The art of composition is the first thing a beginner photographer needs to learn. What enters the frame what should be left aside, and where each element should be positioned in the frame, are simple decisions that take a long time to master. The good news is photographic composition has a handful of rules and techniques that can help you along the way. And if you already know how to use the rule of thirds, the golden rule, and negative space, now it’s time to learn how to use the vanishing point.
What is a Vanishing Point?
A vanishing point is a term from painting and refers to perspective (i.e., the technique painters use to capture on a 2D canvas the depth and distances of a 3D space). Perspective bends the geometry rules to give the human eye the impression of its familiar 3D environment. Otherwise, paintings will look flat and unappealing.
Perspective relies on what the human eye sees from a particular point of view and not on the construction of objects. The simplest example is looking at your coffee mug. Although it is a cylindrical object with a perfectly round opening, based on your relative position to the mug, you see its opening as a large or narrow oval.
A vanishing point is the perspective’s way of dealing with parallel lines. In reality, they never meet. But, in your eyes, they do or seem like they do at some point. When you look at two long parallel lines, you perceive them as intersecting. And that intersection point is called a vanishing point. To see a vanishing point, just imagine standing in the middle of a road and looking in the direction of the road. At some point, whether it is a turn or the horizon, the two sides of the road will seem to intersect.
Painters intentionally draw parallel lines as intersecting lines to create a vanishing point and convey depth and distance. Likewise, photography captures what you see through the viewfinder and automatically creates vanishing points. But it’s up to you to find the best camera angle and position to add a sense of depth and provide the viewer with the correct perspective.
How to Capture Vanishing Points in Photography
Using a vanishing point is not something you will do with every photo. Nevertheless, when the occasion occurs, a vanishing point will create a powerful composition that draws the viewer’s attention and invites them to pursue a visual story. Look for a vanishing point in scenes with a long distance between the camera and background (e.g., landscapes), scenes featuring the horizon (e.g., cityscapes), and scenes featuring strong lines (e.g., tall trees).
Follow the Leading Lines
Leading lines are visually powerful elements that capture the viewer’s attention and lead their eye toward a point of interest. However, if you know how to position the camera relative to the leading lines, you can create a vanishing point. The most easy-to-spot leading lines are roads and rivers, but there are plenty of others, such as architectural lines, electricity poles, street signs, tall trees, and even people’s arms. A vanishing point appears with parallel lines of any orientation. Thus, don’t limit yourself to horizontal lines.
Make sure your composition includes two parallel leading lines that create a vanishing point when transposed in 2D. Place the camera close to the beginning of the line to leave room for the development of the effect. Often, you may want to create symmetry to emphasize the vanishing point. For example, two symmetrical rows of buildings create a stronger vanishing point than two asymmetrical ones.
Create a Deep Depth of Field
To create a stunning vanishing point, you need a deep depth of field. You want the entire frame in focus to lure the viewer into the scene. So ensure there is a long enough distance between the camera and subject, focus at the hyperfocal distance, and set a small aperture value (large f-number).
Find the Best Viewpoint to Emphasize the Vanishing Point
Once you spot a vanishing point and set the camera to capture it, you need to decide where it should stand in the frame. Often, the vanishing point is in the middle of the frame. However, if you want more interesting compositions, try to come up with different placements — such as following the rule of thirds or the golden rule. It creates more dramatic and artful photographs and allows you to use the space around the vanishing point.
To emphasize a vanishing point, try to position the camera close to the beginning of the lines that generate it. For example, you can place the camera at ground level to capture the entire length of a tree trunk. Or you can photograph a round staircase from above to eliminate any distractions and fill the frame with its design.
Work with Multiple Vanishing Points
You may also want to look for multiple vanishing points because many scenes provide them. It’s not easy to balance them, but the composition will be much more dynamic and entertaining. Make sure you balance the complex line design with a minimalist color palette, less contrast, or bland shapes. But for abstract and fine art compositions, multiple vanishing points go a long way.
Start with architecture photos and cityscapes, as it’s easier to spot multiple vanishing points (e.g., highways, multiple sides of a building, etc.).
Capture a Powerful Focal Point
Because it is at the end of leading lines, a vanishing point is in itself a focal point. However, it doesn’t have to be the only one. You can use the vanishing point to draw the viewer’s attention towards a different subject by placing the subject close to the vanishing point.
For example, you can photograph a sunset over a road in such a way that the sun is close to the vanishing point created by the road. Or frame a river landscape in such a way that an interesting rock formation is near the vanishing point. Creating a powerful focal point enriches the visual story and the dynamic of the photo.
Gear to Use to Capture Vanishing Point
Although you can capture a vanishing point with any gear, some well-made choices may improve your photography. The first one is to use a wide-angle lens. Wide-angle lenses allow you to frame a larger area and include longer leading lines. They match perfectly with photographing landscapes and cityscapes.
At the same time, wide-angle lenses make objects seem further away from the camera than they are, which exaggerates the lines and helps create the vanishing point. Moreover, wide-angle lenses help you create a deep depth of field effortlessly.
Another good-to-have item in your photo bag is a tripod. Getting a deep depth of field may require more than a wide-angle lens, such as setting a small aperture. And when you use small apertures, less light enters the camera. As a result, you need to compensate with a slower shutter speed. A tripod helps you avoid camera shakes and produce the clarity and sharpness you need. Moreover, it allows you to do long exposures, which go very well with atmospheric vanishing point photography.
You may also consider a few filters, such as a UV filter to protect your lens, graduated neutral density filters for balancing the brightness of sky and ground, and color filters for shooting in black and white. Filters don’t improve your composition but give you more freedom in terms of creating artistic effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you find the vanishing point in a photo?
The easiest way to find a vanishing point is to look for long parallel lines that end beyond the horizon. They may be the two sides of a road or river. However, you can create a vanishing point at the end of two shorter parallel lines if you place the camera close to their starting point. Vertical sides of a building, parallel trees, or electricity poles can create a vanishing point when the camera is at ground level.
You can also find structures that create a vanishing point without having parallel lines, such as conical or pyramidal structures shot from below (e.g., an electricity pylon).
What is an example of a vanishing point?
The best example of a vanishing point is a road or river going into the horizon. As it gets further away from the camera, the distance between its two sides becomes smaller and smaller, until it becomes a point. Other examples are skyscrapers, tall trees, and sides of a building that give the impression they will intersect at some point.
Where should you place the vanishing point?
The vanishing point can be placed anywhere in the frame. In most photos, you can find it in a central position. However, because it is a focal point, the viewer will most likely check it out, which makes it an important element of the composition. Thus, to take advantage of its power, the vanishing point may be placed according to the rules of composition or near a subject that needs to stand out.
Conclusion
A vanishing point creates a mesmerizing effect and captures the viewer’s attention whether you want it or not. Therefore, it’s essential to spot them when they appear and make an informed framing decision. Because they are powerful visual elements, most photographers use them to create an atmosphere or make a subject stand out. It’s up to you to harness their power but remember that everything in the frame should be there for a reason.
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