Size-up the world around you

Reader-photographers are selected for their best photographs published in August, 2016

Why do fishermen hold up their catch in photographs? Why do the best landscape photographs usually have a person in it, gazing into the distance? Why do archaeologists photograph dinosaur bones with a ruler next to it? It all comes down to scale. Award-winning American

Zeeshan Shaikh

photographer Robert Caputo wrote in

photography blog: “Whenever you’re shooting a landscape, a monument, an insect, or a jewel — anything that you want to convey the impressive size of (whether it’s impressively big or small) — look around your frame carefully. Does it include something that will give viewers an indication of scale? If not, move around until it does or find some other way to work in a recognisable element.”

Perspective gives the viewer an immediate emotional connect with the image.

When seeing the iconic photograph called ‘Pale Blue Dot’ — of the Earth suspended in a sea of black — taken by Voyager 1 in 1990, American astrophysicist Carl Sagan said: “...a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. To me, it Zeeshan Shaikh goes by the instagram handle @shutternomad, and took this photograph of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The Dubai resident said: “The right perspective makes the impossible possible.” He came in first place with 21 retweets and 38 likes. underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish this pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

Pictures with perspective had the edge in our August Reader Picture Competition.

We asked Gulf News’ Twitter followers to select the top three reader photographs. Of the five pictures in the editors’ shortlist, they retweeted the picture they liked best. The pictures were ranked based on the highest number of retweets. Here, we present the winners.

Editor’s note: Do you want to participate in our monthly Reader Picture Competition? Send us your best photographs, with captions, at readers@gulfnews.com.

Shameem Sha

Shameem Sha is based in Dubai, but captured this image during Holi celebrations earlier this year, in Uttar Pradesh, India. He titled it: “Veiled”. He secured second place with 15 retweets and 5 likes.

Dilna Avinash

Dilna Avinash works in marine management and is based in Dubai. She took this photograph of a goat herder in Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India. She said: “Along the Nubra or Siachen River lie the villages of Sumur, Tegar (called ‘Tiger’ by the Indian Army), Tirith, Panamik, Turtuk and many others. This herder was heading home. I sat low on the ground and shot this picture.’ Her photograph received five retweets and nine likes.