Perspective in Photography from Cuba
Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Díaz
HAVANA TIMES – Considering that photography is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional environment, when there is a sense of depth achieved through the depiction of how objects appear in relation to their position and distance from the point of observation (in this case, the camera), we are looking at an image with perspective or depth of field.
In other words, perspective is what allows us to create a photograph that, although it physically has two dimensions, conveys depth or a third dimension, in a way distorting reality.
There are different types of perspective in photography, such as linear perspective, which occurs when two parallel lines (like railroad tracks, roads, or buildings) converge at a point known as the vanishing point, creating a sense of depth; another example would be a long corridor. There is also overlapping perspective, which is when one object covers another, indicating that it is closer; an example of this would be overlapping trees in a forest.
It is worth noting that perspective is not exclusive to photography; its origins lie in painting and drawing, and in architectural and urban planning projects it plays a fundamental role.
