A Different Perspective
Sometimes the most intriguing shots are found in unexpected places. How many times have you "packed up your bags" and called it a day after checking off your essential shot list? I know I have before only to move quickly onto the next thing! Creating a compelling visual story comes from not just the apparent scene unfolding in front of our eyes, but in the subtleties and the details. It's natural to be absorbed in the moment or solely focused on the subject and forget to look around us. Real magic happens when we step outside of our comfort zone and look at our subject or the scene from a different perspective. Look around and see how you can incorporate different perspectives to enhance your story or add visual interest. Maybe it's the reflection on the wall or the mirror, or maybe it's looking through the stairwell. Or perhaps it's a self-portrait through the reflection of a fountain. When I'm shooting for a client or simply for my own joy, I observe the "obvious" angles first.
This sounds terrible, but think of a tourist who just takes a photo to say they've been or seen something rather than actually seeing it. I live in Maui, and there are plenty of them, and most (but not all) have to stand in the same exact spot to capture the waterfall. It's the most straightforward, "easy" angle, yet if they just moved to the left, they would see how actually it's a far more interesting photograph. Question: what is the obvious angle here? Capture your essential shots but then step back and look around. Look around at the environment and physically move yourself and your lens to see the less overt perspectives…the ones we wouldn't normally see at eye level. Take a stairwell, for example. We all know what a stairwell would look like if we stood at the bottom and looked up. Even if we aren't a photographer, we can imagine what that would look like. Shooting and standing at eye level is the "normal" perspective beginners tend to start at. But what if you lowered your camera by your feet and angled the camera up the stairs. You can imagine what that would feel like and how dramatically it would change the feeling. This is a great practice for beginners to hone their editorial eye. Rather than shooting from our standard eye-level view, move around, step back, look for reflections, use doorways or windows, and incorporate interesting environmental elements like trees or shadows. In the final sequence of your storyboard, the viewer will be thrown off balance in a good way. Even just one shot from an unpredictable angle mixes up the rhythm among your essential shots. It's unexpected and refreshing. And the mental push and pull of placing themselves there from that unique vantage point creates a dynamic flow and piques their interest.
So, next time you're out shooting, traveling, or working for a client, take a pause and look around. Really absorb the scene and the ambiance. Move around and take the "path less shot" if it feels right for the story you want to tell.
Alanna
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