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November 20, 2009 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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by Russ Burden |
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A photograph is a two dimensional object. To create depth, a photographer must learn to portray an illusion that the viewer can walk into the image, see objects on multiple planes, or feel as if he or she can reach into the picture to grab a compositional component. This is accomplished via lighting, composition and wide angle lenses. The deeper into the image the viewer can “look,” the more successful the technique. Leading Lines: Incorporate lines that begin along the bottom of the image that guide the eye into and through the picture. The more the lines flow, the better. They channel the viewer through the image which in turn portrays depth as the person courses through the photo. In the image of the road that winds through the fall colored trees, not only the road, but the yellow traffic lines travel the depth of the photo and recede into the distance.  © Russ Burden
Depth of Field: The more depth of field you can achieve, the more you can imply depth in the image. Narrow depth of field is reserved for times when you want to draw attention to a single element on a single plane. By incorporating a lot of depth of field, everything from the foreground to infinity is rendered sharply which conveys depth in the photo. Stop the lens down to f16 or f22 to achieve the effect.  © Russ Burden
Prominent Foreground Object: Include an object in the foreground that’s deliberately emphasized. This sets a beginning point for the viewer to enter into the image. As stated above, stop the lens down to create infinite depth of field. Make sure the foreground piece is in harmony with the rest of the compositional elements. Place it so it guides the eye to the midground area. Finally, make sure the midground element is in keeping with the background components. In the accompanying vertical taken in red rock country of Utah, notice the flow that starts with the prominent rock in the foreground. Wide Angles: Wide angle lenses help imply depth as they emphasize the perspective of foreground elements in addition to changing the reality of scale. Any object that is close to the front element of the lens will appear to be rendered bigger than life size. This phenomena is used by photographers to “trick” people into thinking there’s a huge amount of separation between the prominent foreground and distant background elements. This huge separation is what imparts depth to the scene.  © Russ Burden
Use the Light: Simply put, avoid front light as it conveys flatness in that shadows fall behind the subject. On the other hand, the use of sidelight provides a tremendous amount of dimensionality and depth as shadows and highlights overlap. To fully take advantage of this situation, hunt out a brightly lit highlight and compose the image so it falls in front of a dark shadow. In that lit items come forward and dark items recede, the illusion of depth is created. In the accompanying image of Monument Valley, take a look at how the brightly lit rock formations jump out against the dark shadows caused by the strong sidelight of sunset. To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.
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