The Enthusiast's Guide to iPhone Photography

18. CREATE DEPTH WITH FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND ARRANGEMENTS

STANDARD PHOTOGRAPHS ARE two-dimensional interpretations of a three-dimensional world. The three dimensions of the scene we experience are flattened out when translated by the camera to a 2-D photo. To counter this, you can add a sense of depth to an image by consciously arranging elements within a photo to draw attention to the distinctly different planes of the foreground, middle ground, and background (Figure 18.1).

Creating depth with this approach results in a more dynamic and visually interesting composition (Figure 18.2). With some images, such as portraits, layering elements can ...