Creating A Sense Of Depth In Your Pictures - Part 1

The borders of our pictures automatically provide viewers with two dimensions – height and width. Creating a 3-dimensional world on a flat computer monitor or a photographic print is a bigger challenge for the beginning photographer. But it is a critical skill that photographers master to add realism and draw viewers into their pictures. To add the sense of depth to pictures, we’ll first consider how our eye/brain combination senses three dimensions in the real world. By applying these visual cues to our photography, we can instill the illusion of three dimensions in our pictures.

This series of blog entries will present several methods of introducing the 3rd dimension into our photographs.

What Our Eye/Brain Sees

One of the most important cues our eye/brain seeks out, in its search for an understanding of any scene, concerns focus. In photography we call the phenomenon “depth of field.” Our brain understands that when there are multiple objects in a scene, and they are all equally sharp, then they are probably located on or very close to the same plane.


© 2008, Hub

Above is a simple flower picture. The main subject is obviously the large yellow dahlia. Notice that all the smaller flowers (pansies) surrounding the dahlia also appear sharp. To our mind, logic dictates that all of these flowers must be very close together (from front to back). Because everything is in focus at the same time, there is no obvious visual cue for our mind to place any degree of the third dimension to this picture. As a result, it looks flat and two-dimensional.

Experiencing the Third Dimension

Contrast the first picture with this version of the same scene below.

© 2008, Hub

In this image the dahlia remains sharp, but the pansies are soft and out of focus. Our eye/brain thinks, “Ah, there MUST be distance (or depth) in this picture because there is a visual difference in the sharpness of the elements that make up the image.” We immediately attribute this difference in focus to be the result of their spatial locations in the real world, and we mentally experience the third dimension of depth.

Controlling Depth of Field

We create this 3D illusion when we take the picture. We visualize the final print BEFORE pressing the shutter release button. And, when using a camera with aperture controls, we intentionally select an f/stop that will render this "selective focus" effect.

Large aperture openings (smaller f/stop numbers) create increasingly shallower depth of field (more and more of the scene in front of and behind our focused subject is out of focus or blurred) and infuse that important sensation of three dimensions into our photographs.

Shown below are a series of photographs taken of the same subject to illustrate the impact of aperture size to the amount of the total image that is in focus.  The camera's focus point in these pictures was the foreground bottle.  Notice that as the f/stop number increases (and the aperture opening size decreases), the bottle in the background becomes increasingly sharper.  Also notice how depth is emphasized by the out-of-focus background image, AND how your eye is drawn FIRST, like a magnet, to the sharpest object in each picture.

 

 

 

 

(All pictures in this series were shot with a DSLR in Aperture Priority Mode.  As the f/stop was manually changed to visually depict the effect of f/stop change on Depth of Field, the camera automatically selected the new, appropriate shutter speed.)

By learning to control depth of field, we – as photographers – infuse the third dimension into our imagery. Since our eyes are automatically drawn FIRST to objects that are in focus, we are also intentionally directing our viewers' eyes to the subject of our photograph.

But Wait a Minute...

I hear you asking, “Then what about landscape photographs were everything is in focus from foreground to background. How do I inject three dimensions into this 'totally in focus' picture?" That will be our next tip for creating the illusion of 3 dimensions.

Frame Your Picture In The Camera

There is a simple, professional photographic trick that when used correctly will immediately add depth and interest to your pictures. The technique is called framing. Unlike the frame you buy at an art store, these frames are provided free by nature and man-made structures that are in your scene.

The dark foreground tree becomes a framing element to add depth to this Zion Park scene.

By placing a naturally occurring picture element to the front and near the borders of your composition, a natural frame is created. The close proximity of this framing element to the front of the picture also increases the perceived distance between the foreground and background of the image.

This Las Vegas Eiffel Tower is framed by the hotel arch.

The technique requires that you thoroughly investigate your subject from every angle to find framing elements that compliment your composition.

In the Rose Garden image above, the flowered archway presents a natural frame and entrance into the formal garden. Being darker than the rest of the image, the archway adds depth and provides a path for the eye to enter the picture.

Oregon Coast

This Oregon Coast line is framed by a native evergreen tree to add interest and emphasize the infinite ocean and sky seen in this picture.

