What is point of view?

The position, direction and height of the camera define the point of view of a picture. You can change the way your subject is viewed, to make your subject seem very tall; arrange the shot so that the camera is looking upwards. This is done routinely in movies to make actors look taller or shorter than they actually are... The mood and effectiveness of a picture can be very much altered by what appears in the background.

Remember to take multiple pictures of your subject so that you will have plenty to select from as you are viewing your most powerful images.

 

How changing your point of view changes the picture

The viewer’s reaction to your photo will be different depending on the point of view used by you the photographer. For example, if a photographer wanted to show a political figure as small and weak, a point of view looking down at the subject would subtly get that idea across. If, on the other hand, the photographer wanted to show the same political figure as strong, powerful and bigger than life, than a point of view looking up would have that desired effect. Changing your point of view can also help you eliminate distracting backgrounds When you are taking pictures of children, try getting down to the child’s height or lower to help emphasize more than how small the child is.

 Is there a “best” point of view?

The best point of view depends on the intention of you the photographer. By thinking about the point of view of a picture before you take it, you can make those choices that will help make your picture more powerful...