Blog Prompt #14

To convey the difference between unknown and familiar space, I think there would need to be an emphasis on proximity. An unknown place is mysterious, and therefore a picture taken from far away might express the unfamiliarity of a place best. On the other hand, a close-up photo most powerfully expresses familiarity, since only when a person is completely comfortable with something will they get close to it. Close-ups convey intimacy, and a degree of trust. When I think of places that have been untouched by humans, I think first of all of islands in the middle of the ocean, or deep sea or space. These things are so unattainable to us, and it is fitting then that they are most often photographed with a large depth of field, giving the impression that we are standing far away from it. It's unfamiliar, and there's no way we can be intimate with it. Aerial views, or views from a rock in the ocean surrounding the island would give the sense of not being there, of not being familiar with it or experiencing it.