Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision

Creating Depth with Layers

They say a good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. So it is with many strong photographs, but the visual equivalent is a foreground, midground, and background. Not every image will make use of all three working together, but ones that do will usually be stronger for it. Placing an intentional foreground, midground, and background in your image, especially as you photograph places, creates visual depth. It pulls the viewer into the image and invites the eye to walk around a little, to explore the space. It adds the illusion and feel of the third dimension and creates an image that beckons viewers to spend some time. It adds complexity and texture. If you want your images to give the viewer a greater sense of ...