Choosing your perspective

The way we look at our life is as unique as our life itself. What we notice, what is special, which nuances and vignettes mean the most—these are the things that should be considered when choosing what to capture in our photographs.

Meeting your subject down on his or her level opens up a whole new way of seeing. Shooting this moment from a different perspective enabled me to highlight how my nephew defied gravity as he held up a book far larger than himself.
To take those things and feature them effectively, you’ll need to take on a perspective or point of view that will best accentuate your subject and the feeling you want to convey. Small changes in how you approach your shots can help move you away from merely pointing and shooting and can get you engaged in creatively documenting your life. Challenging yourself to think outside the box can make a big difference.

When it comes to your growing belly, you’ll want to shoot from an angle that really shows the roundness of the belly itself. A profile shot of your pregnancy is an obvious way to capture your new shape. But shooting down upon or upwards toward your belly can offer a unique and artful angle that gives a larger-than-life feeling—which is quite often exactly how you feel when you’re pregnant.

You might need the help of a partner or friend with a shot like this, or if you’re committed to the self-portrait, a tripod and self-timer can help you capture what you’re after. The wider your lens and the closer the distance between your lens and your subject (the belly, in this case), the more emphasised your subject will become.
In Elevate the Everyday, Tracey Clark shows how each day of our lives is full of potential for great photography. Focusing on the moments that are most precious to us, she offers a host of inspirational ideas enabling the reader’s photographic achievements to grow, turning the incidents in a family’s life – arrivals, departures, childhood, and parties – into beautiful, captivating images that will stand the test of time. Most of all, learn to turn the ordinary and everyday into the extraordinary with this unique guide to picturing motherhood.

Elevate the Everyday
Tracey Clark
Buy it now!

RRP for print edition: £17.99