In this article, I want to revisit an earlier post about perspective. It is not a subject that can be mastered simply by reading a book or learning a technique. Recognising and using perspective takes practice, observation and deliberate choices. Unlike many technical aspects of photography, it is difficult to explain because we do not see perspective as a set of measurements. Our brains interpret the relationships between objects and turn a two-dimensional image into an impression of three-dimensional space.
I would argue that, alongside light, perspective is one of the most decisive elements in photography. It changes the relationship between everything in the frame. It is also easy to fall into the habit of photographing the world from eye level, standing upright and pointing the camera at whatever catches our attention. Often, a stronger photograph begins with changing that viewpoint.
Perspective in a photograph is primarily determined by the position of the camera. The relative sizes and positions of objects change as we move closer, further away or to one side. Focal length changes the angle of view and framing, but it does not independently change perspective. If you use a longer lens and move further away to keep the subject the same size in the frame, the perspective changes because your camera position has changed.
Studying Henri Cartier-Bresson was an eye-opener for me. I realised that I needed to move with my camera rather than relying on zooming in or out to change the composition. We photograph objects in light, with their own sizes and relationships to the things around them. We cannot move the objects, but we can influence how the viewer perceives them by changing our position and the way we frame the scene.
Old habits die hard. It can feel odd to get down on your belly in the middle of a street, but bringing the camera down to street level can reveal a completely different scene. Try combining a low viewpoint with a wide-angle lens. The foreground can become a strong part of the composition and set the context for everything beyond it. A low viewpoint can make a subject appear taller or more imposing, giving it a more dominant role.
Vanishing-point perspective
The first perspective technique I began to use consciously was vanishing-point perspective. Look for parallel lines that appear to converge towards one or more vanishing points. These lines give the viewer a strong sense of depth and can lead the eye towards a point that seems to extend beyond the frame.
I remember looking for these lines in the streets of Seattle. By chance, I visited the Columbia Center, whose public observation area on the 73rd floor offers a remarkable view of the city and surrounding mountains. The streets below provided plenty of converging lines, but the visit also introduced me to two other forms of perspective: diminishing size and atmospheric perspective.
Diminishing-size perspective
Diminishing-size perspective is based on our knowledge of the real size of familiar objects. When cars and people appear smaller as they recede into the distance, our brains interpret the change in scale as depth. The view from the 73rd floor made this particularly clear.
Atmospheric perspective
I could also see Mount Rainier from the tower. It was a clear and impressive sight, yet the mountain had a bluish appearance. The atmosphere is not completely transparent. Fine particles of dust, water vapour and other material scatter light. The further away an object is, the more this scattering can reduce contrast and saturation, creating a veil of haze. That is atmospheric perspective.
Overlapping perspective
Another useful way to create depth is to allow objects to overlap. The Cascade Mountains around Seattle provide a wonderful example. Notice how the mountain ranges overlap one another, while atmospheric perspective makes the more distant ridges appear lighter and less distinct. Repeated layers of overlapping shapes strengthen the impression of depth.
Volume and light
Volume perspective is perhaps my favourite. It is about the relationship between light and shadow. When a subject is illuminated by very diffuse light, there may be few distinct shadows to describe its form. Directional light, on the other hand, creates areas of highlight and shadow that reveal shape and volume.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy black-and-white photography. Without colour, the relationships between light and shadow become even more important, and the sense of form can be very powerful.
The lens matters, but position matters more
Different lenses render the scene in different ways. Most conventional lenses are rectilinear, meaning that straight lines in the subject are generally reproduced as straight lines, although distortion may still occur. Fisheye lenses use a different projection and deliberately bend many straight lines, creating a distinctive panoramic or immersive effect.
This effect can be used creatively, but it can also produce a distorted appearance when photographing buildings or other subjects with strong straight lines. If you want to reduce the effect, keep the horizon near the centre of the frame and avoid placing important straight lines near the edges. Alternatively, embrace the distortion and make it part of the composition.
Old habits die hard
If you have stayed with me this far, you will realise that this is not a technical tutorial. The message is simply to break your habits. I hope the article encourages you to seek out new perspectives and look at familiar scenes in a different way.
The next interesting photograph may be closer than you think. Finding it will probably require you to move, look again and make a conscious choice.
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