Seeing in a new light and from a different angle
Considering Different Vantage Points for Your Photography or
How to photograph familiars subject in a new way
Oftentimes we get to photograph very familiar subjects, for example, cars on the road, flowers (I don’t really photograph flowers, but many people do), well-known places, monuments and memorials, and so on. The question is, how do we capture and how do we find ways to capture a familiar subject in a brand new way?
Here are a few ideas:
– scout out the place, if possible; it requires a bit of prep time, planning, studying, and so on, but it’s worth the time and effort
– study images of the subject you’re about to photograph, see how others have captured it, understand why they’ve chosen to capture it that way; consider postcard-like images and more unique angles; think about how you’d capture it in yet another way
– start by photographing the subject from whatever angle possible, and then evaluate shooting from different vantage points or zooming in/out, capturing a detail of the subject, perhaps a detail that stands out or defines the subject in some way, and so on
– when considering how to photograph the subject in a unique way, think about giving viewers a hint, enough information about the subject to get their attention, and then help them figure out what they’re looking at
– that said, don’t keep viewers in suspense for too long; rather, allow them a moment of discovery–and sometimes of self-discovery–a moment (but not more than a moment) to figure out what the image is about
– make it an exciting adventure for them, an intriguing puzzle that they are to solve; use compositional elements to guide viewers’ eyes throughout the image and towards the subject
Here are a few examples:
Below, two close-up images of live lava “faces” captured while visiting Hawaii Volcano National Park, Big Island of Hawaii:
Or something closer to home. I believe that many will recognize the Tribute in Light. To capture the image, one September 11 night I went to Lower Manhattan and as close to the beams as I possibly could.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKN5VsNB0zS/?taken-by=alina.oswald
For the Lady Liberty image above, I visited Liberty Island and photographed while standing by Miss Liberty’s pedestal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbWt82YHHs2/?taken-by=alina.oswald
Sometimes, in order to capture a familiar or known, recognizable subject, one has to go where others don’t really go. Hence, flying in an open-door helicopter, one of my favorite activity while in Hawaii.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLwL16rB64P/?taken-by=alina.oswald
While visiting the Big Island, we flew right over the smoking lava fields. The image above, together with two other images from the same series, were part of a SoHo Photo juried show, back in 2015.
Sometimes, Mother Nature in action creates the most interesting subjects, drawing shapes, forms, faces, expressing the most powerful of human feelings:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbaJt9tnmuV/?taken-by=alina.oswald
It also works when photographing people, too. More on that in an upcoming post…but for now, as always, thanks for stopping by!
ALINA OSWALD 