How to adjust perspective to change the focus of a photo

While the notion of perspective in photography might appear obvious, some of us may not have contemplated how it can profoundly alter a photograph. In this post, we offer a few brief examples to ponder when selecting the optimal angle for capturing your photos.

Four photos of a female from different perspectives and angles

Wide-angle shots vs. close-ups

Before you even pick up your camera of choice, be it a DSLR or an iPhone, you need to decide what the primary focus of your photo is going to be.

  • If you are focusing primarily on an object or person in the foreground, you should get in close and make this dominate the real estate of your shot.
  • If you are trying to put emphasis on the background rather than the foreground, back off in order to make the foreground a smaller part of the area of your photo.

It is not always a clear-cut issue; it almost never is. This is when you have to decide how much emphasis you want to put on various subjects by fluidly finding the sweet spot between the two options mentioned previously. Here are two examples:

Picture of a woman standing with trees and rocks in the background Close up of a woman's face in bottom right corner of the picture

Here, we have two shots with the subjects approximately in the same place. In both shots, we have two noticeable points of interest: the pleasant stream in the background and my kind and helpful model, Hannah, in the foreground.

This is a good example of how the primary subject does not have to be completely defined. In both shots, Hannah is the focal point,  but the difference between the two shots is that since she takes fewer pixels in the first photo, we have more detail and focus on the stream than in the lower shot.

It is natural for your eyes to be initially drawn to the human subject in each photo, but the first photo certainly gives more attention to the environment than the lower shot.

Neither option is incorrect or ideal; it depends on what your goals for the shot are. I would encourage you to take shots from various angles, just as I have done here, in order to gather a broader library of photographic information and perspectives.

Center vs. side shots

Let us take this one step further by examining the second photo from above in contrast to a new shot.

Close up of a woman's face in bottom right corner of the picture Close up of a woman's face centered in the picture

Here, we have more or less the exact same scene, differing only in perspective. As you can see, the second photo is more centered than the first, and this is a conscious decision. While the first photo is more focused on Hannah than the wide-angle shot from above, the second photo here puts even more of the attention on her.

It is natural for the gaze of the viewer to gravitate toward the center of the photo, and this causes the human subject to be even more dominant than the stream in the background.

The stream is still quite visible in the background, but the sizable presence of a human subject in the center of the shot firmly relegates the background as a secondary feature of the photograph.

Recap

This is just one simple tip, but an important one to remember. If you are always mindful of the effect perspective has on your photography, you will notice your photos will have a more focused purpose and meaning.

I also encourage you, as I did previously, to take multiple shots from multiple angles and perspectives. This will allow you to see after the fact where the focus lies in each photo and allow you to choose which ones fit your goals the best.

Do you have any tips and tricks you employ in your photography? Let us know in the comments below.

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