Compressed perspective refers to a visual phenomenon where the perceived distance between objects in a scene appears reduced.
Understanding Compressed Perspective
At its core, compressed perspective is a visual effect that occurs when objects in the foreground of a scene appear larger and closer, while objects in the background seem smaller and more distant. While the provided reference describes the effect as foreground objects appearing larger and closer and background objects appearing smaller and more distant, this is a slight rephrasing or perhaps an incomplete description of typical compression, which primarily makes distant objects seem closer together and similar in size, rather than making foreground objects disproportionately larger (which is more characteristic of wide-angle distortion). However, the core concept from the reference is the relative appearance: objects at different distances look like they are squashed together along the depth axis.
How Perspective Compression Happens
This visual effect is typically achieved or enhanced through specific photographic techniques:
- Using a Telephoto Lens: Lenses with a long focal length have a narrow field of view. When you use such a lens, you usually have to stand further away from your subject to frame it correctly.
- Shooting from a Distance: The crucial factor isn't just the lens, but the distance between the camera and the subject(s). When shooting from far away, all objects in the scene, whether relatively near or far from each other, are significantly distant from the camera. This large camera-to-subject distance minimizes the relative difference in distance between the objects, making them appear closer together in the frame.
Because the camera is far away, both the foreground and background elements occupy a much smaller angle in the camera's view, making their sizes appear more similar than they would if shot from up close with a wide-angle lens. This makes the scene look flatter, with elements at different depths seemingly 'compressed' together.
Key Characteristics
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Objects at different distances look closer together. |
| Relative Size | Size difference between near and far objects is less pronounced. |
| Sense of Depth | Reduced sense of depth and separation between layers in the scene. |
| Typical Cause | Achieved by using a telephoto lens and shooting from a significant distance. |
| Visual Effect (from reference) | Foreground objects appear larger/closer, background smaller/distant (this might refer to the overall relative scale within the compressed view, but the key is the squashing of distance). |
Practical Examples and Uses
Compressed perspective is a deliberate artistic choice in various media:
- Photography: Often used in portraiture to avoid distortion and separate the subject from a blurred background (bokeh), or in landscape and street photography to make distant elements like mountains or buildings appear large and imposing behind a subject, or to make traffic look densely packed on a street.
- Filmmaking: Creates dramatic visual effects, such as making characters appear closer to large landmarks than they are, or making parallel lines (like train tracks) converge more slowly, emphasizing distance and scale.
- Wildlife Photography: Essential for safely photographing animals from a distance while making them fill the frame.
Why Use Compressed Perspective?
- To emphasize the relationship or proximity between distant objects.
- To create a sense of density or crowdedness.
- To make backgrounds appear larger or more dominant relative to a foreground subject.
- To simplify a busy scene by flattening the depth.
- To avoid distortion common with wide-angle lenses when shooting subjects close up.
In summary, compressed perspective is the visual outcome of using a long lens from a distance, resulting in a scene where elements at varying depths appear 'compressed' together, reducing the perceived distance between them and making their relative sizes more uniform compared to how they would appear with a wide-angle view from nearby.
