Make your photographs standout

Change in Perspective:

What makes a photo pop out at you and make it interesting? Normally, its either a great subject or the subject viewed in a different perspective. What do I mean by perspective? Well, it could be the angle at which it is viewed, the magnification (macro photography) at which it is viewed, or perhaps using a focal length that goes against what would be normally used.

If you are constantly thinking to yourself that your photographs look just like every other amateur photographers images, and you aren’t happy about it, then consider going against what you consider normal. Since most of us can not afford to travel to exotic locations to take photographs of subjects that most others do not have access to, we must learn to be creative with the subject we have available to us near home.

The easiest method is to either take photographs from very low angles (laying on the ground shooting up) or from very high angles (on top of buildings or towers). For example, taking a photograph of a dog or flower is normally shot with you standing over the subject and simply shooting down. This is the normal perspective that we would normally see a flower or dog at, even when not viewing photographs. What if you took the image while lying on your stomach, and took the perspective of an insect on the ground. That image would more people’s attention because it is a viewpoint they normally do not come across daily.

Also, macro photography, or photography that is done at high (close to 1:1 ratio) can also be eye-catching, because most people do not see everyday objects at this magnification. Macro photography, if done correctly, can also be abstract photography. This is an easy way to turn ordinary objects into great photographs. Not all cameras are capable of macro photography, and if you are using an SLR, you made need to purchase a lens that is specifically made for macro photography. SLR users can also use extension tubes, bellows, or close-up lenses to take macro photographs.

In most cases, especially when visiting tourist landmarks, photographs normally end up with the same photographs that appear in postcards and in every other photographs photo albums. While it may be difficult to get an entirely original viewpoint, changing your focal length (taking a wider or narrower perspective) and viewing the subject from an angle that not the norm can make your photographs stand-out above the standard postcard snapshot.

Try these tips, and experiment with them to see if they improve your creativity. Let me know if they have been of any help.