In daily life, we rarely feel compelled to stop and judge the size of an
object unless it is far away, unfamiliar, or seen from a puzzling
perspective. But in a photographic composition, which presents a flat
version of reality, one of the first things we look for is a guideline that
helps us establish the size and proportion of the objects in the scene.

The enormous size of the rocky projection is clear only because we
recognise the tiny protruding treetops almost buried in the snow. Any
object of known size can have this effect, but human figures are
particularly compelling when juxtaposed with natural or man-made
shapes because we identify with their vulnerability.

On the other hand, size and space may be creatively distorted, as
represented by the lake. By choosing a particular angle of view of the
rowers, the composition has made the mountain above predominate,
reinforcing the scenes juxta-positional quality.