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TECHNIQUE

All pictures © Lee Frost

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Shooting from an unusual vantage point will inject energy and impact

into your images. It takes a little ingenuity and maybe some climbing

or crawling, but the end results will be worth it. Lee Frost explains.

T

he vast majority of photographs

are taken with the camera at eye

level – so usually 5-6ft off the

ground, unless you happen to

be particularly tall or short. The

resulting images tend to record

the world as we see it, from where we

see it – all very nice, but hardly original or

exciting. So why not throw off the shackles

of convention and try something different

for a change?

Experimenting with alternative viewpoints

is a great way to create images that are

refreshing and exciting because it allows

us to capture scenes and subjects in a

way we’re not used to seeing them. When

I’m on location I make a habit of seeking

out unusual vantage points. If there’s

something to climb up on for a higher view

I’ll generally climb it and wait to be told to

get down. If there’s an open window or a

roof terrace, I’m too inquisitive not to take

a look. I’m also happy to get my knees

dirty by dropping down low for a snail’s

eye view. Even a slight change compared

to the norm can completely transform the

juxtaposition of the elements in a scene

and the composition of your photographs.

‘If there’s something to climb

up on for a higher view

I’ll generally climb it and

wait to be told to get down.’

CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, VALENCIA, SPAIN

Shooting from a low angle with a wide lens causes converging verticals that add tension to

a composition. The lower, wider and closer you go, the more pronounced the effect.

Canon EOS 5D MKIII with 12-24mm lens at 19mm, 1/320sec at f/11, ISO 200, polariser

H

igh viewpoints are more exciting

than low because the options are

greater and the higher you go, the

more interesting the world looks.

Climb on to a chair or wall and the change

in viewpoint can be enough to make a

difference – especially when shooting

landscapes. Shoot from the top of a tall

building and you can look down for a true

bird’s eye view where humans look like

ants and cars like toys, while the view you

get from a hot air balloon or aircraft will

take your breath away.

If you’re shooting locally, you may know

of places that offer high viewpoints – the

roof of a multi-storey car park, a church

tower, a balcony or bridge. It used to be

possible to get on to the roof of office

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