Ballet Legs Perspective - My Vision

This is a wide-angle photo of a woman's legs - with her upper body disappearing from view through the principle of diminishing perspective.

Below, is the studio set-up for this image. Photography was done with a Mamiya RB67 film camera, using a 50mm wide angle lens (similar to a 24mm on a full-frame 35mm SLR camera).

(Click on any image for a larger view.)


No fancy Photoshop work was used here, just straight photography and good lighting.

Sidebar: Some time ago, a talent agency asked me to photograph some of their clients. They mainly wanted "head shots" for their talent books. Although the money they were offering to pay me wasn't that good, I saw it as an opportunity to experiment with people who were willing to try new things, and built portfolio images for both of us. Since some of these people had backgrounds in theater, they also had access to some interesting wardrobe pieces, which can really help liven a portrait. "Trading" talent has been a tool I've used over the years to increase my experience and build my photographic reputation. This image is part of a series that has resulted from these talent trades. (Debbie Cox was the model for this shot.)

You can also view my "Most Interesting" images on Flickr to see more of "My Vision".

Improving Photos with Perspective and Size Relationships

In February I went to Kauai, Hawaii. I can't wait to return to that "Garden Island." You'll see more images in future blogs from this beautiful and diverse paradise that has been the background for dozens of Hollywood movies. My wife and loved the more relaxed and less commercial feeling of this island.

When I photographed these Giant Fig Trees Roots (Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) a Banyan tree native to Australia), I wanted to emphasis it's massive roots. Their size and sprawling nature were accentuated by forced perspective, achieved through using a wide angle lens (17mm, or 24mm equivalent). Including the round lava rocks in the foreground also adds interest.

The image still doesn't communicate how massive these roots are until a known relationship is add to the image. When I saw a couple posing for a picture, I asked them to stay a minute longer and keep looking at the man who was taking their picture, while I compose a different image of them. Using the same wide-angle perspective, I included them near the top of the image and to the right (following the "rule of thirds"), tucking them between two huge roots.

Their size relationship to the trees really makes the image speak for itself.