Modified: 2020-03-18
Camouflage is the deliberate alteration of figure-ground so that the figure blends into the ground. Duck and turkey hunters wear camouflaged clothing so that game will not perceive them. Some hunters even use camouflage tape on the barrels of their shotguns. During the Gulf War, all tanks had to be repainted from a woodland camouflage pattern to a desert camouflage pattern because camouflage is terrain specific. That specificity is also evident when one goes to purchase camouflage clothing; it comes in several patterns, each best suited to particular environments or seasons.
In photography classes, in contrast, students are taught to alter figure-ground so that the figure, or the person being photographed, stands out. Novice photographers often will take pictures of subjects against cluttered backgrounds. Such portraits are less aesthetically pleasing than portraits taken against solid backgrounds. The latter set of portraits will stand out better than the former.