by Editor Lourens Durand 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe the 15th of December 2021

Much has been written about the elements of art and principles of design in art and photography. We have all read about or studied balance, unity, movement, rhythm, pattern, focus, contrast, shapes, colour and texture in relation to producing a winning photograph. One aspect that is not often touched on is the angle of the camera in relation to the subject, and how it can hugely affect the mood of a photograph and the message that it conveys.

There are obviously a wealth of possible angle or points of view that are possible, but some of the most common ones are:

BIRD’s EYE VIEW
The bird’s eye view is often used in food photography to enable elements of different heights to be included in a composition, which may be difficult using other camera positions, or when shooting a subject that does not have much height. It is also used extensively in architectural photography, or simply to provide a unique angle on an ordinary subject.

High Camera Angle
Shooting downwards from an elevated position makes subjects look smaller, insignificant, powerless or vulnerable, and tends to give the viewer a sense of power. This angle also works well in landscape photography, adding a sense of depth to the scene.

'Leek and pumpkin spicy soup' by Diana Popescu

'Dark chocolate and nectarine rose' by Diana Popescu

'Homemade spaghetti' by Aleksandrova Karina

'Chilli' by sarawut intarob

'Happy Children' by Daniel Saputra

'Thief' by Christophe Kiciak

'Bajau Boy' by Hesham Alhumaid

EYE LEVEL
Eye level photography is mostly used in portraiture, emulating normal vision, creating a natural and stable feel. It is often used effectively for small children and animals, thus avoiding the “parent” angle.

Low Angle
Using a low angle, shooting upwards at a subject, creates a stronger impression of dominance than at eye level, adding drama, almost to the point of being threatening.

'Snoop' by trijoko

'Who let the dogs out?' by Marsel van Oosten

'Jumanji' by christine philippe

'Sunset giraffe drinking' by FrancoisVenter

'Red Beret' by Bil Gekas

'Charlie' by eric drigny

'Swan Lake' by Larry Deng

'Still life' by Tatyana Skorokhod

'Nastya' by Silaevk

'Curves under the tower' by Juan López Ruiz

'Full color tower' by Jorge Ruiz Dueso

'Seasonal workers' by Emir Bagci

'Standing Proud' by Jaco Marx

'Surfer' by Assaf Gavra

DUTCH ANGLE (or CANTED ANGLE)
Using this angle involves tilting the camera by about 30 degrees or so to create a heightened sense of drama or even of disorientation and is often used in movies, fashion and architectural photography, or sometimes to create a humorous effect.

Over the Shoulder
Over the Shoulder shooting applies to photos in which the camera is behind the subject, who is looking at another person or scene. Often used to depict conflict, confrontation or despair.

Angle-Plus-Angle
Angle-plus-angle is often used in movies to create a sense of drama, motion and energy, and is achieved by combining two angles, e.g. a high or low camera angle plus shooting at a tilted angle.

'1-2-3' by HAN dong hee

'tilted skimming' by Jack Zhang

'the traveller' by Silvana Lingg

'19' by Alper Uke

'Child Labor Is Just Not Fair' by Yvette Depaepe

'Other side of the world' by Jianwei Yang

'Twister' by Yuval Shiboli

'Tilted' by Riccardo Monaco

'Modeerf' by Eosination

Irrespective of which of these angles are used, composition is still the key to success, as evidenced by this selection of photographs from 1X.com photographers.

Lourens Durand