I want to touch the clouds.

[paul_walls]

<p>So my question. I see many photos on here where is its amazing depth. The focus of the photo is close but then the sky and backround looks like it goes on for miles. And the clouds and plants always look like you could reach into the photo and touch them.<br>

When I take photos they always seem to be so . . flat. How do you take photos where is looks like you can just walk right into them?</p>

 

[SCL]

<p>If that isn't your photo, you're probably publishing it illegally unless you have permission to use it. Most people merely reference others' works via links. The answer to your question is usually judicious use of light, contrast and exposure. The above shot looks like a polarizing filter was probably used as well.</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>I'm sure you will get lots of replies, but in the image you posted (hay bales under puffy white clouds), IMHO, the key techniques used to suggest depth were (a) a wide angle lens, (b) good depth of field, and © good exposure (ie, the clouds aren't so bright that they are blown out.</p>

<p>The only one of the three techniques that might require a bit of explanation is controlling the exposure of the sky. This is most easily done with a classic ND gradient optical filter in front of the lens. If that doesn't work, there's always photoshop.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>PS - The rules of the road around here are that one NEVER posts a photo that isn't your own. OTOH, supplying a link to a photo of interest is perfectly fine.</p>

<p> </p>

[chrisnielsen]

In the linked photo there are items jn the foreground and background that draw you into the photo. This could be the

difference

[jcuknz]

<p>Tom sums it up but in a beginners' forum it is worth pointing out that the wide angle lense gives a sense of distance if there are objects widely spaced in frame, while a longer lens compresses them together. You get depth of field by using a small aperture, thats the the big numbers. f/16 f/22 f/32 if you have them. The small apertures may need a long exposure so you need to support the camera adequately. If you are using a P&S camera the inherant DoF helps tremendously, I've read that f/8 in the P&S is equal to f/32 of a DSLR. <a href="http://www.dofmaster.com/">www.dofmaster.com</a> is a good place to work these things out. Though it may be described as a 35mm lens in actual fact it could be something like a 5<6mm lens. The 35mm is describing its angle of view when compared to a lens on a 35mm film camera or full frame DSLR<br>

Read the recent thread about white skies for exposure treatments to cope with bright and dark areas in the same photo.<br>

I havn't even got a link :-(</p>

[e._p.]

<p>A smaller aperture is going to give you a greater depth of field. This means that more of the image is going to be in focus, not just what is in the foreground. A smaller aperture means that less light is getting through, however.</p>