Some Photography Techniques

Linear Perspective

Perspective is an illusion that we are accustomed to accepting without question in photography. A three-dimensional image is convincingly represented on 2-dimensional film by making distant parts of the scene appear smaller than the nearer parts of the scene.

Linear perspective is the answer why telephone poles look smaller when they are further away from us in real world. Good photographers use this effect to their advantage to create pictures that show a lot of depth.

Where parallel lines such as railway tracks appear to converge as they recede into the distance is one of the most convincing forms of the visual deception characteristic of perspective. 

Unlike draughtsman and painters, the photographer has no need to learn the skills of shaping perspective – the camera and its lenses see to that- but it is important to know how to use it. The convincing portrayal of three dimensions is, however, a most demanding aspect of photographic composition. Linear perspective is getting enhanced by using wide-angle rather than long lenses, as they tend to enlarge foreground detail in relation to distant objects. 

The result of this is that parallel lines are seen to converge very sharply, so creating a strong illusion of great depth. You can further dramatize the effects by choosing scenes that contain obvious linear elements, both near and far, and by placing them so that they run obliquely from the edges of the frame. Planes and lines that feature regular patterns in texture, form or tone, will also give an added sense to realism through the device of linear perspective.

Mood of Isolation

Any strong photographic image should contain mood and atmosphere and the accomplished photographer should be able to recognize and exploit the picture elements that create them. Strength of mood does not necessarily mean drama, as in say; a picture of dark brooding castle walls silhouetted against a stormy sky.

Mood is an elusive abstract quality that is difficult to define, and you will have to rely on your intuitions to respond to it appropriately. In any case, you should aim to exclude elements that distract from or distort the mood. These pictures have a strong mood of isolation. 

You can create such an impression in most environments by selecting elements that convey a sense of separateness. These might be compositional, such as the relative size of the subject in relation to the surroundings, or you might capture a gesture or expression that suggests sadness or less. The crucial point is to recognize the mood at atmosphere and then tune the composition to underline them strongly but subtly.

PICTURES BY EMMANUEL BOBBIE

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