Are you struggling to make your photos stand out from the crowd? Perhaps you think all your photos look ordinary? If that sounds familiar, then you need to try shooting from different perspectives or vantage points. Furthermore, the six perspective photography tips in this article will give you the edge for creating unique photos.
1. Shoot Down On Your Subject
Your first perspective photography tip is to shoot downwards with your subject directly beneath you. First of all, stand on a chair or ladder so you can look down on your subject. This new viewpoint creates a strong image which can include geometric patterns and shapes.
In the photo above, looking down at the two sisters creates a powerful connection between the subject and the viewer. This is mainly because of the way each subject is upside down to the other – something that wouldn’t be easy to do if the subjects were standing up and photographed from the side.
Food photography is more popular than ever, especially on social media, and shooting from above enables you to show the viewer the tasty contents of the plate, whilst creating a visually appealing image by including some of the table dressings. Shooting from above enabled the shapes, textures, and materials in the next example to be captured perfectly.
2. Shoot Up To Your Subject
For a really dramatic perspective, try shooting directly upwards at your subject. Try getting close to a building or a tree then looking up with your camera. This perspective is unique, interesting and rarely noticed by people passing by, which means your photos will demand more attention due to the unusual perspective.
In the first photo above, looking at the trees sideways on creates a very vertical, linear feel to the image. By comparison, when standing at the foot of the trees and looking up, a completely different feeling is evoked. The converging lines in the trees draw you into the image.
Try lying on the ground on your back, with your subjects positioned around you looking down. The resulting photo shown above really draws the viewer’s eye into the picture, capturing a quirky family portrait.
Looking straight up the pillars of the Pantheon in Rome gave a unique viewpoint, as you can see in the photo above. This perspective helps to create a strong image that captures the attention of the viewer.
3. Use A Low View Point To Create Depth
This vantage point is all about getting really low, squatting, sitting or kneeling, but looking straight ahead.
By choosing a low vantage point for the photo above, more of the foreground has been included, giving an increased sense of depth. The men in the image look especially tall and imposing, drawing the viewer into the image.
Shooting from a low level creates new and interesting images of almost any subject, as the photo of this piece of seaweed above shows. In addition, when your camera is positioned to be lower than your subject you put the viewer in an inferior role. This in turn gives your subject a greater impression of power or strength.
By shooting the band in the photop below from a fairly low angle the imposing framework of this disused warehouse is clearly visible, providing leading lines which draw the viewer’s eye into the photo and help dwarf the subjects, making them seem small and vulnerable.
4. Shoot From The Hip
Shooting from the hip means holding the camera around the same level as your hip. This technique is great for street photographers because the camera isn’t held to your face. This means you can easily take a candid photo without the subjects knowing that you’re doing it.
Photographing from the hip at quite close quarters made the girl in the photo below the main focus rather than her mother. It captures a beautiful moment without any distractions.
The image below was shot from the hip level and captures a child playing. The child wasn’t aware the photograph was being taken, creating an even more natural feel.
5. Use Reflections In Mirrors & Windows
Transform an image from ordinary to a creative work of art by incorporating reflections. Because this kind of perspective involves adding layers it creates a feeling of depth. So, look for reflections in windows of a building, a puddle of water in the street or even a pair of mirrored sunglasses.
Shooting through a window with reflections creates an intriguing double-exposure effect. Also, mirrors can make an image dynamic as the perspective isn’t what you would expect to see. This is because the mirror only reflects a small amount and this can break up an image if you get creative.
6. Shoot Through Something To Frame The Shot
The last of our perspective photography tips is to frame an image by shooting through an object or using the surroundings to frame the shot. While we think of frames surrounding the entire subject or scene, a frame can still be effective even if it just covers two or three edges of the scene.
Surroundings that contain shapes naturally lend themselves to framing an image. Therefore, the building in the photo above created a natural frame for the members of this band, as well as individual frames for some of the members.
Shooting through an object held up to the lens creates a frame. For example, in the image above, the boy was photographed through a hole in a sheet of ice. As a result, this blurred the edges of the image around the child’s face, creating a soft feel to the portrait.
The bride in the image above is subtly framed by the edge of the bubble seat and, as a result, the framing helps to draw the viewer into the image and focus on the bride.
Perspective Photography: Summary
Finally, you’ve discovered six different perspective photography tips you can use to improve your photography, including shooting from a high position, a low position, from waist height, through frames, and including reflections.
Different perspectives show the value of seeing things differently and, therefore, these six perspective tips should inspire you to look at each shot individually and open up your creativity.
