Chapter 3: Viewpoint and Perspective Clearly defi ned vision seemly relationships between all composi- tional elements. GOOD COMPOSITION relies on thoughtful selection of subjects and creative use of The essence of the photographer’s craft is space. It’s the art of presenting your vision to carve out a small piece of the world and in a clear, uncluttered arrangement of artfully give it a context that supports and shapes, lines, and colors. The challenge advances the narrative of the photograph. is creating the perception of depth in a That context is contingent on positioning the two- dimensional translation of our three- camera, selecting a lens, and directing its dimensional world. Selecting and arrang- gaze with pinpoint accuracy. Knowing your ing elements in a pleasing composition subject and what you want to say about it enhances the sense of space in any photo- also is important. The disposition of compo- graph. And it’s almost entirely dependent on sitional elements will either help or hinder the viewpoint and perspective. clarity of the message, so you must decide which elements to leave in and which to leave Viewpoint is the position of the camera and out. The line of decision between in or out is its angle of view relative to the subject. It can the boundary of your viewfi nder’s frame. be high or low, left or right, close or distant. Perspective refers to the way objects relate Renowned landscape photographer Gary to one another in a composition. It’s also Ladd, the foremost authority on photograph- heavily infl uenced by the way objects relate ing the Grand Canyon, had this to say about to the lens, affecting the sense of depth and controlling context: “Photography is a selec- proportion in a photograph. Finding the tive stressing of the desirable, and a conceal- viewpoint and perspective “sweet spot” is the ing of the unwanted or unneeded. Landscape cornerstone for a balanced composition with photography at its best is an idealization Selecting the right viewpoint and perspective provides a sense of space to a photograph. Overlapping foreground, middle ground, and background compositional elements creates the illusion of depth. Viewpoint and Perspective 37 of reality. It directs our atten- the subject and accurately convey situation by juxtaposing it with tion away from the ordinary and the message you intend. contrary elements. Through the art toward the quietly spectacular .” Familiarity with your subjects is of selection, you’re able to inter- pret the same subject in a number The story told in a photograph another useful factor in providing of ways. It can be depicted as is almost always quoted out the right context for them. Pho- ornate or simple, serene or of context because no lens is tographers always want to oper- dynamic, delicate or powerful, all capable of capturing the entirety ate from a position of knowledge depending on the camera position of a subject’s earthly context. Nor regarding their subjects. The more and lens you choose. would we want such a lens. It’s you know about your subject, the the photographer’s purposeful better you can depict it in proper When you’re in the fi eld with your mission to control what an image context, especially if a realistic por- camera, be alert and receptive reveals about the subject, not trayal of the subject is your goal. to all the stimuli around you. simply to include whatever fi ts Ansel Adams, arguably the great- This is the time to tap into your within the frame (see the discus- est landscape photographer of imagination, mining for ideas to sion of snapshots in Chapter 2 ). the 20th century, understood the creatively present your subject. The “language” of visual com- advantages of being informed. Be sensitive to the rhythms of munication gives photographers “A good photograph is know- the moment, and don’t get too the power to shamelessly skew ing where to stand,” he said. attached to preconceived notions reality or subtly slant the message “A great photograph is one that about the image you are pursu- by merely changing the context fully expresses what one feels, in ing. Surprises are welcome gifts. surrounding the subject. We have the deepest sense, about what Accept them graciously. creative license to communicate is being photographed .” Knowl- Many variables go into the making the story in any way that suits us. edge of your subjects elevates of a good photograph, but rarely This doesn’t mean that you the emotional content of your do they all fall perfectly into place, always have to tinker with reality photography by putting more of especially if you’re photograph- or avoid representing your sub- yourself into every image. ing outdoors. Nature has a way jects in an honest and straight- Vital to selecting a viewpoint and of changing your plans. Allowing forward manner. Photography’s perspective that is appropriate to yourself the freedom to respond to history has produced many fi ne your subject is having a clearly situations as they unfold can lead examples of candid, sincere defi ned vision of what you want to even better images. photographs that are considered to accomplish in the photograph. masterpieces of the medium. You may simply want to make Always operate But certain techniques that help a statement about the subject’s establish context will make it beauty, a common theme of many from a position of easier to create images that photographs. Or you might decide knowledge regarding refl ect your personal views about to show the irony of your subject’s your subjects. 38 Focus On Composing Photos Viewpoint is the position of the camera and its angle of view relative to the subject. Perspective refers to the way objectsje relate to one another in a composition. The Illusion of Depth The challenge of photography is creating the perception of depth in an image. The photographer must decide how much depth is appropriate to the scene and then translate that vision to the fi nal image. In this case, the desired effect was to create a landscape evoking the sense of wide-open spaces in Monument Valley. A low viewpoint and a 24mm wide-angle lens with a downward angle of view combine to produce a perspective that exaggerates the foreground and minimizes the background. This optical effect gives the illusion of distance, depth, and spaciousness. Viewpoint and Perspective 39 The right lens Lenses come in a broad array of focal lengths that will help you realize your vision. They are generally grouped into three different categories—wide-angle, standard, and telephoto—each with its own inherent qualities that affect the way it “sees.” Lens char- acteristics impose their own view on a scene, so part of the compo- sition process is shaping the lens’ view to suit your creative vision. The lens serves two main pur- poses in photography. It gathers light from a scene, focusing it onto a common point—the camera’s sensor; and it controls the amount of light striking the sensor. The quantity of light passing through the lens is controlled by the size of the aperture in the lens’ diaphragm mechanism, often referred to as “f-stop.” Aperture is one of the variables, along with shutter speed and ISO, which measures basic image exposure. And, as we’ll see later in this chapter, aperture size infl uences another A wide-angle lens and a camera position important factor in composition, close to the foreground wildfl owers adds depth of fi eld. to the sense of depth and perspective of Besides focus and exposure this landscape. control, the lens also adds 40 Focus On Composing Photos its own optical effects to the lengths will serve you well in esti- the way objects in a composition arrangement of compositional mating which lens is best suited relate to a wide-angle lens. elements. The lens’ angle of view to each situation. Close subjects appear much carries along with it an optical Any lens with a focal length of larger than they do to the bias that may make your scene 35mm or less is considered a naked eye, whereas more dis- look remarkably different when wide-angle lens, with lenses tant objects seem to recede into viewed through a lens because of 20mm or less known as the background. When using lenses don’t work the same way “ultrawide.” The wide-angle lens wide-angle lenses, be aware of as the human eye. Depending on takes its name from the increased this effect and how it changes focal length, lens optics can rear- angle of view that it offers. Within with the angle of view. At times, range lines in a composition and the wide-angle classifi cation we you can take advantage of this distort the perception of depth fi nd lenses with focal lengths effect by incorporating its exag- and space between objects. as short as 8mm, including gerated perspective into the Angle of view is the precise fi sh-eye lenses with coverage scheme of your composition. measurement of a lens’ fi eld of of a full 180-degree angle of At others, it may distort objects vision. A change in focal length view. A primary advantage of too much, making it inappropri- equals a change in the angle of wide-angle lenses over lenses ate to your subject. You must view, measured in degrees. The with longer focal lengths is their decide how much distortion is shorter the focal length, the wider ability to include more of a given too much. the angle of view. perspective within the frame.