For a Change of Perspective, Stand on a Balcony or Climb a Tree

perspective, viewpoint, Toronto,
Queen Street, Toronto, 2003                          © Avard Woolaver

For a Change of Perspective, Stand on a Balcony or Climb a Tree (Day 11 of 31)

A simple change of perspective can sometimes give you ideas with your photos. It need not even be a lot of effort. Just getting up high is one way I’ve found to facilitate a shift in viewpoint that can lead to some interesting pictures.

When you’re at a different level, not only do your scenes look different; you also see shapes and details you hadn’t noticed before. People’s expressions and features aren’t quite the same.

Check out the work of Russian photographer Alexander Rodchenko who said, “the most interesting viewpoints of today are ‘from the top down’ and ‘from the bottom up'”. His use of unusual angles, often from above, make his photos captivating and dynamic.

Newness sharpens your mind as much as your eyes. Making minor adjustments to try for a fresh approach can sometimes lead down a path of exploration. That’s been my experience, at any rate—it doesn’t necessarily take a large-scale change to find something that’s satisfyingly novel.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

2 Comments

  1. Indeed. I have always loved using my TLRs for this reason – shooting from the hip, quite literally! And I love the articulated displays on cameras today, they allow me to put the camera right at the ground.

    October 11, 2017
  2. That’s a good point, Larry. I think Vivian Maier really used the Twin Lens Reflex to her advantage in getting great low angle photos.

    October 11, 2017

Comments are closed.