Project 12, Month 3, Depth and Dimension

Photographs, by nature, are only two dimensional (height and width).  This month we review techniques to add a third dimension, depth.  Composing a shot with depth and dimension can turn a snapshot into a photograph.

Some techniques for creating depth and dimension

• Use the Rule of Thirds - put your subject off-center
• Depth of field - refers to the portion of the scene that is in acceptable focus
• Layering  
• Include foreground elements - such as a meadow in front of a lake in front of a mountain in front of a sky
• Use silhouettes
• Use reflections
• Natural framing - for example, use tree branches to frame a lake scene
• Visual lines
• Converging lines - such as railroad tracks that appear wider in the foreground and narrower as they go into the scene
• Leading lines - such as a winding road leading into the background
• Placement of the horizon
• Dwindling sizes of like subjects - such as a photo of a row of trees taken from an angle that makes the trees in front appear taller than the trees at the far end of the row
• Point of view - get low and shoot up, get high and shoot down
• Design elements
• Color
• Light
• Texture

Suggested Reading and Photographic Examples:

1. Composition Basics: That's Deep by Jeff Wignall from Adorama; an article with photos
2. Composition; Creating a Sense of Depth from Coldsnap Photography; an article with photos
3. Maximizing Perspective and Depth in Your Photography by Simon Bray from phototuts+; an article with photos
4. Perspective from NAVY training manual; article with b/w photos
5. Photography 101 Rules for Composition: Create Depth by Benjamin Yoder from examiner.com; short article with 2 pictures - one "good" example and one "bad" example
6. Visual Design Elements: Perspective from Ultimate Photo Tips; an article with photos
7. Architecture Photography: Top 10 Tips for Creating Breathtaking Architecture Photos by Thomas Holtkötter from Fotoblur; Pictures illustrating depth and dimension

See the page 2012 Project12-52-365 for a complete list of the topics.