Chidike

Mar 25, 2023

Epic Photography Techniques

I’m often focused on what constitutes effective image-making — but sometimes I know you want to break out of the usual beautiful shot and do something totally epic.

The high-impact shot has the ability to define us as photographers and artists. Because the basics of photography are the things that most anyone can pick up, so the shots we take that look special and different from all the rest are often the ones that people will remember us most by.

But, as you’d expect, to get different results, you have to shoot differently. Which is why I’m concentrating here on techniques that veer into the extreme.

Extremeness appeals to us because it takes us to the edge and this is where we come to understand the limits of our humanity. This is why we are thrilled by extreme sports. Entertained by extreme emotion. And drawn to extreme imagery. So, for today, let’s go full speed ahead into photography that pushes the edges. Namely, through the use of extreme angles and extreme light. ⁠ ⁠To grasp the fundamental principle of the extreme upward angle, let’s look at a building that is, in real life, a pretty normal box shape. It’s the John Ferraro building in Los Angeles.

Now, let’s get closer — to the corner of it — and look practically straight up.

What you notice is a forced angle, or perspective, that shape-shifts the building into a modern day pyramid that reaches up into the sky.

This building experiment is a simple way of showing how shooting from a low angle changes the dynamic of the image. And this works in many many different kinds of shots.

I like these extreme angles because they force the viewer to step out of his/her own shoes and leave the usual human mindset behind.

When you’re really low, looking up, you’re taking on the perspective of something much smaller — so it instills an immediate sense of exaggerated scale and awe into the image. Something otherwise normal now feels bigger, more important, perhaps even ominous or scary. This instills emotion into your composition before we even talk about subject. ⁠Here’s an image using the same technique — the camera is sitting on the ground, angled way up. See how the lines head up to the heavens? See how our figure extends and takes on a kind of ominous presence? This is the power of an extreme angle. And it’s not reserved only for people and architecture, either.

Many kinds of photography use low angles to create a sense of majesty or importance, from portrait work to landscape.

Car photography, in particular, often entails images shot from only a few inches off the ground to make a vehicle feel more powerful or aggressive. ⁠ ⁠Portrait photographers will often establish a look to their portfolios through extreme close-ups. Important to note that the effect of putting your camera up close to a person is much different (and more epic) than using a longer lens or cropping in post. There is just some way the mind understands — probably through a hundred small ways — that you are actually right up next to the person. It’s powerful because it breaks through the normal barrier we have between us and others, offering a form of extreme intimacy. A famous photographer, named Robert Capa, once said, “If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough.” And certainly a lot of photographers have taken that in-your-face approach to photographing people, to great (and epic) effect. Probably none more famous than Bruce Gilden.