There’s an illusion we create in our brains when it comes to the perception of space. When you look at a wall, for example, you don’t see each surface as a separate object. Rather, your brain combines all those surfaces into one continuous expanse.

This is why it seems like there are never any gaps between adjacent walls or shapes such as squares that seem to blend. You get the same effect when looking at a staircase up close – even though there are discrete steps, they melt away into each other.

This concept goes beyond just walls and stairs. It applies to everything! If you watch a movie with lots of camera angles, and then later add some subtitles, you might find yourself wondering how you could understand what was happening if you didn’t already know who everyone was. The reason has something to do with the way our eyes and minds connect images to people.

With very few exceptions, every person looks a similar size and shape. This means that although there may be several different characters, their sizes typically stay relatively stable. Add in speed differences due to different filming styles and special effects and it can feel almost impossible to determine where someone’s line of sight ends and another begins.

It gets worse because most scenes contain both close-up and long-distance shots so you have to figure out which character(s) matter (they usually only include one or two).

Examples of spatial depth illusion

We are constantly bombarded with messages about how our surroundings affect us – for good or bad. A common example is seeing advertisements that feature beautiful homes surrounded by lush green landscapes.

Most people are subconsciously influenced by such advertising. You get this feeling like, “Wow, I need to have lots of money so I can live in a home like that one day!” Or perhaps you feel motivated to achieve your dreams because there seems to be an emphasis on having a large house and owning many things.

The thing is, both of these examples may simply be illusions. They could make you more likely to earn a lot of money, but they might also influence you to spend too much money.

Why? Because heaving dollars onto a screen makes you feel better about yourself (the ads work via ego enhancement). Having a big house gives you a sense of satisfaction (it creates feelings of control and power). Both of these emotions enhance your perception of self-value.

This effect works in reverse as well. If someone else living the life you dream of doesn't look or talk like you, you will feel less confident in your abilities and worth. It can create a state of internal chaos where you don't know what to believe.

Another reason why creating illusions is a powerful tool is because it manipulates perceptions. This has important applications in psychology and marketing.

How does this affect photography?

As we have seen, our perception of depth is influenced by how close or far things are from us and by the angle that they make with our eyes.

When it comes to taking pictures, however, most people get confused when asked about the depths in photos. Because we perceive the distance between foreground and background, it can be difficult to know what constitutes a deep photo.

A common example of this is when someone takes a picture of a house and then adds a person next to the house. The person may say that the shot was not very deep because there was nothing significant beyond the roof of the house. However, if you were walking past the house at the time, then you would realize that the person was looking into the room behind the wall!

This effect, where something seems to go on for longer than it does, is called an optical illusion. Optical illusions occur when someone places false emphasis on part of a picture so that it appears deeper than it is.

Take advantage of spatial depth illusion

Another interesting effect that we use to create the sense of three-dimensionality is called spatial depth illusion. This happens when you perceive an object or shape as larger than it is, and this perception grows stronger as you look at it longer.

We all experience this when looking at trees in nature or tall buildings. They seem bigger than they are because there’s a mental process that makes us believe they are.

This effect can help create illusions of size – for example, when setting up a wall of windows for design purposes. But it can also be detrimental if what you're perceiving isn't exactly like what you had expected before.

Concerning visual style, using strategies to activate temporal depth illusions (like contrast) and deactivating spatial ones (lack of detail) are ways to keep your designs from feeling overly stylized.

Create illusions of spatial depth

When we look at the world around us, one important thing that we perceive is distance or size. We understand that things are not directly in front of us so they seem farther away, and as they get closer to you, they appear smaller.

This concept applies even when there’s only one object in the frame. If the camera is looking straight down at your feet, then what seems like a longer length of ground is just your height.

By using perspective correctly, you can create an illusion of space within a frame. This creates a sense of depth, which can be very appealing.

There are many ways to use this trick, but here I will discuss two easy ones. The first will go against our instincts, but the second one may surprise you.

The first technique uses contrast. What I mean by this is to include both close and far elements in the frame. As with most tricks, it works better if the element being used has no obvious connection to the rest of the picture.

In the case of these tips, the empty background or area outside of the frame fits the description perfectly! Let me show you some examples.

Use shadows to create depth

Shadows are one of the most powerful ways to add spatial depth to your images. By adding some darkness to an object or area, it becomes invisible in comparison to other things around it.

This effect is called negative contrast. Because everything else is lighter than the shadow, people tend to ignore the shadow and focus more on the brighter areas instead.

By using strong shadows, you can make objects seem much farther away. This is because we perceive distance as how well light is reflected off an object-the longer it takes for that reflection to happen, the further away the object appears.

There are several types of shadows you can use to create this illusion of depth.

Use perspective

A technique used in painting to make objects look closer together or farther apart is called Perspective.

Perspective was first clearly described by Euclid more than 2,500 years ago! He discussed it at length in his book The Elements.

Since then, artists have incorporated perspectives into their work almost every day. Mathematicians now refer to this as “perspective drawing” or “perspective geometry.”

Several styles use different levels of perspective to create unique looks. These include classical realism, expressionism, impressionism, futurism, and many others.

Many famous painters practised various types of perspectives during their careers. Pablo Picasso painted both realistic and abstract works using varying levels of perspective.

Artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Henri de Roubaix, Vincent van Gogh, and Jackson Pollock all mastered the art of incorporating perspective into their paintings.

Use lighting

Another way to add depth to your images is by using light. Lighting creates shadows that help bring focus onto certain parts of the image. Natural sunlight is a very powerful source of light, so if you have access to such a light source, use it!

Photographers often use lights set up beside their subjects for this reason. An easy way to do this is with a small bare lamp or candle next to the person being photographed. This adds some interesting shadow patterns and shapes to the photo.

Learn to use the background

A key element in creating depth is using the background as a linchpin for establishing context. The way we make backgrounds contribute to depth is by emphasizing either shape or pattern, or both.

Shapes are something that you can put farther away from your focal point to create depth. An example of this would be an image with a triangle or circle at a distance.

A pattern also creates depth because it takes up more space than what is given due to scale. An example of this would be wallpaper – even though there may only be one wall, every area of the wall is occupied by the pattern to give the impression that there’s much deeper content beyond just the surface layer.

There are many ways to add depth through patterns and shapes.