Opening Blog: Framing a rock star.

May 20, 2015  •  Leave a Comment

Welcome!  I've decided to share some of the insights I've picked up working as a photographer, and rather than go into the sort of gear or technical challenges that a photographer may face in shooting a concert, I've decided to go into something that isn't as well talked about:  

Perspective.

 

Perspective is the angle and viewpoint that the photographer uses to portray his subject.  Proper control can make a subject seem diminishing and small, or larger than life.   A proper grasp of perspective is the difference between a flattering photo and a horrid photo.  Take the following photo:

A guitarist for the band SuperVoid looms large on the stage.

We're looking up to this guitarist.  The effect isn't extreme, because I couldn't get close enough to really make him loom large, but it casts him as a figure that is somewhat larger than life.  Because we're looking up to him, we help to see him as a mythical figure, someone to be respected and admired.  Don't believe this is true?  Ask a political scientist how height affects your chances of becoming president (Here's a hint, short people are far less likely to be president).  

At the same time, looking down upon a subject when photographing them diminishes the subject.  Figures who are more heavy-set aren't as apparent from a lower angle.  Many, many women on myspace learned this long ago, with the infamous bathroom selfie.  When shooting women, it's often best to elevate yourself slightly above them to shoot at a downward angle.  This diminishing effect plays into the societal norms we have for women, it helps to slim them slightly and presents them in a flattering light.  With that said, don't be afraid to break the mold and shoot a woman from a lower perspective, especially if you want to portray her as tougher or more rough and ready.  Be conscious of how your angles affect the shot.  

 

The final aspect of perspective that I'll be discussing, at least with regards to vertical angles, is straight on.  When we portray subjects in a straight on shot, we portray them as equals.  This is a good view for children and pets, because it gives them a fresh perspective that we as adults don't see often.  It makes the subject seem important.  Someone on the same level, so to speak, as the viewer.   

Back to the concert theme, here is another photo.  Sound off in the comments on how you view this figure:


 


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