Lead-in lines are a very clever visual way that can be used to help the viewers’ eye through the scene and give your images a greater sense of depth.

For landscape photography, there is a range of scenic elements that can be used as lead-in lines including walls, fences, rivers, streams, paths, roads and much more.

Here are the best advices to use this technique to improve your landscapes

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Fine-tune your composition

Ideally, a lead-in line should run from the foreground towards a prominent focal point within the image, providing the viewer’s eye with a route to follow through the image.

This can help to convey a feeling of depth in a landscape photograph, giving it a more three-dimensional feel.

A line that runs directly from one corner of the image can be particularly effective and you’ll find that diagonal lines tend to be strongest.

Use subtle lead-in lines

Lead-in lines don’t have to dominate the image – often subtle lines can be more effective.

Implied lines, such as shadows, footprints on a sandy beach, a row of boulders and even cloud patterns can make very effective lead-ins.

Use curved lines

Lead-in lines don’t have to be straight.

Curving lines can be more effective as they slow the viewer’s progress through the image, allowing them to explore more of the detail in the scene.

Dry-stone walls, hedgerows, streams and other similar features in the landscape can sometimes provide the eye with several places to rest on its journey through the image.

Select the correct aperture

When composing an image with a lead-in line you’ll normally want to record the whole image in sharp focus from front to back.

Use an aperture between f/8 and f/15 to to have a full sharp image

Try a wide-angle lens

Lead-in lines can be accentuated with the use of a wide-angle lens, making use of perspective to help draw the viewers eye through the scene.

Strong lead-in lines photographed using a wide-angle lens at 16-17mm can create a particularly dramatic effect.

Shoot in vertical format

Lead-in lines can be used to even more dramatic effect when shooting in vertical format.

Distance will be emphasized, as the effect of perspective will be greater

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