The Importance of Perspective

I was out taking photographs yesterday and took some photos (with a good dSLR camera) of some train tracks curving off into the distance. In particular I took three photos, from the same spot, but in three different ways: standing up and looking straight ahead, standing up and looking down, and then kneeling.

At a glance they all look incredibly similar (as well they should). All three pictures show the same general story of looking into the future and not being sure what it holds, and all three are fine examples of composition and follow the rule of thirds, have leading lines, and are well balanced. Technically, there's nothing wrong with these photos.

The third photo of the three, however, is far more visually appealing than the other two, and the reason for it is simply one of perspective. The first two were taken at shoulder height, standing, from the perspective of what we might see everyday. Simply put, it's an eye level photo, and rather boring as a result.

In contrast, the final photo of the three was taken from the ground, from the perspective of a dog, or a cat. Literally, I was on the ground to take it. That simple change in perspective makes the photo just that much more appealing.

(c) All images and photographs, unless otherwise specified, are created and owned by me.
(c) Victor Wiebe