes to be one of the many positive aspects of being a photographer.
I had the honour of interviewing him about his work and analysing his image created in Moravia, Czech Republic. During our discussion, we delved into the techniques he used to capture the photo and why it works so effectively...
1. Vivid colours
Landscapes undergo significant transformations throughout the year, influenced by the weather and the season, but Ryszard decided to capture this scene in spring. “I planned to capture this scene at this time of year as I really wanted to show nature coming to life,” he explains. “The lushness of the spring greenery is crucial in this photo.”
Ryszard skilfully captured the light and shadow to highlight the different hues of green. This has resulted in a vibrant but harmonious frame that mesmerizes with its vivid colors. Furthermore, this all-green color scheme allows the tiny Chapel of St Barbara, found on the right of the frame, to stand out.
2. Leading lines
“The main challenge I faced when shooting in this location was the distance from the Chapel of St Barbara. Capturing the frame as I intended meant that I had to adjust the position of the tripod to align with the desired composition,” Ryszard explains.
He opted to include leading lines in his composition, with the trees creating lines that lead towards the chapel, naturally guiding the viewer’s gaze towards it. “By placing the chapel in a strong point, the leading lines combined with the undulations of the terrain highlighted by the rays of the setting sun, result in a more interesting image overall,” he adds.
3. Excluded horizon
When creating a balanced composition, the horizon is usually placed in the frame and often adheres to the classic rule of thirds. However, Ryszard intentionally chose to break with convention here by filling the frame with the landscape instead.
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“I decided to isolate the scene with the fields, the trees and a chapel to focus the eye on the most important elements of this scene,” he explains. “Including the horizon and sky might have unnecessarily disturbed the clean composition.” By doing so, he has showcased the landscape to its fullest potential.
4. Light fall-off
By darkening the edges of the frame using a vignette, Ryszard achieved a visual spotlight on the subject. “The vignetting effect was used specifically to focus the
eye on the most important elements of this photo,” he explains.
With the reduction of brightness, a visual leading part was created that skillfully draws the viewer into the frame while enhancing the narrative of the photograph.
Ryszard Lomnicki is an award-winning photographer based in Galway, Ireland. He specialises in long exposure and landscape photography and is also the official co-photographer of Haida Filters and a brand ambassador for Leofoto, Shimoda and Blackrapid.
Kim is the Technique Editor of Digital Photographer Magazine. She specializes in architecture, still life and product photography and has a Master's degree in Photography and Media with a distinction from the FH Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences in Germany. While studying, Kim came to the UK for an exchange term at the London College of Communication. She settled in the UK and began her career path by joining Future. Kim focuses on tutorials and creative techniques, and particularly enjoys interviewing inspiring photographers who concentrate on a range of fascinating subjects including women in photography, the climate crisis; the planet, its precious creatures and the environment.
