scale

I like to hike. Maila doesn't.

So whenever I take hiking trips I'm always confronted with this dilemma: How do I express, or share, with others the 'scale' of something -- whether it be the grandness of a valley or waterfall, the minuteness of a flower or insect, or the distance of a monument, to take a few examples?

Here is the tip -- introduce something in the photograph to compare the subject to. This provides the viewer with a sense of scale.

Although I haven't mastered the technique yet, I think the best way to illustrate this is to provide some examples.

At first glance, noticing the grass and shrubbery on the left side and the rocks on the right, the hill in this photo may seem to be close by.

However, including my friend James in the photo gives a better idea of the distance and size of the hill. We may start to realize that some of the "grass and shrubbery" in the first photo may may actually be trees.

Including my boot after I passed the waterfall crossing in this photo may help the viewer understand that I was looking down.

Admittedly, these aren't the best of photos, but I hope in some way that they help explain some of the things we can do to help express a sense of scale to our subjects. Until the next tip, enjoy!

jte