Two things thru hikers are known for: eating a ton of food and appreciating simple luxuries. Hot ramen at a nice picnic table is a delightful way to end the day.

A portrait is an artistic representation of a person, usually showcasing facial expressions. A good portrait will capture the subject’s personality and the mood of the moment. One of the most important lesson in outdoors portrait photography, surprisingly, comes from Leonardo da Vinci! Think about the Mona Lisa. Have you ever wondered why a seemingly simple portrait is perhaps the most famous work of art on the plant?

One reason for its fame is its history. King Francis I acquired the painting in 1519, and it is now property of the French Republic. The Louvre opened as a museum in 1793 and the Mona Lisa was displayed there for over 100 years before it was stolen in 1911. But - artistically - there are two huge reasons the painting is so highly revered.

First: the landscape. Leonardo was one of the first painters to set the subject of a portrait in front of an imaginary landscape. He used the horizon line and vanishing point to draw attention to her face, and he created strong leading lines in the background to keep returning a viewer’s gaze toward her. Second: Leonardo was one of the first artists to effectively use aerial perspective. Aerial perspective uses a strong contrast between a close subject and a distant background, which greatly increases the depth of a portrait.

The subject appears to be floating because of the perspective and the depth of background. This is a demonstration of aerial perspective, which puts a large amount of emphasis on the subject. The background is still important and must follow the rules of good landscape photography.

On to the fun park: capturing a fleeting moment of humanity that will go on to live forever! Once you’ve figured out your background composition, it’s time to work with your subject.