Vanishing Points and Perspective

Any post about ‘Vanishing Points’ could also be (at times) called : Leading Lines; Perspective; Looking Up; or Looking Alongside.

In Petite-Fort-Phillippe on the North Coast of France, we strolled along the pier that disappeared into the horizon. The lines obviously lead straight out to the horizon (H).Long pier leading to the horizon on our morning walk along the beach at Petit Fort Philippe, FranceHeading straight into the sun on a street in Copenhagen, Denmark. You can’t see the vanishing point here because you’re blinded by the sun.A golden street at night in Copenhagen, DenmarkLooking along the canal in the Pontcysylite Aqueduct in Wales.
Looking down the canal in the Pontcysylite Aqueduct in WalesA section of straight ‘Inca’ road in the empty lands of the Argentinean Andes.a section of dead straight 'Inca' road from Cachi to SaltaTaking the Renfe train from Toledo to Madrid.Taking the Renfe train from Toledo to Madrid

VPs when Looking Up (or Down).

Staircases are often fairly obvious as to vanishing points (VPs) whether they are going up or down; in this case stairs leading down to the First World War tunnels in the Somme 1916 Musée in Albert, France.  stairs leading down to the First World War tunnels in the Somme 1916 Musée in Albert, FranceUp the red staircase at the Brussels Atomium in Belgium. up the red staircaseThis note on perspective drawing shows a house-like object with three Vanishing Points labeled V1, V2 and the less obvious V3, which is the one that is up in the air somewhere. (H is Horizon, S is the sightline.)notes on three-point perspective drawingThe V3 diagram comes to life in these buildings in historic Troyes, France, the half-timbers providing visual lines all leading up to V3.Half-timbered buildings in historic Troyes, FranceIn this view of Hong Kong all the buildings appear to be tipping over into the centre because of Vanishing Point 3 (the one that is way up in the air somewhere.)Panorama of Hong Kong high-risesA view of the town hall in Brussels, Belgium. Vanishing Point 3 shows up best in really tall buildings.Silhouette of the Town Hall in the Grand Place, Brussels' gilded central square, in the evening (Belgium)Or really tall trees.Tall trees along the Rainforest Trail of the Pacific Rim Rainforest Trail on Vancouver Island, CanadaOr in the lines and masts of a really tall ship, this one in the Maritime Museum in Melaka, Malaysia.Ship mast the Maritime Museum in Melaka, MalaysiaMore of Dan’s CFFC: Images with a vanishing point.

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