View points
Viewpoint. All photographs contain one or more subjects. (With an abstract photograph, the abstraction may be the subject.) As a photographer, when you see a subject or scene that you wish tophotograph, you point the camera in that general direction, compose, and release the shutter.
Viewpoints – Shooting LowThere are lots of good reasons to sample new viewpoints and choose a low shooting angle. Here are a few of them:
ArchitectureWith architecture the usual aim is to keep the camera perpendicular to avoid the edges of the building converging inwards. Some types of building however, especially tall, modern ones, lend themselves to distorting the perspective in this way. The standard method is to select a wideangle lens, and shoot from as close as you can, tilting the camera up as much as you can. The greater the tilt, the more the distortion. Sometimes, if you really can’t keep the edges of a building straight, it’s better to go for extreme distortion than suffer just a little bit, as at least this will look deliberate.
LandscapesScenic shots often benefit from a lower shooting angle. Choosing a low angle emphasises what’s in the foreground, be it a fallen tree, an interesting plant, or the texture of the earth. If you’re on the coast or beside a lake, you can give more prominence to the rocks on the waterline. By shooting under a tree you can place an overhanging branch at the top of the image to frame the view beyond, but you may need to select a low angle to avoid the foliage obscuring the horizon :/
Viewpoints – Shooting LowThere are lots of good reasons to sample new viewpoints and choose a low shooting angle. Here are a few of them:
ArchitectureWith architecture the usual aim is to keep the camera perpendicular to avoid the edges of the building converging inwards. Some types of building however, especially tall, modern ones, lend themselves to distorting the perspective in this way. The standard method is to select a wideangle lens, and shoot from as close as you can, tilting the camera up as much as you can. The greater the tilt, the more the distortion. Sometimes, if you really can’t keep the edges of a building straight, it’s better to go for extreme distortion than suffer just a little bit, as at least this will look deliberate.
LandscapesScenic shots often benefit from a lower shooting angle. Choosing a low angle emphasises what’s in the foreground, be it a fallen tree, an interesting plant, or the texture of the earth. If you’re on the coast or beside a lake, you can give more prominence to the rocks on the waterline. By shooting under a tree you can place an overhanging branch at the top of the image to frame the view beyond, but you may need to select a low angle to avoid the foliage obscuring the horizon :/