Converging Lines in Photographic Composition
In my view, the still photographer has 2 simple challenges – to overcome the boundaries of space and to overcome the boundaries of time. In this series we explore ways of at least creating an illusion of breaking free of the boundaries of space that are imposed in a 2 dimensional image from our 3 dimensional world.
Converging lines in photographic composition are often used to create a sense of depth in an image. The canonical example from real life is that of parallel railway tracks that appear to converge to a point in the distance. If an image has a pair or a number of such lines that appear to converge, our brain will extrapolate that to our experience from real life and find the 3rd dimension in the 2 dimensional image.
This is a picture of 6th Avenue at 23rd Street taken with my phone. The line of buildings create the converging lines from the top left and right. Because of the reflection of the same buildings on the road wet with rain, we have an additional pair of lines leading in from the bottom that add to the effect.This type of effect is called linear perspective – because the perspective of the 3rd dimension are created by the lines. The impact is more with wide angle lens – the cellphone lenses are wide – that steepens the linear perspective i.e. make things appear further apart than those really are. The lines also typically help to lead the viewer into the image. Your eyes will be constantly going along the lines to where those converge. However there is nothing there. The Freedom Tower looks way too small to have an impact. So while it is great to have the lines lead into the frame, you want to have something interesting to hold the viewer’s attention.
This picture from Flatiron does a better job of providing something interesting where the lines from the right would seem to converge. I shot from a low angle to increase the impact of the lines created by railings. This is another reason to say your viewpoint (place / angle you take the shot) has tremendous influence on what you are trying to achieve in the final image.
So next time you come across an alley, a fence or even tracks in the mud, see if you can include that in a composition with something interesting where the lines would converge. The linear perspective will bring the 3-D effect in the image.
