essential skills: digital photography in available light
Perspective
Visual ‘perspective’ is the way we gain a sense of depth and distance in a two-dimensional print.
Objects are seen to diminish in size as they move further away from the viewer. This is called
‘diminishing perspective’. Parallel lines converge as they recede towards the horizon. This is
called ‘converging perspective’.
The human eye has a fi xed focal length and a fi xed fi eld of vision. A photographer using a lens
set to 50mm (or equivalent) can emulate the perspective perceived by human vision. Perspective
can however be altered by changing the focal length of the lens together with the distance of the
camera from the subject.
ACTIVITY 6
Create an image using a non-standard focal length lens and viewpoint to alter the perspective.
Comment briefl y on the relationship between foreground and background and the
perceived sense of depth in the image.Perspective compression
Due to a distant viewpoint a telephoto lens
compresses, condenses and fl attens three-
dimensional space. Subject matter appears
closer together. The viewer of an image taken
with a telephoto lens often feels disconnected
with the subject matter.Taken with a telephoto lens, the perspective
compression gives more emphasis to the
distant city. It is easy to isolate the subject
from the background using wide apertures on
telephoto lenses. In overcast conditions or
when photographing in the shade slow shutter
speeds may cause camera shake.Steep perspective
Due to a close viewpoint a wide angle lens
exaggerates distances and scale, creating
‘steep perspective’. Subjects close to the lens
look large in proportion to the surroundings.
Distant subjects look much further away.
Taken with a wide angle lens, the woman in
the foreground looks prominent and the city
in the background looks distant. Viewers are
drawn into the image via the steep perspective.
The use of a wide angle lens in bright sunlight
enables great depth of fi eld whilst hand holding
a camera.