Aleksander Rodchenko was a Russian photographer who changed the way people saw photography. You can see his unique perspectives in this inspiring article from the Huffington Post.

With his Leica in hand, Russian photographer Aleksander Rodchenko spent the 1920s creating daring experiments with perspective; he photographed with an outward focus and unusual points of view, framing the images with bold, oblique cuts. ~ Silvia de Santis, Huffington Post

His images prompted me to spend the last week experimenting with different (maybe not so daring) perspectives. I photograph often in my small town and it’s easy to get into a rut – taking the same photographs from the same angles.

Why is this important?

As Rodchenko’s images show, he brought new ways of looking at everyday life. His photographs make us stop and take a second look.

“Too often in life we pass by important things. Let’s pause, change perspective and see things more clearly.” ~ Sergio da Silva, From the book “Water, Mirror of the World”

Taking different perspectives helps us make better photographs and also expands our ways of seeing life in general.

We all see only a small portion of what is really there. We all need to change where we stand, to change our perspective to grow as human beings. The photographs below were all taken close to home and with my 50mm lens. It wasn’t easy to see new ways of photographing familiar places, but some subtle shifts were made.
 

Left: Using vertical instead of horizontal perspective at the lake.

Right: Filling the vertical frame with spring blossoms with the sky as background.

Look up, down, over, and under. Seeing subtle patterns under the stairs at the Courthouse.

Going in close at an all-white house to showcase its whiteness.

Do a 180. Turn around 180 degrees from where you normally stand. Looking up the hill from the lake rather than looking at the lake.

Go abstract. White blossoms against a light-coloured wall, with intentional camera movement.

Here are a few other posts I’ve written on perspective.

 
The Roots of Photography, Part 5 – Vantage Point

An Exercise in Perspective

Possibilities open up when we Shift Perspective

It’s All About Perspective