Boulder Bank | Nelson, NZ

Photographs are merely two-dimensional representations of a 3D reality.

To create the illusion of depth, we can layer the subject matter to overlap, implying that the foreground object is in front of an object in the background. Employing the vertical format (called Portrait Orientation), we can show more of the scene's depth from front-to-back.

This image employs the use of Lead-in Lines. The wet bouldery shoreline leads the viewer's eye into the scene. After exploring the old wharf structure, lit by the rising sun, the viewer's eye is directed to the solitary figure. This is the focal point.

Actually, that solitary figure is me, triggering the shutter with a remote timer. Putting a human in the picture can show a sense of scale, i.e. how large the structure is. I had tramped here for two hours in the pre-dawn darkness, past the lonely lighthouse and scattered baches, chasing the impending sunrise. That's about 9km on rough terrain. Often, the best landscape photos require real effort, and even considerable footwork.

Settings: Aperture: f/22 | Shutter Speed: 1/5th second | ISO: 100 | Focal length: 17mm Canon 5D MarkII, using Hahel Giga Pro 2 intervalometer

[ If camera settings are still confusing, enroll in my Discover Your DSLR course ]

Keyword: landscape photography south island nz, new zealand landscape photography