While in Korea I learned that sometimes the best way to take a picture is to look like you’re not taking a picture. With today’s digital cameras that have LCD viewing screens that can twist, turn, or flip so that you can view the image at almost any angle it would have been much easier. At the time I did not have that privilege, so I was focusing by estimating distance. The average non-photographer assumes that if you don’t have the camera up to your eye then you can’t be taking a picture. People tend to relax, and you get more natural results.
When shooting pictures in a crowded area there are two angles that many photographers over look. The first is the waist level shot which we just mentioned above. The second involves putting your camera on a mono pod, using your self timer, and lifting your camera as far above the crowd as you can. This “bird’s eye view” can often have interesting results.
When you are taking picture of a subject with a lot of straight lines, like someone against a wall or a fence for example, turn the camera itself at a 45 degree angle. Remember, straight lines tend to be boring. Diagonal lines on the other hand, are much more dramatic and will lead your eyes right to the subject.
If you are shooting a public event, like a wedding, it is always good to ask in advance, “Is there any location you do not want me to shoot from?” In most cases they will have no objection, and legally this helps protect you later on. Some of the best shots are usually found at some of the most unusual angles. Taking pictures from behind the minister and looking towards the couple as they take their vows for example. Most people attending will only get shots of the back of their heads at this point.
If you want to make something look larger than life and much more dramatic, try laying on your back and shooting straight up. Sometimes, it doesn’t need to be that dramatic and standing on a step or getting down on one knee can make all the difference in the world.
The point of finding the right angle is not to be different for difference sake. The point is to find the angle that gives you the greatest insight to your subject. The right angle can be dramatic; the wrong angle can be boring. Often when you are looking for the perfect angle, you are looking for the angle that has the least distractions in the background. There is no set right or wrong for any given photo, that’s where creativity becomes a factor.
Earlier I mentioned the “Bird’s Eye View”, don’t be in such a rush that you forget the other side of the scale as well. Every day; millions of people, photographers and non photographers alike walk over, by, or around spectacular shots. What I am referring to is the “Worm’s Eye View”.
Let’s say you are walking through a National Park and you glance down. If you see a mushroom from the very top, you basically see a round dot. If you get down on one knee, you get to see the shape of the overall dome and the stem. But . . . if you lay down and shoot up into the mushroom all of the sudden you see the dome, the stem, the fins that make up the dome, the contrast between the fins and the rest of the dome, and in some cases you see the life that takes shelter under the dome as well.
Obviously, I’m not saying you have to lay in the dirt for every single shot you take. What I am saying is that you as the photographer have to constantly be on the look out for what most other people miss. This is one of the many skills that you have to master to be considered a real photographer. The difference between us and them is not big or tall, black or white, male or female . . . the difference is how we view the world around us. We are the ones who show the world just how blessed they are to be here. From my perspective; it is part of our calling to uplift, motivate, inspire, inform and educate the rest of the planet. Of course, that is just one photographers’ perspective, and each of us has a different point of view. But that’s OK . . .
that’s what makes life interesting.
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