Shooting From A Different Angle

A nice way to make your photos more distinctive is to shoot them from a different or unusual angle, so that we see the subject in a different way than we are used to seeing. For example, take another look at my Manhattan Tulips picture from a few months ago.

Sure, I could have shot the flowers from on top looking down at them. But that's how we *usually* see tulips. I didn't want just an ordinary photo, I wanted an extraordinary one. By shooting the flowers from a different angle than the one that we are accustomed to viewing them, the picture takes on a much different quality. The viewer sees the tulips in a way that he or she is not used to seeing them.

Another thing you can do by shooting at a different angle is create a perspective illusion. A perspective illusion is an effect whereby some aspect of the subject is made to appear much different than it truly is. I shot this picture in the Marine Park Salt Marsh.

Canon XSi, 18-55mm lens at 33mm
f/4.5, 1/1000 sec.

In reality, this plant was not very tall -- not taller than my waist. I took the shot while laying down on the ground underneath it, shooting upward. Sure, I could have shot the plant while standing up... but then it would have been just a boring picture of a nondescript plant. By shooting from a different angle, however, I made the picture (at least, IMHO) much more interesting.

Have you taken any pictures from unusual angles to make the subjects more interesting? If so, feel free to link to them in the comments section.* I'd love to see them.

As always, comments, criticisms and critiques are welcome and appreciated.

The Wolf

Previous Photos:
Duck!
Gargantua
Sunflower Arrangement (discussion of lens apertures and depth of field)
Empire (basic discussion of lenses)
Hovering Bee
Sunflower Macro
Statue of Liberty
Trinity Church, September 11, 2008
Manhattan Tulips
Dragonfly


*Hey, it's a Jewish (and family) blog. Please don't post links to inappropriate pictures.