Camera techniques Find an angle

Taking the same sort of shot every time? Search out new views of familiar scenes with Tom Welsh

These days, much of what you might want to take pictures of has probably been photographed countless times before. To avoid shooting the same photo as everyone else out there, you need to try to find a fresh perspective.

As photographers, most of us see the ‘obvious’ way to shoot a subject instantly, but there is always another way to shoot anything. We don’t mean simply taking a step to the left or right and looking again, though that would technically give you a different view; here we are aiming to find something completely new. With some subjects you can get a variety of angles, but you can also try moving closer to achieve greater detail and reveal something new. You can even shoot the same angle, but add a creative twist.

What we’re trying to do in this tutorial is to discover an original perspective on something that lots of people have photographed before. Mastering this skill will enhance your photography greatly; no matter what you’re shooting, thinking about new viewpoints and creative compositions is fundamental to photography.

To demonstrate different ways to photograph one subject, we headed into the depths of Exmoor to shoot the infamous Tarr Steps; the Devil’s favourite sunbathing spot, for those who aren’t familiar with the myths. Even on a sunny day, with the area teeming with bathers and tourists, the prehistoric bridge was a great spot to shoot from, offering lots of fresh angles and perspectives for original images…

Mastering this skill will enhance your photography greatly. No matter what you’re shooting, thinking about new viewpoints and creative compositions is fundamental to photography