Quick Tips for Better Photos: Get Some Perspective!

Hey friends, I think it’s safe to say that most of us like to take photos, right?  But I also realize that most people don’t actually want to learn photography, what they want is a few easy tips to take better photos.  So I’m starting this monthly series to help you with that, whether you have an SLR, a point and shoot camera, or even a smartphone.

You’ve seen photographers get into all kinds of funky positions with their cameras, right?

It’s because they’re trying to get a unique view of their subject, not just for the sake of getting a different angle from everyone who walks by and potentially sees the same thing, more like getting the best possible perspective, to make a stronger photo.

I’m guessing that most people haven’t seen this angle of the Nevada State Capitol that Craig is photographing up above.  And you don’t have to get that extreme for a different perspective, even crouching like Roger here shows the world in a whole new way.

And a couple more examples…

Okay, here I am taking a photo of my friend Brian jumping up in the air – he’s very happy about this gorgeous scenery.  I’m taking this very straightforward photo (and my friend Thea is taking the picture of me taking the picture), and you can see that he kind of blends in the the landscape and a building too.  It’s not very exciting.

Here I shoot from down low to get separation from Brian and the landscape and also to make him appear like he’s jumping even higher.  Cool, right?  (Also, Thea, perfect timing on that shot.  You nailed it!)

I wanted to get a shot of this cabin that we rented for the weekend and here I am  photographing it straight on – it’s not bad, but it could be better.  We’re staying next to a fire lookout tower, which means we have a 360 degree view.  Which means, there is a lot more to see.

So I take the photo from the highest point that I can safely access and now you get a much better sense of this place.

Next time you’re taking a picture, try moving around your subject a bit, can you move to the side, get higher, or get lower?  Try a new perspective, and see what happens…