Giant Redwood Forest, California, USA
"Change your perspective."
Steve Coleman
This week Sofia asks us illustrate a sense of scale, for which I expect to see some especially interesting responses. In the diptych above I've offered two different perspectives which demonstrate the concept. On the left we can sense that the trees are very large because the car is so small by comparison. On the right we get a better feeling for just how immense they are due to my tiny (over 6') husband at the base of one of the glorious specimens. The same concept can be seen in the set below. The immensity of Bryce Canyon is felt due to the inclusion of the couple on the left, versus the single hoodoo on the right. Although the left side gives us a sense of the canyon's scale, combining it with the size of the right-side hoodoo gives us an even better idea of of its grandeur.
Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
"Sometimes there is an obvious perspective, but it is important never to be satisfied with that."
Michael Kenna
In the examples above, we see the difference that can be achieved by shooting a landscape versus zero'ing in on one's subject, as well as the impact of including people in an image. On the other hand, the example that follows shows how distance from ones subject can deliver different results. On the left I minimized the distance by cropping the balloon shortly after launch, while on the right the balloon has floated away and another has just been sent aloft. In reality all of the balloons were the same size but including both near and far creates a visual sense of scale.
Up, Up and Away - Utah, USA
"A picture only shows a given situation under a very specific perspective."
Antoine d'Agata
My husband and I are often in New York City visiting family. Because of its proximity to them, I often visit the World Trade Center, including Calatrava's Oculus. Its image on the left below is a close-up of the front of the building, which compared to the people passing by is huge. The right side illustrates how much shorter and smaller the building is versus the skyscrapers that surround it. Including another object for comparison helps to illustrate a sense of scale. In this case the sense of scale is totally different depending on which other objects are included!
The Oculus, World Trade Center, NYC
"There are no facts, only interpretations."
Friederich Nietzsche
The image set that follows shows a woman walking up a long set of steps which could have been captured anywhere. There is little context to show what is special about the situation other than her size versus the length of the stairway. On the other hand, the right side capture shows the grandeur of China's Great Wall with the steps included at the very bottom. Either of the images can serve a purpose depending on the photographer's intent for the end result, but in this case distance from the subject gives one a better sense of its scale.
China's Great Wall
"It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view."
George Eliot
Last but never least, we return to Petra, the incredible prehistoric city built from and into the red rocks of the Jordanian desert . Across the top we see a group of those rocks with what may be a path at the bottom center. In the middle of the bottom row, we see a cart, which gives us a better idea of the height of the rocks and confirms the existence of the path. On the bottom left we are stunned to find a huge building beyond the rocks, while the two people give us perspective. Finally on the bottom right we see a massive structure which shows that the buildings are actually carved into and from the rocks. We can see the tiny little people visiting the site, giving us an idea of its immensity. Neither words nor images can convey the incredible grandeur of any, much less all of Petra. But the perspectives through which we capture it can help to show the sense of scale, which Sofia's eloquent challenge invites us to illustrate.
Petra, Southwest Jordan
"While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see."
Dorothea Lange
It's been especially interesting to explore Sofia's challenge this week - I'm looking forward to seeing how others approach it. Please be sure to link your responses to her original here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Thanks also to those who responded to Ann-Christine's What's In A Garden challenge last week. As we all learned, there are many interpretations, some of which I found surprisingly unique, and all of which were terrific. Finally, we hope you'll join us next week when John once again leads us on his Journeys With Johnbo site. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind and enjoy the adventure.
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