The Art of Low Angle Photography: Exploring Depth and Perspective

As I'm shooting on the floor today, I want to take you through the world of low angle photography. This style is often overlooked, but it can add a unique perspective to your images. In our Photo Assignments series, we're challenging ourselves to work within specific areas of focus, and one of these challenges is low angle photography.

Low Angle Photography: Creating Depth on a Two-Dimensional Surface

Traditionally, photography represents a three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional surface, such as a print or computer screen. To create the illusion of depth, photographers use various techniques like lighting, overlapping subjects, focal length, depth of field, perspective, and camera angle. The most effective use of camera angle is often one of the least explored, mainly because most angles are shot at eye level, which is where photographers feel most comfortable.

However, this video is about exploring low-angle viewpoints, which can add a dramatic effect to your images. If you've ever taken a drawing class, you probably have worked with using horizons and vanishing points. One of the biggest challenges in creating depth on a two-dimensional surface is understanding how these concepts work together. A commonly taught technique is using a horizon line and creating one or more vanishing points. By using horizontal and vertical lines to represent their dimensions, you can create depth by using diagonal lines that lead towards these vanishing points.

These converging lines replicate the way our eyes perceive depth in photography. We don't have to draw anything; the perceived dimension of depth naturally exists. However, paying attention to where the horizon exists can add an interesting element to your photographs. When you shoot at low angles, the horizon line drops to the bottom of the image, forcing the subject matter to fill the image in a more dramatic way. This is often used to communicate a sense of awe or authority, as seen in historic and religious subjects.

Size is also emphasized when using this point of view. People in your image near the bottom not only give them emphasis without using size but also provide a point of reference for scale. Wide-angle lenses have edge lines that will converge in a somewhat unnatural way, hanging towards the center of the angle. However, we naturally perceive this and it can be effective in what you might be trying to say with the image.

Other Interpretations of Low Angles

As I mentioned earlier, low angles can also produce other interpretations. For example, shooting at eye level is familiar and the most natural, but in the case of a series of images by Abelardo Morell, low vantage points are combined with childhood toys to illustrate childhood objects that seem larger in scale from this angle as they do when we were younger.

This approach communicates the intent beautifully without needing a simple solution. Street photography also provides an interesting perspective on low angles. Take Irving Penn's "Sore Foot" and Elliott Erwitt's depictions of dogs, for instance. These portraits shot from low angles can be the most challenging, as they typically require dropping the camera to give that effect of power or importance.

However, it's essential to be careful with low angles, especially when shooting portraits. The accentuated features may make your subjects feel uncomfortable, so proceed with caution. Dropping the camera slightly and giving your subject more room in the composition can achieve this effect without offending people.

Combining Angles for Additional Interest

Low angle photography is not the only technique used to create depth; combining angles can add even more interest to your compositions. The low-angle straight-on shot gives a dramatic effect, but objects can appear flat and lack that depth we've been discussing. However, combining a low angle with rotating the subject or your position with the camera can make things feel more natural and add the depth to the picture you're looking for.

Another common technique is combining low angle with what we refer to as Dutch angles, originating from German Expressionism in the 1920s. This style involves using a low-angle shot that is tilted upwards or downwards, creating an unsettling effect. The intent behind this angle can be something different from its visual impact; in the right situation, it can be extremely effective.

Conclusion and Submission

Our theme for today's video is low-angle photography, and if you'd like to submit your images, please share them on Instagram or Twitter by using the hashtag #photoassignments. I will also post a thread in our Facebook page, where you can go to the Art of Photography page. Remember to like it, set up for notifications, and know when new videos are available.

