NEW Assignment: 8 Angle Shots in Photography
NEW: Take a photo that you can write a poem about
Medium shot, close-up shot, long shot, dutch angle, low angle, high angle, extreme close up, over the shoulder shot. 2 shots of each angle.
Assignment 3: 8 Angle Shots in Photography
You will be taking 2 still photographs of each of the angle shots. See descriptions below:
Medium Shot
The medium shot may be similar to many of your typical photographs. A subject is captured from around the knees or waist to the top of the head. We can’t see their entire body, but we are close enough to establish a primary connection with the person. We can view aspects of the background that have been permitted to appear in the frame. Medium shots are the baseline of where we will begin. Not always the most interesting, but medium shots are fundamental.
Close Up
More intimate and ‘in your face’, the closeup aims at creating a stronger connection to the subject. Suddenly we can clearly see a person’s emotions and can easily connect with their humanity. If our subject is older, we may be able to see wrinkles of time, which tell a story within themselves. Close-ups are great when you want an intimate documentary style shot where the world disappears, and your subject is the clear focus.
Long Shot
Excellent for telling stories, long shots allow us to see not only our subject but also their environment. Depending on how a long shot is setup, we may find a person surrounded by their workspace, and thus we learn a bit more about their lives. Other times, a subject can be surrounded by seemingly endless isolated. Long shots help us to take photographs that establish a person’s position within the world.
Dutch Angle
Becoming increasingly criticized for its modern overuse in still photography, Dutch angles can help to tell us something about the photograph or its subject is not entirely right. Typically used to depict the world on its side, Dutch angles can be artfully utilized to tell us that something is wrong. Maybe the subject is in danger, or their state of mind isn’t properly grounded.
Low Angle
Taking a photograph from a low angle, also know as a ‘worm’s-eye view’, makes subjects appear larger than normal. The lens sees the scene from a point of humility while the subject towers over the world. A photograph taken from a low angle to help establish dominance or power.
High Angle
Looking at the exact opposite situation, the high angle can be used to make a subject appear small or vulnerable. Commonly known as the ‘bird’s-eye view’, shots like these may be used to signal that a subject is in danger or has lost dominance in their environment. Add a dutch angle and something bad is almost certainly about to happen.
The Extreme Close-Up
The most intimate of all shots, the extreme close-up, goes beyond the standard close-up by focusing on a single feature. We may see a drop of sweat drip down a subject’s check or the fear in a pair of eyes. Close-ups may be shot with macro lenses due to how close they are to a subject. However they are shot, extreme close-ups allow us to get emotionally under the skin of our subjects.
The Over the Shoulder
An over the shoulder shot can be used to show a relationship between another persona and our subject. We take a position next to the main subject getting close-up in their space and viewing the world as if we were standing with them. We may connect our model with a physical item or another individual within their space. The over the shoulder position places us within the world of the documented subject.
List of Assignments to Date
