Layers

Hey everyone, for Assignment #29 we’ve decided to revisit one of our first ever (and favourite street assignments) LAYERS

Layers allow you to add depth, context, and storytelling to your images by including a lot of information in a single frame. It’s about moving beyond flat compositions and finding ways to let the eye travel through the picture.

What do we want to see?

A street photograph that uses foreground, middle ground, and background (or overlapping elements) to create depth and complexity. This could mean shooting through glass or reflections, combining multiple subjects in one frame, or stacking visual information to tell a story.

Whether you like to shoot wide and capture busy, dynamic street scenes, or prefer a longer lens to compress space and play with foreground elements, we want to see how you use layers to guide the viewer and build atmosphere.

This month we're collaborating with Billy Dinh, stay tuned for more on our assignment page

Tips for the assignment:

📐 Think in planes: Look for opportunities to place elements in different parts of the frame: foreground, subject, background.

🪞 Use reflections: Windows, puddles, and mirrors can introduce extra layers without moving your feet.

👥 Multiple Subjects: Let people interact visually by aligning them across the frame, creating connections between layers.

🔭 Experiment with lenses: Wide angles can exaggerate space and relationships, while telephotos can compress and stack layers in surprising ways.

🌆 Be Patient: Sometimes it’s about patience: waiting until elements from different planes come together just right. Can you evenly space multiple people in your frame?

Where do I look for inspiration?

📸 Billy Dinh

Masterful at using foreground obstructions and reflections to create layered frames full of energy and emotion.

https://www.instagram.com/billydeee/?hl=en

📸 Melissa O’Shaughnessy

Complex frames of New York City, photographs that stop you in your tracks

https://www.instagram.com/melissaoshaughnessy/?hl=en

📸 Alex Webb

A pioneer of layered, complex street scenes bursting with colour and rhythm.
https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/alex-webb/

📸Selin Ertuğrul

Complex frames with tight compositions

https://www.instagram.comselinertugrul_/

📸Sarah Van Rij

An expert at using layers in portrait frames

https://www.instagram.com/sarahvanrij/?hl=en

📸 Trent Parke

His use of light, shadow, and overlapping elements creates cinematic, multi-layered moments.
https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/trent-parke/