How to use photographic backgrounds to create a sense of depth and space?

1. Use the hierarchical relationship between foreground, middle ground and background
In photography, the sense of depth and space in a photo can be significantly enhanced by properly arranging the relationship between the foreground, middle ground, and Photography Background elements. The foreground refers to the part closer to the camera. The elements in this part can be some props, plants, window frames, table items, etc. They are usually slightly blurred to highlight the subject. The mid-range is the area where the subject is, while the background is further away and often fills the space with a sense of space. Through this sense of layering, the audience's line of sight will gradually extend from the foreground to the middle ground and background, thereby feeling the depth of the picture space.
In actual operation, photographers can use the focus point of the lens to control the effects of these levels. For example, use a wider aperture (f/2.8 or f/4) to blur the foreground and background, making the subject stand out more while creating a sense of depth. Through this method, the elements in the picture are no longer straightforward, but constitute a three-dimensional space with clear layers, which greatly increases the three-dimensional sense of the picture. This method is particularly effective for portrait photography, where blurring the background can make the characters more distinct and highlight their position in space.

2. Blurred background (shallow depth of field)
Shallow depth of field refers to the photographic effect in which the background or foreground is blurred, usually achieved by using a large aperture (such as f/1.4, f/2.8, etc.). This technique allows the viewer’s attention to focus on the subject while blurring the background from unnecessary distractions, thereby enhancing the sense of space and depth. The blurred background not only makes the photo look more three-dimensional, but also highlights the subject, which is especially important in portrait or still life photography.
The blurriness of the background usually depends on the focal length of the lens, the aperture size, and the shooting distance. When the aperture is larger, the blur effect of the background will be more obvious, causing the details of the background to be "compressed" and appear more distant, allowing the audience to focus on the subject. Blurred backgrounds allow the lights in the background to create beautiful bokeh spots, which add to the beauty of the image and help enhance the sense of depth in the photo. Shallow depth of field technology is widely used in product photography, portrait photography, and landscape photography, and is especially suitable for shooting scenes that require high details.

3. Use different background elements near and far
Through reasonable arrangement of background elements, objects in the foreground and background can create a clear sense of distance in space, which can effectively enhance the depth of the photo. For the control of depth of field, not only the blurring of the background, but also the distribution of elements also plays an important role. When shooting, the photographer can choose scenes that are far away from the subject, such as distant mountains, buildings, or bodies of water, as well as closer scenes, such as trees, grass, or objects on the street. Through this before-and-after contrast, the picture naturally creates a sense of depth.
For example, when taking an outdoor landscape photo, you can use distant mountains, sky or buildings as the background, nearby plants or flowers as the foreground, and the subject in the mid-ground. Elements at different levels of distance work together to bring rich visual effects to the picture. By changing the distance of the background, the picture appears more layered, rather than a simple flat picture. Photographers can also change the perspective of the background and enhance the sense of depth by adjusting the shooting angle or lens focus.

4. Use perspective and lines to enhance depth
The perspective effect is an important means of creating a sense of depth in photography. Perspective makes objects appear far and near through changes in perspective, lines, and proportions, thereby enhancing the three-dimensional sense of space. For example, when photographing streets, roads, railway tracks, etc., the arrangement of lines will naturally guide the line of sight from near to far, creating a profound visual effect. In these scenes, the lines are usually concentrated at one point in the frame, which is the "vanishing point" in perspective.
The use of perspective is not only suitable for architectural photography, but can also be widely used in portrait and product photography. When photographing buildings, photographers can use elements such as roads, bridges, or corridors to use the guiding role of these lines to increase the sense of depth in the photo. Similarly, when photographing people, you can use long lines in the environment (such as the edges of tables, bookshelves, etc.) to make the spatial relationship between the characters and the background clearer and enhance the sense of space and layering. Perspective techniques not only enhance the sense of depth in a picture, but also make it more interesting and dynamic.

5. Adjust the brightness and contrast of the background
The brightness and contrast of the background directly affects the visual effect of the photo, especially when it comes to creating a sense of space. A darker background can make the subject in the foreground stand out more, thereby enhancing the contrast between the subject and the background and increasing the sense of depth. For example, in portrait photography, darker backgrounds (such as black or dark walls) are often used to make the details of the characters more vivid and highlight the three-dimensionality of the characters through contrast. At the same time, a dark background can help isolate the subject and make it stand out more in the photo.
Contrast in the background can also add to the sense of space. A dark background and a bright foreground can visually create a greater sense of depth when using a high-contrast background. By adding enough contrast between the background and the subject, the space in the picture can be made more three-dimensional. For example, when photographing a product, if the background is dark, the bright colors of the product itself can be highlighted, creating a clear contrast between the foreground and background, thereby enhancing visual depth.

6. Use curves and curved lines
Curves and sinuous lines often guide the viewer's eye and enhance the sense of depth in a painting. Especially when shooting landscapes or buildings, by using natural or artificial curves (such as road curves, building outlines, etc.), you can create a sense of visual extension and help enhance the sense of space in the picture. Curves and curved lines can guide the eye in the picture, making the picture look more dynamic and deep.
In interior photography, photographers can use elements with curved lines such as arches, hallways or window frames in a room to enhance the sense of space. For example, when photographing an indoor corridor, using diagonal lines can make the picture look more layered and create a sense of depth. Curved lines can make the picture softer and avoid the stiffness that straight lines bring to the picture.

7. Choose a contrasting background
When choosing a background, use the color contrast between the background and the subject to enhance the sense of space in the photo. For example, using a bright background color to contrast the subject can create a clear visual impact and make the subject stand out more. Sharp color contrast can make the picture more vivid, and can also help enhance the layering of the space. When shooting, if the background color is darker and the subject is lighter, or the background color and the color of the subject are in strong contrast, it can make the subject appear more three-dimensional and the background appear farther away, thereby enhancing the sense of space.
By using warm and cold contrast, especially in product or people photography, you can effectively strengthen the spatial relationship between the background and the subject. For example, using cool colors (such as blue, green) for the background and warm colors (such as red, orange) for the subject can help highlight the subject and add a sense of depth, giving the picture a greater sense of depth.

8. Use light, shadow and light angles
The use of light and shadow is an important technique to increase the sense of space in photos. By controlling the direction and intensity of light, you can create different shadows in the background and increase the layering of the picture. For example, shooting with side or backlight can cast long shadows in the background, making it richer. By controlling the direction of light, photographers can create different contrasts between light and dark in the background, enhancing the sense of space and depth in the image.
The angle and intensity of light determine the layering of the background. If the background light is weak, the subject in the foreground will stand out more and the background will appear further away, enhancing the sense of space. When shooting with natural or artificial light sources, photographers can adjust the brightness and shadow of the background by changing the angle of the light source, thereby controlling the sense of space in the picture.