Find a new angle

Change your perspective and think creatively for an engaging image

An area in which new photographers can fail to perform is composition. A key reason for this is that they neglect to invest time in studying a scene to find the most engaging perspective. As great as the lighting may be, or as spectacular as the landscape may seem, by simply shooting it from standing height you are never going to capture a unique composition that stands out from those taken by other photographers. Altering camera height is a great way of showing a scene in a novel fashion, as the relative proportions of the scene elements appear different. By combining unusual angles with varying focal lengths, it is possible to refine your framing and capture the perfect balance of objects within the scene. A useful technique is to leave your tripod packed away when you first arrive on location, instead choosing to hand-hold your camera while you hunt for potential images. Working in this way gives you freedom to move unrestricted while you find a suitable viewpoint, speeding up your workflow and encouraging creative thinking. Start by shooting at the extremes of your lens’ focal range, zooming in to isolate your subject and then shooting wide to show it in the context of the environment. from there you can refine your framing to locate the focal length with the most suitable balance of subject and background – sometimes a few millimetres makes a big difference.

A common issue when shooting famous locations is that certain compositions become clichéd. Rather than shying away from these challenging conditions, you can use this public familiarity to your advantage. By finding an unusual perspective, we can produce shots that surprise viewers and inspire their imagination. Shooting from ground level is a good place to start, providing exaggerated perspectives and emphasised foreground detail, which may not be visible in the ‘standard’ tourist shot. Using a camera featuring an articulated LCD will help with composing the shot. When constructing images, remember that something made you want to photograph the scene – your job is to find it and then make it engaging.

Above LOOK UP An effective method of showing well-known landmarks or locations in a different way is to get close and shoot vertically, from the ground up, producing extreme perspectives with graphic results

Below right THE CREATIVE SHOT The low angle reduces the grassy area and makes a feature of the sky. The use of the arch and wall serves to frame the subject, adding interest and focusing attention

Below left THE OBVIOUS SHOT The centralised composition and front-on view of the church produce a ‘standard’ image, lacking depth and interest around the frame edges. Meanwhile, the areas of grass act as a distraction