Perspective has a Latin root meaning "look through" or "perceive," and with all of the many definitions for perspective they all have something to do with looking. So it is not far-fetched to say perspective is the way that one looks at something. Synonyms for perspective include: angle, aspect, point of view, context, mindset, prospect, etc… And point of view is simply a position or perspective from which something is considered or evaluated… is this sounding a bit like chasing your tail or going around in circles yet?
By changing my shooting angle, I can portray my subject in any way that I choose. It is not just about lens selection, it is also about your physical position. How you see something will affect how you photograph it. And how you photograph it will change how it is perceived.
The same is true with light, the angle of the light will change the way you perceive something. Let’s look at the Cape buffalo image above. This shot was captured in the middle of the day, while driving near a herd of buffalo in Kenya. We could not get on sun angle ( a term for pointing your lens at your subject with the light directly behind you) and there were lots of shadowy lines. Instead, we chose to expose for the highlights and shoot our subjects using side lighting. Allowing the highlights to stand out and the shadows to become dark and obscure.
Side light is used often by portrait photographers. They understand the use of the highlights and shadows very well. I have noticed that wildlife photographers under use this effect. Most wildlife photographers have learned that you need to point your shadow at your subject. In a lot of case that is the best way to illuminate your subject—-but not always. I try to go with the flow when I photograph. In other words, I look for my best possible chance to create a good photograph using the light and conditions that are available to me. In other words, I change my perspective and isn’t that what photography is all about…perspective.
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