004 A New Perspective

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Today's tip is about taking photographs. Most photographs taken by novice photographers are at the same perspective, their eye level. Try taking 30 or more photos of one subject at different perspectives. The kitten above is a good example, of just such an experiment. I was able to hold the kitten at different heights and snapped away. The photo on the left is interesting because the photo was taken about 3 inches below the kitten's eye level. All too often you see photos of the top of pet's heads.

This photo is not cropped very well but has a very interesting perspective. Try kneeling on the ground, crouching or even lying on the floor as was the case with this photograph. The key for my success is trying many different perspectives with one subject. Below is another example of getting just the right perspective. The angle of this Horned toad allows you to see the lower jaw and is simply cute.

Another trick I use to get interesting perspectives is to place my camera on the tripod extend the legs as high as possible, set the timer and hold the tripod over my head. I wait 'til the camera's timer goes off then I take a look at what my subject look like from that perspective. I have had a lot of success with commercial jobs using this technique. You may get some stares while your taking the photos though.

Tips on using a new Perspective:
• Get just under eye level for portraits
• Take many photos using a different perspective every shot
• Use the timer to place your camera into interesting perspectives
• Buy a toddler a disposable camera, they often come up with great perspectives
• Squat, kneel and lye on the ground when taking photos

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