TransAmerica Pyramid

The overhanging roof of a small San Francisco shop provides a natural frame that emphasizes the height of the TransAmerica tower and guides the viewer's eye to the subject.

REMEMBER: To have the framing element in focus as well as the rest of the picture, a large amount of depth of field is required (smaller aperture opening).

Use this simple framing technique to add another element of interest, professionalism and depth to your pictures. Nothing tricky here. Just a willingness to train your eye to see the framing possibilities surrounding your subjects. Like everything else in photography, it's mostly a matter of practice, practice, practice.

Shooting Tip - Motion in Flowing Water

One way of creating a feeling of motion is to allow the moving part of the image to intentionally blur. Our minds translate this blur as motion when it's associated with a subject that is normally seen in motion. The classic example of this technique is flowing water. The picture below creates a sense of motion and is almost ethereal in appearance:


The technique isn't difficult, but demands the use of a tripod and patience. For those just beginning in photography, the mere exercise of using this technique is a great learning experience and the results are almost always rewarding.

The secret is NOT to use a shutter speed that will freeze the movement of the water. This means a slow shutter speed is intentionally used. It's this slow shutter speed that dictates the use of a tripod. The actual shutter speed is determined by two factors:

1. The speed of the flowing water. The slower the water is flowing, the slower the shutter speed must be set.
2. The amount of detail you want to remain in the water flow. As the shutter speed decreases, less and less detail will be seen in the water.

For the pictures I normally take in this situation, these two considerations generally result in a shutter speed in the range of 1/15th of a second to 2 full seconds. My shooting process looks like this:

1. Use the rules of exposure to determine my ideal exposure to provide the highlight and shadow detail required. (See Hub's Camera blog for an in-depth discussion on the rules of exposure.)
2. Decide how much depth of field is required in the scene. This decision will provide the minimum f/stop required. (See Hub's Camera blog for an in-depth discussion on depth of field.)
3. Decide how much blur I want in the final picture. This decision will provide the shutter speed I must use.
4. Convert my ideal exposure to an actual shooting setting. In this stage, I'm ensuring that the depth of field required and the correct amount of blur will be captured in my image.

Using these steps, here's how I took the picture above:

1. I determined (setting aside all depth of field and motion considerations for the moment) that the ideal exposure is 1/60th of a second at f/2.8. (The scene was in the woods and in deep shade.)
2. Using my camera's depth of field preview button, I could visually see that I needed an f/stop of at least f/16. (I wanted everything in the picture to be in focus.)
   
3. The water was flowing rapidly, and I wanted very little detail in the water flow and decided a shutter speed of 1/2 of a second was sufficient.
4. When I converted my original "ideal" exposure of 1/60th of a second at f/2.8 to these parameters, my final settings were 1/2 second at f/16. (This shutter speed/f/stop conversion goes like this: 1/60th @ f/2.8 to 1/30th @ f/4 to 1/15th @ f/5.6 to 1/8th @ f/8 to 1/4 @ f/11 to 1/2 @ f/16.)

By manually entering a shutter speed of 1/2 second and an f/stop of f/16, I have controlled the exact amount of light striking the camera's sensor to make the correct exposure as well as providing adequate depth of field and the blur needed to provide motion to the water. (That's right. I set the shooting mode to "manual". In this way I maintained the required exposure and prevented the camera from selecting an "automatic" setting.)

It's obvious that hand-holding the camera with an exposure of one half of a second is NOT an option. So a tripod is essential. In this way, only the water will show motion while the rest of the picture will remain tack sharp.

As I've said before, good photography is work. This process takes time. But as you gain experience with this technique, your set up and shooting process will become faster. Also, the rather subjective decision as to which shutter speed produces the best motion effect will become second nature over time. Anytime you have a doubt about the effect a shutter speed will yield, shoot more pictures at different shutter speed settings. (Don't forget to adjust your f/stop each time you change your shutter speed.)

You've already taken the time to carefully take your first picture. As long as you are set up, take extra pictures at different shutter speeds and f/stop settings. When you return home, evaluate all of these different versions on your computer monitor. You'll soon discover your own preferences.

So, give it a try, and let me see some of your results. I would love to see your work.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, you know where to find me.