Point of View

Intermediate Composition Principle

Point of View in photography influences how a subject is perceived and can add depth and emotion to an image. Instead of shooting from eye level, try experimenting with different angles—getting low to create a sense of scale or shooting from above for a unique perspective. Changing your position can highlight textures, emphasize leading lines, or frame your subject in a more compelling way. Use multiple lenses and modes. By being intentional with your point of view, you can transform an ordinary shot into a more engaging and dynamic composition.

Budapest, Hungary: Inside the Inner City Parish Church, we used the Food or Close-Up mode on Android to focus on a single, intricate ceiling detail—a wonderfully unexpected way to highlight the beauty of this historic architecture.

The perspective you choose can completely change the way your subject is perceived—shooting from above creates a sense of intimacy, while getting low can make your subject appear larger than life.

Gudvangen, Norway: A traditional Viking boat, in the center of Viking Valley, is captured from a number of angles.

Experiment with angles to find the most flattering or dramatic composition, whether it’s tilting your phone slightly for a dynamic feel or framing from an unexpected viewpoint to add intrigue. By exploring different perspectives, you’ll uncover new ways to tell a story and give your photos a unique, eye-catching edge!

Forestry & Trees: Unexpected angles of foliage and trees both in the forest and in the city create intrigue. In all these images, we simply altered where we were standing.

Busan, South Korea: This ocean-side shrine is called Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. It is a Buddhist temple located directly on the coast. The image at the top was captured with a panoramic mode, while the others were taken with a standard lens.

Vienna, Austria: Taken during the blue hour, these unexpected images are almost surreal in nature. The close up of the car on the right was captured using the “Food” mode, or the close up setting on an Android phone.

Before & After

The original image is quite ordinary and predicable, but look what happens next when we change our point of view!

Passau, Germany: By positioning the shot from a low angle and taking advantage of the shine on the stone left by the recent rains, we create an artistic image.

Before & After

Take a look at the photographs below. The first image is taken at eye level with a standard lens, resulting in a rather predictable view. Compare this to the next image in which we use a playful angle and just the suggestion of this famous statue. In the third image, we engaged panoramic view highlighting the statue, architecture and charm of the walkway.

Bratislava, Slovakia: The corner of Radničná and Laurinská is captured from three different points of view.

Melbourne, Australia: A unexpected view of the lake in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens taken in a panoramic mode. We were laying on the ground on the grass when we took this shot!

Congratulations!

You have mastered all four Intermediate Composition Principles!

Move to Advanced Composition Principles: Depth of Field

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