Originally Posted by ndwgolf
No, perspective is the angle of the camera to the subject.
No, perspective is the angle of the camera to the subject.
Bob, angle is the half: "The two most characteristic features of perspective are that objects appear smaller as their distance from the observer increases; and that they are subject to foreshortening"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspe...aphical)#Types
...yes, foreshortening can be related to the the angle object vs camera, but two equal objects at same angle may be presented with different sizes on paper, simply because one is farther.
In photography we may change the relative sizes of two objects, by adjusting focal/distance, this is also about perspective. No doubt you are aware of that...
Perspective is an ample concept...
Read some text books on photography. Perspective is controlled by the angle of the camera to the subject. Foreshortening is an optical property and is not perspective. You can increase or decrease foreshortening by changing the lens focal length. But perspective remains the same.
Bob, IMHO there is a disparity in nomenclature.
To me, in graphic arts, perspective is correctly defined in this article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_(graphical). What is it wrong in that article?
My view is that the perspective word is used in many situations, for example if we speak about view cameras we may use "perspective" when related to perspective control from camera movements. A DSLR photographer may use perspective to speak about what you call Foreshortening. And painters call Foreshortening the depictiion of an inclinated object: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lament...ist_(Mantegna), see foreshortened Christ.
IMHO Perspective (Graphical) is exactly defined in Wikipedia, but how we use the word this is a nomenclature/communication issue.
Terminology aside, here's a series from dpreview.com where the photographer has maintained the same framing but has moved in closer with short lenses and further away with longer lenses.
We can call it whatever we like, but given the same framing, our choice of lens and distance influences the appearance of the image.
Around 3m distance should be good...
Bob is correct. Perspective is dependent on the point-of-view (moving the camera left-right or up-down) to alter the relative position of a distant object to a closer object. In other words, it's where you view the subject from. Foreshortening is the size of the background relative to that of the foreground; it's controlled by the choice of focal length (e.g., long lens enlarges the background relative to the foreground & short lens shrinks the size of the background relative to the size of the foreground). Any good book on photography illustrates each of these clearly with photo examples.
After I was discharged from the USAF as a photographer I took a job as as “kidnapper”. For those of you unfamiliar with this term for an area of photography that was common in the 50s and 60s, that is what baby and children photographers that did new born shots in the hospital followed up with 6 month and 1 year old shots as well as the “free” portrait offers from diaper services (remember those)!
Terminology aside, here's a series from dpreview.com where the photographer has maintained the same framing but has moved in closer with short lenses and further away with longer lenses.
We can call it whatever we like, but given the same framing, our choice of lens and distance influences the appearance of the image.
I did children from about 6 years old up. We were issued a pair of strobes, a background and, once a month, a brick of 35mm 36 exposure PlusX. Weekly, when we dropped off the film at the company in the South Bronx we were given a list of appointments for the week. We were also given an 11x14 folio with two sample portrait prints. One a rectangular B&W shot and the other a sepia toned shot in an oval mount.
Everything had to be shot with a 50mm lens and posed with the kid’s near arm across his body.
This was a free print offer. We were told to show the customer the rectangular print as an example of what they would receive and, if they wanted to pay the photographer $1.00 before the shooting they would get the “upgraded sepia toned, oval matted print”. The photographer kept the dollar. A proof passer would contact them within 10 days to show and sell them additional prints.
We were told to tell them that the reason that we needed an answer and the dollar before shooting was because the sepia toned print required different film and processing.
Now, the reason for the 50mm and the near arm across the body and the oval mat was because at the distance we had to shoot for a ¾ portrait gave the kid a near arm the size of a NFL lineman!
That was foreshortening in action! Objects closer to the camera are reproduced larger then objects further from the camera.
This was not perspective. It was, and still is, an optical effect.
As Ken’s examples above show, the effect depends on focal length and distance.
Yes you can change the perspective and emphasize or reduce the effect by shooting higher or lower, especially with short lenses. But if you maintain the angle your choice of lens and distance alone changes the foreshortening.
BTW, after one month I quit that racket!
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