Photo Challenge: A New Perspective

Are you looking for new ways to spice up your photos and to make them look more interesting? Are your photos always looking the same and boring? A fun (and easy!) way to change the appearance of your photos is to shoot from a new angle. The following lesson will teach you how to take an ordinary object and give it some spunk and excitement, and I've recruited the help of some talented photographers to give you some more ideas of angles to shoot from.

Remember, while new challenges with photography can seem overwhelming, the easiest way to get great results is to practice, practice, and you guessed it: practice even more. You'll be surprised how natural it will feel after a bit of practice.

Photography Lesson: Firing Up the Grill

What differences do you see between the first and the second photo? I think you will agree the second photo appears more interesting. Ask yourself: What am I seeing that is different? Where did the photographer have to stand or position herself to get this angle? What do I notice about the background elements? Do they help tell a story? Asking yourself questions such as these when you see a photo that draws you in will help you determine how you will need to position yourself, your subject, and background elements when attempting to take photos with a new perspective.

Here are the answers to those questions to give you something to think about:

What am I seeing that is "different?" This may be obvious, but the photo on the right was given more of a tilt. Simply tilting your camera to the left or the right when taking a photo can make your subject more captivating. Also notice with the photo on the left, the subject is stuck in the middle, not allowing the viewer's eyes to move throughout the photograph. The grill on the right has been framed to the left, creating a fresh new angle.

Where did the photographer have to stand or position herself to get this angle? If you want an interesting shot, you might need to do some dirty work! The first shot was taken while I was just standing across from the grill and shooting from above. I wasn't satisfied with the result, so I walked around until I found a suitable background. Still, I wanted something more dramatic, so I lay down on the ground, and shot up. Many of the most alluring angles come from the willingness of the photographer to try something new, to experiment, and to take chances.

What do I notice about the background elements? Do they help tell a story? I noticed I moved around my subject until I found background elements that added to my photo. You'll notice in the photo on the left, you can't quite tell what the purple dots in the background are until you look at them for a bit. This takes away from the main element and the story - the grill. In the better photo, you can automatically tell it's a flower pot and grass, and they add color to the otherwise drab black and gray of the grill and cement. They also allow the viewer to see that the cookout was taking place on a warm, bright, and cheerful summer day.

Here are some more examples of how other photographers use angles to help create better, more pleasing, and striking photos.

Jessica Sotier:

How She Does It:

I had read a couple photography articles on Scrapjazz back when I first got my Canon Digital SLR and some of the more seasoned photographers suggested tilting the camera at different angles to give your photos more character. I tried it a few times and liked the results, and now, more often than not, I find myself doing it out of habit and instinct. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's okay to level the camera and get a head-on shot as well too, although I seem to find that I like my angled pictures better.

Finding Pleasing Backgrounds - I wanted to get the entire structure in the photo but include some of the skyline as well since it was such a clear, pretty day. I love the contrast of the red against the blue sky.

Framing a Subject or Element - A friend and I had decided to go for a walk down on the beach and see what kind of photos we could get. Just as we passed by the pier, I noticed his footprint and tried to frame it between two of the pillars.

The Possibilities Are Everywhere - We were walking back to our car through a narrow alley/parking area for the houses right near the beach and they had these mirrors on the gates behind every driveway so that you could see the traffic, and I stopped and yelled at him to come back so I could get a picture of the two of us. This was actually a very quick, not-thought-out photo, and I just looked up into the mirror and shot it. The angle comes because the mirror was about 9 feet up a brick wall.

Learning from Your Mistakes- This is actually not one of my favorites. I look at this one and feel that the angle is too harsh. I like the look of the horizon going from corner to corner, but when you have to tilt your head to 'feel' the photo, it's just a little too much.

Stephanie Harrison

Her Encouragement:

My tips for this are not to be afraid. You might need to lie on the ground or you might need to climb a ladder to get the perfect shot. For the engagement photos I wanted it to be all about the ring. For the last shot I was lying on the ground. A couple of months ago I was doing a photo shoot of a car for a hot rod calendar. I had to climb on top of my truck to get the perfect angle.

Here are some more examples of how I use angles in my photographs.

Movement Throughout the Photograph - When you look at this photo, your eyes will move from the bottom left, up to the top right, and back down to the bottom left, giving emphasis to the most important part of the photo: the mother and child. This was accomplished by using the foreground (the driveway in this case) to help ease the viewer's eyes to the main subjects. This photo was taken by crouching down close to the ground to allow more of the driveway into the photo.

Angles as Story Tellers - I took this photo by backing between elements that would help give this photo more of a story than just "a dog standing outside." By including the grill, the flowers, and the house numbers in the photo, this photo now says, "This dog was part of the family cookout on this gorgeous summer day." Again, don't be afraid to take your time and to walk around to include important elements and perspective (angles!) into your photos.

The Key Point: Try Something New - This isn't your average cup of joe! To get this unique take on a cup of coffee, I stood on a chair, and shot straight down into my coffee cup. How boring would it have been to just take the photo straight on? Experimenting with unusual and different angles obviously results in fresh and appealing images, so I hope you will soon try this yourself!

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