The Art of photography

WhattheCamera

Sees

TheVisualElements

PortrayingForm

Inart,formisdistinguishedfromshape

asthethree-dimensionalaspectofan

object—itdescribesthewaytheobject

occupiesspace.Liketexture,which

alsoimpliesa

thirddimension,form

mightseemtobebeyondthenatural

powersofphotography.

A

camera,be-

ingone-eyedandnotbinocular,cannot

perceivedepthas

well

as

humanvision

can Happily,thereareanumberof

two-dimensionalcluestothethirddi-

mension:themannerinwhichshadows

arecast,the

effectsofperspective,the

overlappingoffarobjectsbynearones.

Thephotographermustbeawareof

suchcluesifheistocontrolthewayhis

two-dimensional

picturestransmitan

impressionofspaceandsubstance.

On

thesepages,onlylightandshad-

owhavebeenemployedtoshowthe

formoftheobject.Now,forthefirst

time,theobject'sidentityisclear:itisa

rock,

whosesculptedroundnessisal-

mostpalpable.Thetwopicturesnot

onlyrevealitsform,orvolume,butalso

giveconflictinghintsaboutthe

density

oftheobject.

Thephotographopposite

makestherockponderous;the

lighter-

tonedversionatrightpresentsarock

thatappearsalmosttofloat.

Agradual

progressionoftones(right),fromdark

tolight,leavesnodoubtasto

theroundnessof

therock,andevensuggeststhewayitwas

formed

—

by

centuriesofslow,steadyabrasionatthe

seashore.Muchlighterthanthe

background,

therockseemsinthisportraitanobject

that

couldeasilybehefted,asifmadeofpumice.

4
Illuminatedbyanoverhead

light,thesamerock

displaysfewintermediatetones,and

itsvolumeis

proclaimedemphatically.Hereitlooksweighty;

predominantlydark,itseemstobesinkingheavily

intothesoft-edgedshadowatitsbase.