Near and Far: The photo challenge guest host this week is Brian Cooney.

This … challenge is meant to inspire play with perspective, which can give sweeping images of beautiful locations more oomph and power. Perspective is what makes a flat two-dimensional image, such as a photograph, appear like it is three-dimensional. To create this effect, you can use features like diagonal lines, which converge within the frame and literally suck in the viewer.

Here’s my interpretation of this week’s challenge:

“The Long Arm” Cheryl Andrews©

Photography Tips from Brian Cooney:

  • In this image of Tra Bui in County Sligo, Ireland, the rocks in the foreground and the lines in the water on the right guide your eyes to the center of the picture. Here, I use a small aperture (f 16), which creates good depth of field and a sharp focus from the foreground and into the distance. For this shot, I also hunkered down low on the ground with my camera on a tripod. I like to shoot from a low viewpoint, as this makes the convergence greater.
  • In landscape photography, keep the horizon level: a tilting horizon can be disconcerting to the eye. When I shoot, I use a small spirit level that slots into the camera hot shoe, where my flash is normally mounted, to confirm that I have my horizon level. If you don’t manage to get the horizon level, you can crop and straighten your image on your computer later.
  • Also, when photographing landscapes, it is generally better to shoot when the light is softer—early morning or evening light. Cloudy days are great, too, because the light stays soft all day.

Other Interpretations of this week’s challenge: