3

Depth

Mount McKinley

William Stanko

Early Morning

Vicki H. Wilson

Multiple Planes: The perception of depth in this landscape is due to several depth clues. The two arching dark trees and the dark shrubs establish a strong foreground. As we look beyond and into the valley, we see the lighter multiple planes (mountain ranges) in the midground and farground, which provide a sense of greater depth due to overlap—one plane is seen in front of another. The last darker row of distant mountains, framed by the two trees, establish yet another distant plane in front of a pastel sky. The dark trees and foliage in the foreground contrast strongly with the lighter background.

Dromedaries

Several clues for the perception of depth are in this photo. They include diminishing object size, multiple planes, and overlap. The size relationship between the large dromedary camel and the smaller camels in the midground suggests distance. Three planes are evident, with the large camel in the foreground, the smaller camels in the middle ground, and the overlapping multiple sand mounds high in the background. All provide an additional feeling of depth. The large camel in the left foreground is critical to the overall sense of depth. Without this dominant camel, depth perception would be diminished. Covering the camel with a finger will show this.

Manhattan

David Spindel

Linear Perspective: This is an elevated view of 42nd street in New York City. Three yellow taxicabs side by side in the foreground provide a reference point for the diminishing size of the buildings. Adding to the sense of depth are the narrowing road, yellow lines, cars, and trees. The famous Chrysler building, a city landmark, stands tall and proud in the distance.

Taj Mahal

This photograph of the Taj Mahal is an excellent example of how converging lines provide a feeling of depth. The shrinking size of the tall narrow towers and the green trees on either side of the water add to the depth perception. One can also get a sense of the size of this beautiful structure by the smallness of the visitors in front of it. Built in 1653 as a mausoleum in memory of the emperor at that time, it is said to be the finest example of Mughal architecture.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Vicki H. Wilson

Aerial Perspective: Photographs are two-dimensional, having only length and width, whereas the world provides an added dimension of depth. There are learned clues in a photoraph, however, that suggest depth. One such is aerial perspective, as we see here in this misty haze in the distance. The converging yellow lines add to the vicarious experience of depth. The photograph was taken from a moving car—hence the blurring of the trees in the foreground. The road disappears into oblivion, creating a greater sense of depth than would be seen on a clear day. Reflections on the wet pavement also increases the sense of depth, adding interest to the foreground. Fog and mist can enhance an otherwise mundane photograph by creating a sense of mystery and intrigue, forcing the viewer to question what lies ahead.

Color Perspective: The feeling of grandeur and distance, in this photograph taken in Yosemite National Park, begins with warm colors in the foreground advancing towards the viewer while the cool colors in the background recede. The overlapping mountain ranges increase the sense of distance and depth. The fine print in upper caption reads “Cloud shadows are used to separate planes and give added depth to the picture.”

Camera Distance: There is a common misconception that the focal length of a lens controls perspective. This is not so. Choosing a focal length controls only the angle of view. (The shorter the focal length, the greater the angle of view.) The relative distance between the camera and subject controls perspective (the relative sizes of objects at different distances in a photo).

For a fixed camera-to-subject distance, perspective will not change. In the examples presented here, you can see that by enlarging the yellow section in the photo taken with a normal lens, the enlarged photo has the same perspective as the one taken with a long lens (upper photo). Although the perspective remains the same, the yellow framed photograph on the top left suffers from low resolution because of the extreme magnification of the section of the photograph below it. The correct course of action is to first select the camera position which provides the most suitable perspective and then choose a focal length lens whose angle of view will include your area of interest. (All Photographs by David A. Page)

Joan, Palm Beach Florida

Richard D. Zakia

Texture Gradient: Another important depth clue is the texture gradient, which refers to the fact that as objects get further and further away, the interval between them becomes progressively smaller. This can be readily seen in the vertical poles, where the interval between each pole becomes smaller and smaller, to a point where the poles are almost touching. The experience of depth would exist even if all the poles were the same height. One can also notice that the boards on the dock are diminishing in width as they move further and further away.

Blue Beach Chairs

Gordon Brown

Shared Contours: At first look, this photograph appears to be nothing more than two empty blue beach chairs under a blue umbrella—lovely blue sky, calm bluish-green water, and warm sunlit sand. The photo is well composed and the horizon line is near the center, allowing equal space for both beach and sky. However, if you look closer, you will notice that the chair on the right sits solidly on the beach due to the depth cue of overlap—it overlaps the water and sky and therefore must be in front of them. The chair on the left, however, is not sure where it is, for the top part, sharing the same contour as the horizon line, positions itself at the horizon. The bottom part remains on the sand. Visually, the chair is in two places at the same time—a physical impossibility, yet a visual reality. Shared contours collapse depth; overlap defines it.

Carolina Cotton Mill, 1908

Lewis W. Hines

Depth of Field: If you look carefully at most photographs, you will notice that not everything is in sharp focus. The amount that is sharp compared to that less sharp is referred to as “depth of field”—the range of sharpness in a photograph. In this photograph by Lewis Hines, we can see that much of what is in around the young girl working at the loom is sharp, but much that is in front of and behind her is not sharp. We can say, therefore, that the depth of field for this photograph is shallow. There are a number of reasons for this. Because of limited lighting in the building, Hines probably had to use a lens with a large opening to let as much light into the camera as possible and a shutter speed fast enough to stop any movement by the young girl. Things that can improve depth of field in a photograph are: small apertures (such as f/22), short focal length lenses (50 mm or less), and greater camera distance from the subject. There are times, however, when you want a shallow depth of field, such as photographing a flower and having the background unsharp so as not to compete with the flower.

Lady in Red

David A. Page

In both photographs, the lady in red is in sharp focus, and in the top photo the background is also in sharp focus. However, in the lower photograph the background is not in focus and appears blurred. The upper photograph is said to have a greater depth of field. Factors that increase depth of field are: small apertures (large f-stop numbers), short focal length lenses, and greater distances between the subject and camera. The top photo was taken at f/32 and the bottom one at f/5.6.