Stephen Walton Photography Workshops

Angles are so key in photography that not considering them appropriately is as destructive as getting the exposure wrong I think.

Angle Faux-Pas (the ones I hate)

Taking all your photos at standing eye level gains nothing and delivers a point of view we all can experience. This laziness in composing your shot is one element that separates strong from weaker photographers.

Considering alternative angles and making a slight change to your body and camera position will make a huge difference in the final shot.

Photographer’s have even given this laziness a name – the ‘Parent Angle’. It comes out of parents taking photos of their kids all the same way – standing up looking down at their crawling child. Instead of doing something more dynamic, the shot is taken from the most basic of positions.

Angles I Love

Maybe I don’t have an exact favourite angle. I just like to see the right one being used at the right time and it doesn’t take much to shake things up.

A drop of the knee, a tilt of the camera, holding the camera at waist height – these are just 3 simple angles to try out which can make a difference in your everyday snaps.

Use the right angle to enhance what you’re trying to say with the photo.

• Low angles make subjects look bigger and dominant
• High angles make subjects look diminuitive and feeble
• Dutch tilts are modern and enhance the idea of speed/motion (but use wisely)
• Ground level shots make insects and flowers look more relatable and interesting
• Overhead shots require balance, symmetry or strong lines

How to Improve Each Time

Do something different when you’ve got the time to play around with a subject. If it’s not going to run away then consider ‘How can I make this (x) look different from what everyone else has done or how I’ve shot this before?’.

It’s a simple question to pose to yourself but one that will push you a little further each time.

Do you have a preferred angle that you use to enhance your photos or are you a little guilty of shooting everything (or the majority) at standing eye level?

“It’s not a sin to acknowledge it; but it is a sin to ignore it.”