In Landscape Photography – Not All Trees Are Equal
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Today’s Saturday Quick Tip comes to you from our premium guide, The Complete Guide to Landscape Photography
Have you heard of the tool of composition called “Receding Objects of a Known Size”?
Using this tool is one of your strongest assets when creating landscape photography.
Why?
It helps to establish depth in a 2-dimensional medium (photography is a 2-dimensional medium).
Let’s see how it works.
In this photograph, we see one tree quite large that is separated from a forest of trees in the background.
The mind knows from experience that most of these trees are approximately the same size, so it discerns that the larger tree is closer to the camera than the forest of trees behind it, thus creating depth in a 2-dimensional photograph.
This is a good use of “Receding Objects of a Known Size”. However, it’s not a great use. Why? I’ll show you in a minute.
This example is a poor use of “Receding Objects of a Known Size”. All of the trees are almost the same size due to their similar proximity to the camera. This shot looks flat.
Is this wrong? Not necessarily – if that’s what the photographer intended.
Let’s look at one last example.
This shot makes an amazing use of the “Receding Objects of a Known Size” tool.
Why? The chosen angle used to create the photograph places exaggerated distance between the trees, from the foreground tree, to the middle-ground tree, and finally to the trees in the distant background.
Use your hand to crop off that closest tree on the left. It totally changes the depth perception. Doesn’t it?
Now crop off the four distant trees to the right half of the photograph. Same result, right?
None of those versions of this photograph would be horrible. But keeping all three elements in the photograph adds the strongest sense of a sprawling landscape.
Quick Tip
When selecting an angle for a landscape photograph, look at the trees (or other repeating objects of a known size).
Try to select an angle that will exaggerate the use of “Receding Objects of a Known Size” and add depth to your photograph.
The lack of an exaggerated use is why the first photograph in our tip wasn’t as successful as the last photograph.
You’ll be amazed at how people will react to your landscape photography when it displays great depth.
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About Kent DuFault
Kent DuFault became a photographer in September of 1974. He took a “Basic Photography” class in high school and was hooked for life. His best-selling eBook, The Complete Landscape Photography Guide has helped photographers worldwide learn and master the art of landscape photography.