Act Unusual

[Pichead]

Perhaps the best piece of advice I can provide which will immediately improve one’s photography and cause it to stand out from the countless other photos on the web, is to act unusual while actually taking the photos.



If you’re standing upright, pointing your camera at obvious subjects, from obvious perspectives, at obvious times the day, the resulting photographs will be nothing more than…obvious. Your photos will not differentiate themselves, as is the intention of so many photographers. Everyone wants ‘different’ images that catch the public’s eye. But many do not take this into consideration while out with their camera. Many more do take it into consideration, but let the perception of passers-by impact their willingness to get into a unique positions from which to gain interesting perspective. They hesitate to implement the prop that will make the photo fun and unique, or fail to point the lens toward subjects most people walk by without notice.



Many of my best photos were taken with at least one person (and sometimes several) staring at me as if I were a closed-head injury patient who happened to find a DSLR lying on the side of the road. (These stares are usually led by my wife…) If I’m receiving unusual looks due to my lying on the ground, using an unusual setup in public view, or pointing my camera at a seemingly boring object because I see photographic potential, I can usually rest assured that I’m on the right track.

Unless an unusual opportunity presents itself, you can assume that a photograph which is easy to obtain has already been taken by numerous other photographers. But, if you are able to find an interesting vantage point - if you're sticking your lens out of the window of a cab who’s driver is eying you down in the rear-view mirror, for example - chances are you’ll come away with something unique.



Aside from potentially gaining an advantage over the army of other photographers ‘on the street,’ you’ll also fundamentally alter the way you view the world. After paying attention to different scenes, lighting, perspectives, textures, etc. through years of trying to see things from a unique viewpoint, I’ve realized that this strategy has trained me to see the world through my own internal lens. Overall, I think this allows me to come back from visiting various parts of the world having truly experienced the uniqueness of each place.

The next time you’re out with your camera, try the following:

1. First, take the shot you would normally take. Then, force yourself to take it from a drastically different perspective. This could be lying on the ground, climbing something nearby, or circling the subject for another alternative view.

2. Don’t be afraid to set up shop (tripod, camera, other gear) in busy places with lots of people watching you, wondering what you’re doing. Obviously, make sure you’re not breaking any rules or laws related to the location. But definitely don’t let odd looks from passers-by cause you to skip the shot. Just do it. When you get home and pull up the image on the computer, you’ll be happy you did.

3. Don’t quickly bounce from tourist-attraction to tourist-attraction while in a new location, as you’ll undoubtedly miss valuable shots in between. Pay attention to the doorways, the fence posts, the people, and everything in between. You might later realize your best photo of Paris isn’t of the Eiffel Tower, but is instead of the elderly man sipping espresso who you noticed on the way back to the hotel…

4. Be willing to act as your own subject, should the right situation arise. If you come across a picturesque situation which would be enhanced with a person in-frame, don’t hesitate to set up the tripod and become the actor in your own production. I assure you, you’ll find that you’re easier to direct than most potential subjects.

5. Finally, have fun. When you put down your guard and concentrate on having fun, instead of how you might be perceived, your shots will be impacted by that shift in thinking. Normal is boring. Unusual, is interesting…

[Gary@Red Photo]

I think that so many people don't realize how changing their point of view can really add impact to any image. Not every image needs to be eye level with the entire subject in frame. There are so many other ways to be creative and expressive. One of my mentors in school used to always say to use that good photography was about see the ordinary in extraordinary ways.