Point Of View in Photography to Improve Your Photos

Hand a gear, DSLR, Point or shoot camera or phone camera to anyone and you would see them click photos at eye level, this is a natural phenomena because everybody sees things at eye level only.

Point of View Photography

Skilled photographers are always on a hunt for uniqueness, they capture shots using different angles to give their photographs a touch of creativity with an aim to differentiate their work from others. In terms of Photography, Point of View refers to the position where the camera is held, or how the camera sees the scene, somewhat in majority of clicks, the point of view of the photographer becomes the point of view of the camera.

A change in Point of view produces extraordinary photographs. While on a photography venture, try to get eye catching pictures by placing the camera at different angles. Think about placing the camera as high as possible or maybe just too low or somewhere in between but never at an eye level because eye level clicks are common but Point of View is rare. And rare is what attracts the attention of the viewer.

Why is Point of View important in photography ?

A photograph tells a story about the captured subject or scene. Point of view photography tells a story too between the subject/scene and the camera. Point of view leads to framing. And framing, as we know, plays an incredibly important role in the field of photography. A great framing enhances the picture whereas a bad one may just speak volumes not only about the picture but the photographer too.

There are different points of view namely bird’s eye view, Becoming the subject, worm’s eye view and of course the most commonly used- Eye level. Let's discuss these one by one in detail.

Bird’s Eye View

The style gets its name indeed from what the subject would look like from the bird’s eye point of view. What the world would look like to the birds when they fly higher in the sky.

In this Bird’s Eye View format, the photo is taken from above of the subject. Such a photo can be taken while flying from a plane/chopper, by standing on the top floor of a high rise building, or simply by standing on a ladder or podium while your subject is based on the ground.

Bird’s eye view works wonders for landscapes especially while you are travelling from a plane. From a plane’s window, landscapes look so fascinating which may look totally different from the ground level. Similar is a case when the world is viewed from a high rise building. The Bird’s eye view gives a sense of power and superiority to the viewer over and above the subject.

Become the Subject

One of the most powerful and engaging point of view photography styles is becoming the subject. As the name says ‘become the subject’, the photographs are taken from the point of view of the subject, which simply means who does the subject view the scene.

The viewer of the photograph feels as if they are part of the photograph and they themselves are experiencing the captured event/ scene. The viewer feels an immediate connection with the subject of the photograph without making an extra effort.

‘Become the subject’ point of view works wonders when clicking photographs of humans because of the emotional factor. Depending on the type of the photograph the viewer can feel comfort, heartwarming, connection or even discomfort. But whatever the emotion they are going to feel that they are the part of the photograph.

Worm’s Eye View

When a picture is taken from below angles or from below the subject then the particular point of view is referred to as Worm’s eye view, as if you are the worm on the ground who is looking up to the bigger world.

Worm’s eye view can also give the viewer a sense of belonging in a frame. It also depicts that the world outside is bigger and better. The photographs look amazing from Worm’s eye view and showcases what cannot be seen from a normal point of view. The uniqueness of the worm's eye view helps grab the attention of the viewer as they see the unusual. The best example of a worm's eye view would be when one stands on the outside of the high rise building and clicks a photo as if they place a camera which shows as if the subject has raised their head while looking at the building.

While anyone would take a picture of a building from the eye level it is the worm’s eye view that makes the picture stand out from the other photographs as well as differentiates the photographer from other photographers.

Eye Level

The simplest and more common point of view in photography is eye level view. Though common yet it is one of the fastest ways to connect your viewer with the subject. The viewers feel as if they are face to face with the subject of the photograph and somehow interacting with them.

Clicking a human at an eye level is what all the photographers but what if one does with the animals or birds. Clicking from an eye level point of view is all about getting up close with the subject. This helps in exchanging emotions. Eye level clicks also create empathy in the hearts of the viewers and this in turn helps viewers to connect with the picture as compared to other pictures.

The aforementioned are the few styles of point of view that help in making the picture unique and loved by viewers. So as a growing photographer don't do what others are doing. Make a difference by experimenting with your framing and point of view. Place your camera’s in a manner which creates the unusual yet special photographs.

Switch from the most common frame angles to either climbing a ladder or high rise building, or clicking while flying in the troposphere or else click from the below ground levels or other areas which aren’t explored by other photographers.

Bring the change in how you view things by changing your point of view as there are endless possibilities for those who embrace the change.

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