Project 7: Images with Depth

This exercise was to create images that represented certain atmospheres using perspective, foreground and background detail, lighting, colour, texture and depth of field.

Dynamic / Exciting / Adventurous

I created two versions of this image, above and below. The frame is split quite obviously in two by the path, which creates a line which draws the viewer off into the distance. In the first image the entire image is sharp, but I believe the second image is better, using depth of field to create a more of a sense of mystery in the distance, adding to the sense of the adventure. The fact that the path is curvy adds to the dynamic feeling too in my opinion. The neutral colour also adds to the mystery.

Oppressive / Dull / Stifling

This one took a while to get the right location. I had in my mind the idea of an empty room with white walls. The lines of perspective of the side walls are bought to an abrupt halt by the end wall before they can really lead anywhere, creating a sense of oppression. The lack of detail adds to the dull nature (white walls) however ideally I would not have the doors there, or the beams, so there was even less detail to catch the attention of the viewer.

Complicated / Confusing / Uncomfortable

Again I have created two versions of this one. I was looking for a mess of many lines without any lines of perspective so the viewer didn't really know where to look within the image, giving a very uncomfortable feeling. The neutral tone across the image is also for the same reason, and the mass of different textures, from the smooth water, to the plants, ground, branches and even a bit of sky gives a very confused, jumbled feeling again. I think both images have something different about them, the shallow depth of field giving a bit of an uncomfortable feeling as there is a lack of detail in the background, but my preference would be the first image with detail all the way through as it just feels more confusing to me.

Refined / Mature / Reasonable

I had two ideas for this. One was a perfectly ordered living room, very symmetrical, neat and stylish, but the setting of this proved a bit too complicated (mainly because I couldn't get the living room to myself long enough to arrange it such a way). So I went with my second idea which was an estate with very regular similar houses, ordered neatly in a mature and reasonable way. The road acts as a line of perspective that draws you evenly from one house to the next, and the houses themselves create another line of perspective. Everything feels very ordered, and sensible, there are no outlandish colours, and everything seems to work together.

Overall I think I found that the best way to create depth in an image are through lines of perspective, either allowing them to lead off into the distance to give the sense of depth, or cutting them off abruptly to help create the opposite feeling. Depth of field also goes some way to creating a sense of depth, when the background is out of focus, the viewer instinctively knows it is further away.

Visual depth is very important to a shot. It definitely sets a mood for a scene. Lots of visual depth creates interest and adventure, lack of it creates a stifling, oppressive feeling. However lack of visual depth is also good for focussing attention on foreground activities within a scene, whereas depth in this situation could create a bit of a distractive element away from the foreground action.