“Point of View” Photography: Becoming the Subject

All photography requires a point of view. The phrase “point of view” in photography simply means the position from which the camera captures the scene. Are you above the subject, looking down? Are you below the subject, looking up? How close are you to the subject? Is there anything between you and the subject? Every decision made about point of view will change how your viewer sees and experiences the scene in the photo.

While there are many points of view, this discussion will be about “being the subject”. This viewpoint is about getting into the thick of the action with your subjects, and tends to be the most effective, because it makes the viewer feel like they are part of the scene, especially when photographing human subjects.

To use this technique, photograph your subject from the point of view of the person interacting with the subject. For instance, if you were to photograph someone performing an activity such as baking a cake, take a photograph of the process as if you were the one baking the cake – including hands in the foreground for reference. In the image above, you get a sense of what it is like to be in the basket of a hot air balloon as it is being filled with hot air to keep it aloft.

These types of images make the viewer feel as though they are experiencing the scene themselves and makes it easy for the viewer to put themselves in the photographer’s place. You need to get in close to achieve the becoming the subject viewpoint, but if you do, you can create some really unique images which foster a sense of connection between the subject and the viewer.

You can do this type of photography on any of the WPS safaris offered. Book a safari today and try it out!