02.11 Depth

Photography, like Renaissance painting, seeks to manipulate perspective; to reduce or enhance feelings of depth in the image. Control of perspective, and therefore management of image depth, may be achieved using the below. However when applying these controls, you must remember that each image has its own viewpoint - its own distinct frame of reference - which is quite separate from viewpoints outside of its frame. (See later post).

Controlling Depth Clues

Strengthening depth

• multiple connected planes
• use a wide-angle lens very close to the subject, angled to a distant object
• more directional lighting, less diffused lighting
• brighter tones in the foreground, darker tones in the background
• warmer hues in the foreground, cooler hues in the background
• have a short depth-field of focus such that the subject plane is in focus but those on other planes are less so
• place relative scale markers (e.g. human figures) as reference points on each plane

Diluting depth

• fewer planes, disconnected
• use a telephoto lens (or zoom facility) with a viewpoint as far away from the subject with few distance reference markers in-between
• less directional lighting, more diffused lighting
• darker tones in the foreground, brighter tones in the background
• cooler hues in the foreground, warmer hues in the background
• maximise the depth-field of focus so that distant objects are as sharp as nearby ones
• reduce atmospheric haze (using filters) to compensate for tonal changes