Composition may be the most important element in photography. A good photographer composes deliberately and carefully. This requires searching and evaluating every scene before and while shooting it. A good photographer is looking for design elements and spatial relationships that would help convey, in an image, the feeling, concept or mood envisioned.
It’s not as dramatic as it sounds, actually. All you have to do, is move around and imagine the possibilities. The more you shoot, the easier this becomes. Also, the more familiar you become with your camera and lenses, the more you’ll be able to visualize how you can use the equipment to create the image you want.
Often times, a small change in composition can make the difference between a photograph that’s just okay and a photograph that’s really great. One of the simplest ways of doing that is to just Change Your Perspective.
Get lower for a different perspective. Photo by: Amy Colodny
What do I mean when I say, Change Your Perspective?
Move around. Have you ever noticed that at tourist attractions, most of the people taking pictures are all gathered together, in the same spot, taking the same photo? They are almost always in the same position: standing straight, directly in front of their subject.
At the risk of sounding like a parent . . . Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean that you should.
Next time you happen upon a group of people taking the same picture, ask yourself, What can I do differently to make my photograph stand apart from all the others? Stand back and evaluate your scene. Before you start shooting, walk around and look at the subject from several different angles and distances while you puzzle out the answer.
Get higher to change your perspective. Photo by: Sue Miller
Even the smallest change can make a big difference. Consider squatting down or getting higher. These two simple changes will make a huge difference because you’re choosing a perspective that’s unusual to people. We’re used to seeing things straight on from a standing position. Show someone something new and you’ll hold their attention longer.
Other ways you can change your perspective is to move to the side or get closer. Re-frame the photograph by placing your subject in a different area of the frame or by juxtaposing it against something else in the frame.
Changing Your Perspective is something you can do on the fly, without needing additional equipment. It’s one of the most cost effective ways to make your photographs stand out in a crowd.
Here are some examples of ways that I’ve changed my perspective and created a stronger photograph, as a result.
I saw this neat cactus growing on a wall a good distance above my head. The first picture is what I saw, just standing there. It makes for a pretty bad photo.
I evaluated the scene and asked myself what I could do differently. I needed to get higher and closer. That’s exactly what I did. The second shot is much stronger.
This dry lake bed has such a neat texture! I wanted to capture that in the photograph.
The first picture I took while standing. The texture of the dried mud was lost in the frame and my picture came out kind of boring.
I asked myself, What else can I do? It’s an empty field of mud. I didn’t want to walk closer to the mountains because I didn’t want them to appear any more bold; the photo wasn’t to be about the mountains. I wanted it to be about the emptiness of the dry lake bed. I want to get closer to the mud, I decided.
How much closer could I get than standing on the lake bed that I was shooting? Well, I could get about 5 feet closer. The second image, I took while lying down. I actually placed the camera on the ground and angled my head until I could see through the viewfinder. This time, I captured that awesome texture. Which photograph does your eye gravitate towards? The one taken standing? Or the new perspective that I shot while lying down?
I saw this beautiful boulder in the Merced River with water that was so still it created a mirror. Unfortunately, there was a tree blocking the shot that I wanted. It was also unfortunate that it was an ugly tree; so keeping it in my frame was not an option. I tried leaning around the tree; that didn’t work. I contemplated climbing the tree; but I didn’t want to shoot down on the rock. Ultimately, I decided to go into the river. The water was very cold, but I Changed My Perspective and got the shot I wanted.
Valerie earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Applied Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2000. In 2005, she founded Valerie Hayken Photography & Design. Visit
OK you say “kind of boring”, I say I would buy that picture and hang it in my family room. I think both the texture showing pictures of the dry lake bed are great. I like the “boring” one cause I feel like I could just walk right into the picture and keep on walking right between the hills wondering why I thought those hills were so much closer than they really are! Now, your close texture one shows me why I would want to have a lot of water because now that I can see the texture, I know falling down from thirst would leave rug burns from that dry dirt that looked so welcoming just a minute earlier! For being in the same place you sure showed two differant emotions with those photos and I like them both!
Hi Pat,
Well, art *is* subjective!
I’m glad you like the photo enough to hang in your living room! I suspect the composition of the mountains with the empty space between them, and the different cloud formations, are what gives the photo that sense of being able to walk right into it.
You said, “your close texture one shows me . . . now that I can see the texture.” I’m glad to hear that, also! Since, my goal in that composition was to capture that great texture.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Valerie
BTW – The mountains in the black and white shot are a little over 2 miles away.