Flat Landscapes No More: The Simple Depth Fixes That Actually Work

Your landscape can look incredible in person and still turn into a flat photo once you open it in Lightroom. The video breaks down why that mismatch happens and what to do about it when a scene feels “big” to your eyes but small on the screen.

Coming to you from Photography Explained, this practical video starts with a simple point: you see depth all day long because you have two eyes, but your camera records the world with one sensor. That gap is why a wide vista can read as “meh” in a single frame, even when the place felt massive. One of the first fixes is about relative size, and it is more useful than it sounds. If you build a frame where similar shapes repeat from near to far, the brain starts stacking distance again instead of reading everything as one layer. You will also hear a clear warning about making scenes too “even,” where nothing feels close enough to anchor the shot.

The most actionable section is the editing example, because it turns a vague idea like “make it feel deeper” into a specific move you can test in minutes. The video shows how selective haze can push background elements away by lowering contrast and softening edges in just part of the frame. In Lightroom, that means masking a distant area and pulling the Dehaze control to the left, not cranking it right the way many people do by habit. The result is not about making the file look foggy everywhere, it is about creating separation between planes so the foreground and midground stop competing with the horizon. There is also a quick note on using a vignette with restraint so the brightest, hazier areas keep attention without making the corners look artificially heavy.

Then the video pivots away from the computer and into choices you make before you press the shutter, starting with light direction. Side light gives you texture because it creates both highlight and shadow on the same surface, which makes rocks, walls, and ridges look shaped instead of pasted on. If you shoot with the sun directly behind your subject or directly behind you, you often lose that sculpted feel, even if the exposure is “correct.” The video uses a lighthouse example to show how a scene can be memorable and still photograph as flat when the light wipes out surface detail. There is more nuance in the comparison than “always shoot golden hour,” and it gets into what to look for when the light is not cooperating.

The gear section is where the video gets a little uncomfortable in a good way, because it points at a common mistake: not getting close enough. A wide angle lens exaggerates distance relationships when you push a foreground object large in the frame while keeping the background in place, and that can create a strong sense of space without any special location. The video describes the difference between standing back and making everything feel politely scaled versus moving in until the foreground starts to feel bold and unavoidable. It also hints at another depth cue involving overlapping elements, especially in busy scenes like woods, and that is one of the parts worth watching closely because it is easy to do clumsily. Expect a few practical “try this, then adjust” moments that will change where you stand, not just what you edit. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan II - Discovering Hidden Gems with Elia Locardi!”