Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

112 exploring techniques

exploring perspective

For me, the perspective from which i am going to shoot my

model is one of the most important choices because it has

a direct emotional impact on the image. You can look up,

look down, or position yourself at the same height as your

model. shooting upward makes the subject appear strong

and confident—as if you are a child looking up to an adult

world. shooting from above makes the subject seem smaller,

weaker, and more vulnerable. When you shoot from an

equal height you create communication and understanding—

you are on the same level as your model. once you

understand the implication of perspective you can use

it consciously to enhance the atmosphere of your images.

Shooting from below

even in this contained pose, shooting upward

makes Annelies look unreachable behind the

“fence” of her legs. to get lower i would place

my camera on the ground, or Annelies on a box.

Shooting on the level

By positioning myself so that i am face to face

with Annelies i create a connection with her,

even though she is not looking into the camera.

Shooting from above

the intimacy of the pose is enhanced by an

overhead view. notice how the foot and leg lose

prominence through the three images, while the

head and shoulders become more important.