Landscape Language
Compressed Perspective (noun) – objects at a distance appear closer than they really are
It can be hard to get a grasp on the scale of Mount Rainier. Rising to 14,410 feet, the mountain dominates the landscape from afar, but also when viewed closer. Compressed perspective is an optical illusion where objects at a distance appear closer than they actual are, such as in this photo of the Emmons Glacier viewed from Burroughs Mountain. Due to its sheer scale, the glacier looks close enough to touch but it is roughly three miles away! Telephoto camera lenses can accentuate this perspective, but even to the naked eye the mountain plays with the senses. Have you experienced this effect when visiting Mount Rainier?
_____ NPS Photo, 9/3/18. Description: A woman walks in front of view of a glacier with many crevasses. ~kl
