Try Putting Your Camera in a Different Position

Monday 5 August 2024, 20:10 by Nando Harmsen | 4,593 views | 18 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

We are often very particular about keeping the camera in the correct position. It must be perfectly straight, and everything has to be right. Otherwise, it does violence to reality, and that is not allowed. Try letting go of that last idea and look at the world from a different angle.

If a horizon is tilted, it is not right. When there is water in the frame, the sea runs out, as they say. Many photographers are so alert to this that they almost forget about the rest of the photo. And yes, a horizon should be horizontal, usually.

Deliberately tilted, or are the trees growing at an angle? It creates an unusual or funny effect.
Tilted photos happen. In my humble opinion, the reason is often an absurd one: it makes the photo more dynamic. I do it myself sometimes, and then I am almost always inclined to straighten the photo again, usually.

Still, it is very interesting to deviate from straight and horizontal for once. Sometimes you can do this in the field, while taking photos. More often, you can do it in post-processing. It does not have to be complicated, but the result can create an alienating effect. It attracts attention, and that is what images are about.

A perfect reflection, or is it something else that makes you look for a little longer?
Tilting a photo 90 degrees can produce an unusual image. Of course, the subject has to suit it. I like doing this with reflections, and the result is a photo that people look at for longer.

How are you supposed to look at this? You look at the photo for a little longer because of its alienating effect. The photo is upside down.
Sometimes it works well to turn the photo through 180 degrees. This can produce particularly nice effects with reflections, making the photo more engaging. As a viewer, you look for a little longer to discover what you are looking at.

Multiple exposure with trees and the reflection of trees
Combine these unusual viewpoints or perspectives with other photography techniques, such as ICM (intentional camera movement) or multiple exposures. It gives you a unique view of the world, in which the position of your camera becomes part of creating an engaging image.

What do you think of this way of presenting photos? Would you consider doing this too, or does it simply have to be straight as it is? Let us know in a comment below this post.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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18 comments

Viviane wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 13:29 | reply
Hi Nando, I lean more towards the ‘right-side-up preference’ team. Although I do find photos 2 and 3 in your article particularly special and interesting to look at. I quickly figured out how the second photo was made. (personally I see…a totem pole with a crab/spider behind it 🙈) In photo 3 I did see the reflection, but I didn’t notice the ‘presenting upside down’. Nice article, but I think I’ll mainly stick to right-side-up
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Ank wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 14:56 | reply
Hi Nando, I always find things that get the brain cells working differently very interesting, like in your examples. As long as it feels right to me composition-wise and stays that way.
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Nando wrote on Sunday 11 August 2024 at 14:46 | reply
Composition is always important. Regardless of how you hold the camera
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R.Engels wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 15:13 | reply
I use it regularly, especially multiple exposure.
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Ria wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 15:32 | reply
Hi Nando, it's actually very creative to let go of the fixed rules. After all, it produces that special photo!! 👍
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Marcel Govaerts wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 16:13 | reply
Good afternoon,

as far as I'm concerned, this leans more towards abstract photography, which I am also a fan of
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Toon Rekkers wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 16:24 | reply
Especially enjoy taking crooked and askew photos and occasionally move your camera as well. Or take a series of crooked photos for a panorama at the beach or in the mountains. In short, just give it a try and often with surprising results.
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Nando wrote on Sunday 11 August 2024 at 14:51 | reply
It is advisable to apply it thoughtfully. Always photographing crooked and askew without a plan rarely produces anything meaningful.
You are certainly right: just have fun trying it out.
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Wilma Duijghuisen wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 16:55 | reply
Hello. Nice article. I always used to take a lot of tilted photos, also with people or of, for example, an old door. I like that. But during photography school it wasn't really appreciated, very annoying. You get pushed into a certain little corner anyway. I stopped doing it too.
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Nando wrote on Sunday 11 August 2024 at 14:49 | reply
That is very short-sighted of the photography school. Of course, everything depends on the teacher's own personal convictions.
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Gemma Toussaint wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 17:31 | reply
Hi Nando

I find the last one especially more interesting because of it. I think I'll give double exposure a try after all.
I'll try reflections as well. Every now and then that gives a good result.
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Nando wrote on Sunday 11 August 2024 at 14:50 | reply
Often it doesn't work, but that one time is what counts. Keep trying.
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Tineke wrote on Tuesday 6 August 2024 at 22:12 | reply
Very surprising and creative. With architectural photography I sometimes apply the trick (turning 0- degrees) but I see that nature offers many possibilities for special photos. Thanks!
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Engelen Willy wrote on Wednesday 7 August 2024 at 09:37 | reply
I find this a nice & educational article , Nando !!!I sometimes photograph reflections .... but I have NOT yet rotated them 90 deg .... thank you for the nice " TIP " , I still have to learn how to do " double exposure ... !!! What is the best way to do this in photoshop , Nando ? Greetings Willy.
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Nando wrote on Sunday 11 August 2024 at 14:54 | reply
The best thing about multiple exposures is applying them in the camera. The condition is that your camera must support the option. If not, you have to do it in a photo editing program. You can do that with layers and masks, and blending mode. I never do this in Photoshop, but it is a matter of experimenting with the blending mode.
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Emmy Clausen wrote on Wednesday 7 August 2024 at 12:01 | reply
Very interesting. I especially like 2, 3 and 4. Can you only take photo 4 with a special camera or can you also do that with editing on your computer?
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Nando wrote on Sunday 11 August 2024 at 14:45 | reply
Many cameras have the option of multiple exposures (Canon, Nikon, Olympus, for example). You can also do it with individual exposures in a photo editing program.
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Jan wrote on Wednesday 7 August 2024 at 13:12 | reply
For a website, I often look for photos to use as the background for, for example, a title. This way of photographing is very suitable for that! Nice idea!
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