Vantage Point

"If the photographer could not move his subject, he could move his camera. To see the subject clearly--often to see it at all--he had to abandon normal vantage point, and shoot his picture from above, or below, or from too close, or too far away, or from the back side, inverting the order of things' importance, or with the nominal subject of his picture half hidden. from his photographs, he learned that the appearance of the world was richer and less simple than his mind would have guessed. He discovered that his pictures could reveal not only the clarity but the obscurity of things, and that these mysterious and evasive images could also, in their own terms, seem ordered and meaningful." 

-- from 'The Photographer's Eye' by John Szarkowski

If photography has taught me anything at all, it's that unexpected angles often tell the most spectacular stories. Tell me, when was the last time you were forced to switch up your vantage point? Please do share an image or a story with us today. 

Comments

[Christian]

Very, very nice!

[Debbie Ealer]

I wanted to get my lunch yesterday with those arches in the background.Hello they are famous! I rarely eat there but ive been wanting to try the peppermint cocoa. It did not disappoint at all!!! im hooked! So my camera went down on my table and took the photo itself. I couldnt get an angle I liked with it all in,so I let the camera do it for me and loved how it turned out :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbsga/6422243045/

[ainun]

Same goes with life. Photography has taught me nearly everything I need to know, even only on this amateur stage, which is to see from different angle. New perspectives.

[MariaP]

This was taken the week before Thanksgiving. I wanted to get in front to shoot, but they were not in a mood to pose, so I shot it from behind. Love how it turned out.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/echie52/6373868415/

[Amy (Papillon Sky Photography)]

Today, actually. I pulled the 50 mm f/1.8 off and put on the 11-16 mm lens and put the camera on the floor. In the hallway...
I needed to express darkness, emptiness, anger. It was quite a departure from my normal photography, but I had something I needed to express!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papillonsky/6426156933/

[pthurmond1]

Some days I feel a little off center:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50901045@N02/6411925623/in/photostream

[Libertad Leal]

What a great quote, so true. I usually don't experiment too much with unusual angles (I should) but I did in these two occasions (incidentally it is sort of the same subject):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5841069969 Ferris Wheel at the lovely Sta. Monica Pier
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/6321040597 Ferris Wheel from random traveling carnival in ugly parking lot of a mall in Houston, TX

[PHope]

For this shot, I was on a boat going down the Chicago river with my cousin.. it was close quarters (we were surrounded by the other passengers), so I had to squeeze to get this shot of him... and I ended up loving it.

http://petinahopephotography.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/portrait-shadow-and-light/

[Kelly]

I just LOVE this photo......

[Kat]

I love that quote and what a wonderful photo! Perspective is everything... I love an unusual vantage point.
http://kateyestudio.com/2011/11/grateful.html

[leaca]

This shot I achieved above my head. I was not tall enough and wanted a shot so I raised the camera above my head and I was pleasantly surprised.

[Jodi]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I'll definitely start thinking more about angles and the importance of new vantage points now.

I thought this sign was unusal from my perspective. I guess it all depends on which side of the sidewalk you are on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64098150@N08/6429390643/

[michel]

I love this photo and this post, I think I processed it as internally as I did externally.
http://michelmjackson.com/?p=273

[Rebecca Stees]

Great topic, Andrea!
I've enjoyed looking at everyone's photos!

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