We'll be back with more videos on Monday, so I'll see you guys then, hopefully not on the floor!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: eni am shooting on the floor because thisvideo is about low angle photography Ihaven't done a composition video inquite some time and right now we're inthe midst of what we're calling photoassignments which are these challengesthat i'm giving you guys to limityourself to one specific area aboutphotography make images and then submitthem and I show the best of them onthe show and so I figured since rightnow we're dealing with low anglephotography we're gonna have somevariations coming up on that that itmight be good to provide someinstruction on what we're talking aboutso this video is all about shooting lowangletraditionally a photograph represents athree-dimensional world on atwo-dimensional surface such as a printor even a computer screen and there aredifferent techniques that we can use tocreate the illusion of depth we can uselighting, we can use overlapping subjects,focal length, depth of field - we can useperspective and even camera angle now cameraangle is actually one of the mosteffective uses but the least commonlyexplored mainly because most angles areshot at eye level because that's wherephotographers are the most comfortableand the most natural thing to do when you pick up thecamerahowever this video is about exploringlow-angle view points. if you've ever taken adrawing class you probably have workedwith using horizons and vanishing pointswhen we first begin to draw one of thebiggest challenges we have is creatingdepth on a two-dimensional surfacea commonly taught technique is using ahorizon line and creating one or morevanishing points with this study we usehorizontal and vertical lines torepresent their dimensions and thendepth is created by using diagonal linesthat lead towards these vanishing pointsthese converging lines replicate the waythat our eyes perceive depthin photography we don't have to drawanything the perceived dimension ofdepth naturally exists but paying attentionto where the horizon exists can add aninteresting element to your photographswhen you shoot photographs at lowangles the horizon line drops to thebottom of the image forcing the subjectmatter to fill the image in a moredramatic way most commonly this is usedto communicate a sense of awe or evenauthority historic and religioussubjects for instance can take on asense of power important that they areperceived as larger than they are whenwe use this point of view size isemphasized as well having people in yourimage near the bottom not only givesthem emphasis without using size butalso gives you a point of reference forscale with wide angle lenses edge lineswill converge in a somewhat unnaturalway they are no longer straight up anddown but they kind of hang towards thecenter of an angle but we naturallyperceive this and it can be effective inwhat you might be trying to say withthe image there are otherinterpretations that you can make withlow angles as well for example shootingat eye level is familiar and the mostnatural but in the case of a series ofimages by abelardo morell low vantagepoints are combined with childhood toysto illustrate childhood objects seemlarger in scale from this angle as theyseem to us when we were younger a veryeffective approach with a simplesolution that communicates the intentbeautifullyyou can also find interestingperspectives in street photography withimages like Irving Penn's sore foot andElliott Erwitt's depictions of dogsportraits from low angles can be the mostchallenging and it's really difficultnot to be too extreme with themtypically the camera is just simplylowered to give that effect of power orimportance but you have to be carefullow angles will accentuate features thatmost people are usually mostself-conscious about so if you've evertried this you've probably gotten someless than positive feedback from yoursubjects proceed with caution usuallydropping the camera slightly and givingyour subject more room to breathe in thecomposition will achieve this effectwithout offending people it's also worthnoting that you can create additionalinterest by combining angles in yourcomposition so the low-angle straight onwill give you a dramatic effect to yourcomposition but objects can appear flatthey don't have that depth we've beentalking about particularly witharchitecture combining a low angle androtating the subject or your positionwith the camera can make things feelmore natural and add the depth to thepicture that you're looking for alsocommon is combining low angle with whatwe refer to as Dutch angles originatingfrom German Expressionism in nineteentwenties they are used commonly incinema the Dutch angle is achieved bysimply tilting the camera to make thehorizon off-axis now this is usuallydone to create a sense of disorientationand can certainly be effectiveunfortunately though its striking buteasy to achieve and often overused evenworse it communicates very strongly andcan be out of place if the intent isactually something else but in the rightsituation it can be extremely effectiveright now obviously our theme is lowangle photography and if you'd like tosubmit your images you can share them oninstagram or twitter by using thehashtag #photoassignments and then iwill also put a thread in facebook ifyou go to the art of photographyfacebook page remember to like it setupfor notifications and you'll know whenthat is up and you can share your imagesthere and i will pick some to feature onthe next video we're doing photoassignment every monday i will see youguys in the next we enjoyed this videoplease remember to like it share it asalways subscribe to the art photographyfor more videos until the next one I'll seeyou guys then hopefully not on the flooruntil then later\n"