Perspective in Photography: Tips For Beautiful Photos

From the minute we start learning our way around a camera, we are taught to adapt to the many rules of photography.  We are taught how to:

• Pose our subjects properly
• Frame subjects in our viewfinders using the rule of thirds
• Get our camera settings right, so they are well exposed, sharp, and focused

Once you learn the basics and can put together a “technically correct” image, you can begin to think outside of the box and LEARN HOW TO BREAK THOSE RULES.

For this tutorial, we will focus on the photography perspective.

What is Perspective in Photography

Perspective in photography is defined as the sense of depth or spatial relationship between objects in a photo along with their dimensions in respect to what the viewer of the image sees. 

By changing perspective, subjects can appear much smaller or larger than usual, lines converge differently, and much more.

Changing Your Perspective

You can have a lot of fun by changing your normal perspective in photography.  When you learn to see things and capture images from a different perspective, you can produce some fascinating, beautiful, and even powerful photos that will draw the viewer's eye into the picture.  You can even evoke a particular emotion just by playing with a few different angles.

Changing perspective will most likely take you out of your comfort zone regarding how you position yourself and your camera to take a photo.  Still, when you begin to look at different objects, subjects, and the world on a totally different level, you can take your photography skills to a whole new level.

Here are some different perspectives you should try the next time you are out shooting:

Perspective #1. Photograph Up or Down

When walking along a path or city street, or anywhere in general, it is only natural to look straight ahead.  That is how our minds are trained.  But if you look up or down, you will see things from a very different perspective.

Take advantage of this the next time you have your camera in hand.  Instead of shooting straight ahead, point your lens up or down and capture subjects and objects from an angle from which you would not normally view them.

Bonus Tip: I have found that the more you fill the frame with whatever you are shooting from an up or down perspective, the more appealing the image will be.

Perspective #2 Lie Down and Shoot from Ground Level

This technique gives even better results when you use leading lines.  Let the leading lines guide your viewer's eyes to the center of your image.  This could be your subject, an object, or anything in the image that you want to be the center of attention.  Simply getting out of your usual shooting position and getting a little uncomfortable can result in some really intriguing images.

Perspective #3. Photograph Through Objects

Another way to change up the perspective of an image is to shoot THROUGH objects.  Let the object be what draws the eye to the focal point.  Crystal balls, openings in fences, and even cell phones are a few fun ways to incorporate this technique.  When you start looking THROUGH things and use them to frame your subject, you will begin to adjust your perspective in a new and exciting way.

Perspective #4. Fill the Frame

When shooting things like trees, flowers, or unique shapes and patterns, try filling the entire frame without including much of the background or other objects.  When you stand back and take a shot of a tree that consists of the whole trunk, branches, leaves, and even some of the sky, you end up with an image of an entire tree just as you would naturally see it. 

But if you zoom in and focus on a specific area of the tree and fill the frame, you will get a completely different result from that perspective and give your viewers a whole new way of seeing ordinary, everyday things.

Perspective #5. Place Something in the Foreground

We are typically taught to emphasize the subject or object in the foreground of our image.  Whatever is front and center and sharp and in focus is usually what we want our viewer's eyes to be drawn to.

Try switching this up and let the foreground subject or object be what guides the viewer's eye to the background.  This flips a general rule we have been taught, but this change of perspective will give you and your viewers a totally different way of seeing things.

The goal is to get viewers to look beyond the image's foreground to see what is in the background.  And depending on the location you are using, this can work by either blurring the background a bit or keeping everything sharp and focused.

This is also a great technique to use in conjunction with forced perspective photography!

Perspective #6. Mirrors and Reflections

Use reflective surfaces to your advantage when playing around with different perspectives.  Mirrors, glass walls, buildings, windows, and even water are great to incorporate when using this technique. 

Whether those reflective services are used to show off the clouds in the sky, people, or objects, reflections and mirrored surfaces will allow you to capture images in new and unique ways.

Conclusion

Photography is an art, and while there are general rules when it comes to composing most photos, if you start exploring and seeing things from different angles and new perspectives, you can open up a whole new world to your viewers and yourself. 

It's OKAY to break a few rules from time to time.  And by doing so, you can create some compelling and beautiful images.  This will take some practice and a lot of trial and error, but I can promise you will have a lot of fun along the way!

The goal is to train your eyes to see things differently than you usually would.  And by doing so, you will show those who view your images how to see things in a whole new way as well.

Do you have any questions or comments about how to Achieve a Different Perspective in Your Photos?  Leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE our tutorial using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!