As photographers, we work in a world of only the dimensions of width and height. Our graphic, two dimensional canvas constrains us in the third dimension of depth.

Fortunately, by emulating some of the techniques used by painters we can regain the illusion of depth.

The perspective created by converging lines into a vanishing point is a proven method used for thousands of years. But, what if there are no lines to converge as in a zero-point perspective?

In order to convey depth in the absence of a vanishing point we can rely on the overlapping of image elements. Elements which cover or obscure other elements are perceived as being closer than the elements they conceal.

One of my goals for the baseball season was to work on using layers in my images to enhance the feeling of depth. The baseball diamond is conveniently laid out in such a way that stacking the players is very simply done.

But, sometimes the overlapping can result in strange merges between elements. I’ll have to keep a close eye on that.

Now that I have spent some time applying the technique, I can’t live without it.