Tips On Layering In Street Photography

Layering images with many subjects at various depths of focus throughout the frame is a common photographic theme. Having several points of focus may increase attention and attract the viewer in, while also pushing them to scan the entire shot to see everything. It may sometimes construct a more complicated tale in the minds of the viewers or give them a more comprehensive experience of the scene, moment, and atmosphere. Layering does not create a nice photograph in and of itself, but it may enhance a photograph. But there’s a lot more to it than merely arranging items throughout the screen. You still want strength at the heart of everything, whether it’s a key theme, visual sensation, or event. There are no rules in photography or layering, but here are some pointers to assist you enhance your images if you’re attempting to focus on layering.

- Sanchit Mishra

1. Number of Subjects & “Grounds”

In general, a composition is separated into three planes. The foreground, center-ground, and backdrop are all different. The foreground is nearest to the spectator, the backdrop is farthest away, and the middle ground is in between. As a photographer, you will be able to see these distances when taking the shot, but the viewer will feel these planes owing to scale, depth, and how the photograph is taken. While you may have more layers, these three fundamental “grounds” are the very least you’ll want to have to get a sense of layering. They also aid in the division and organisation of any extra levels in your scene.

To properly portray all three “grounds”, a photograph must have an element or topic that provides attention and separation to that plane. This also applies to extra layers inside each plane. Many people believe that the more subjects there are, the better, as long as there is separation and it’s not usually true, especially when the additional parts don’t provide much value. But, in general, layered pictures perform better when there are many topics in a well-composed frame. It’s one of the things that makes layered photographs so appealing to look at.

Using a wide-angle lens is another approach to emphasise the distinction between your “grounds” and layers. The longer the lens, the more compacted the components and layers in the shot will seem. A wide-angle lens (35mm) achieves the reverse, allowing the spectator to truly feel and perceive the many layers.