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Principles of Composition - Scale

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pbleic

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For those who want to follow along, I am getting my inspiration from Brenda Tharp in "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography" (available at Amazon, etc.).

Today's topic - expressing a sense of scale. In Brenda's words, "scale is conveyed by the exaggerated proportional relationship of objects in the scene." By including an object of known proportion, you can show grandeur and scale in a scene where it would not be obvious from just a flat photo. In this example of mine, the mountain might not be so impressive without the trees in the foreground. But what really makes you realize its size is the tiny car on the road. I am sure many of you have better examples. Post yours!



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Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
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Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004 All rights reserved.
 
pbleic said:
For those who want to follow along, I am getting my inspiration
from Brenda Tharp in "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography"
(available at Amazon, etc.).

Today's topic - expressing a sense of scale. In Brenda's words,
"scale is conveyed by the exaggerated proportional relationship of
objects in the scene." By including an object of known proportion,
you can show grandeur and scale in a scene where it would not be
obvious from just a flat photo. In this example of mine, the
mountain might not be so impressive without the trees in the
foreground. But what really makes you realize its size is the tiny
car on the road. I am sure many of you have better examples. Post
yours!



--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------
Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004
All rights reserved.
Click to expand...
Excellent primers on many subjects. Keep up the good work (some of it may sink in)
----Daniel----
http://www.pbase.com/jaadwa
 
To see the difference the car and road makes - hold your finger over the car, or the side of your hand over the road and look at the difference. Your mind does amazing things with cues.

--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------

Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004 All rights reserved.
 
http://www.pbase.com/image/28239401


pbleic said:
For those who want to follow along, I am getting my inspiration
from Brenda Tharp in "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography"
(available at Amazon, etc.).

Today's topic - expressing a sense of scale. In Brenda's words,
"scale is conveyed by the exaggerated proportional relationship of
objects in the scene." By including an object of known proportion,
you can show grandeur and scale in a scene where it would not be
obvious from just a flat photo. In this example of mine, the
mountain might not be so impressive without the trees in the
foreground. But what really makes you realize its size is the tiny
car on the road. I am sure many of you have better examples. Post
yours!



--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------
Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004
All rights reserved.
Click to expand...
 
pbleic said:
For those who want to follow along, I am getting my inspiration
from Brenda Tharp in "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography"
(available at Amazon, etc.).

Today's topic - expressing a sense of scale. In Brenda's words,
"scale is conveyed by the exaggerated proportional relationship of
objects in the scene." By including an object of known proportion,
you can show grandeur and scale in a scene where it would not be
obvious from just a flat photo. In this example of mine, the
mountain might not be so impressive without the trees in the
foreground. But what really makes you realize its size is the tiny
car on the road. I am sure many of you have better examples. Post
yours!

Click to expand...
Yes, but much can be said for a car with headlights on, and even a highway for that matter, violating an otherwise lovely natural scene. Composition doesn't work in isolation from subject.

--
Dave Lewis
 
It depends on what your objectives are. You can do this with a car, or with a person, with a house or a tree. Just something that you can gauge. I am showing this as a demonstration of the use of scale, not of a perfect photo.
Dave Lewis said:
pbleic said:
For those who want to follow along, I am getting my inspiration
from Brenda Tharp in "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography"
(available at Amazon, etc.).

Today's topic - expressing a sense of scale. In Brenda's words,
"scale is conveyed by the exaggerated proportional relationship of
objects in the scene." By including an object of known proportion,
you can show grandeur and scale in a scene where it would not be
obvious from just a flat photo. In this example of mine, the
mountain might not be so impressive without the trees in the
foreground. But what really makes you realize its size is the tiny
car on the road. I am sure many of you have better examples. Post
yours!

Click to expand...
Yes, but much can be said for a car with headlights on, and even a
highway for that matter, violating an otherwise lovely natural
scene. Composition doesn't work in isolation from subject.

--
Dave Lewis
Click to expand...
--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------

Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004 All rights reserved.
 
pbleic said:
For those who want to follow along, I am getting my inspiration
from Brenda Tharp in "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography"
(available at Amazon, etc.).

Today's topic - expressing a sense of scale. In Brenda's words,
"scale is conveyed by the exaggerated proportional relationship of
objects in the scene." By including an object of known proportion,
you can show grandeur and scale in a scene where it would not be
obvious from just a flat photo. In this example of mine, the
mountain might not be so impressive without the trees in the
foreground. But what really makes you realize its size is the tiny
car on the road. I am sure many of you have better examples. Post
yours!



--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------
Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004
All rights reserved.
Click to expand...
--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------

Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004 All rights reserved.
 


I actually took this with that specific purpose in mind... showing how tiny the little people look next to the Washington Monument, as they wait in line to go inside.

N.
 
This is the very example that Brenda Tharp uses in her book. You don't have to use anything that says humans on it.
jwh said:
Here is an old (pre Rebel) shot where the cattle were left in to
show the size of Needle Rock and the mountain behind it.



pbleic wrote:

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http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview
http://www.myeyesviewstudio.com/
jwh

Click to expand...
--
Paul

------------------------------------------------
Pbase supporter
Photographs at: http://www.pbase.com/pbleic
--------------------------------------------------

Unless specified otherwise, all images are Copyright 2003, 2004 All rights reserved.
 
Well here are a few examples but with things that aren't as massive as mountains. In the first, the people emphasize the length of the Vietnam War Memorial. In the second, the size of the Washington monument is made apparent in comparison to the Cherry and other trees. In the third, the size of the rollercoaster is apparent compared to the size of the people. And the size of the Eiffel Tower lookalike is made apparent compared to the rollercoaster and trees in the foreground.

http://www.pbase.com/image/27576312



http://www.pbase.com/image/27571949



http://www.pbase.com/image/26562561



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