What a Difference a Few Steps Make

I guess this could be an allegory for life in general, how life's journeys look different as you move along and your point of view changes due to time, distance maturity or whatever.... but I'll stick to photography for now.

These photos are of the same tree and same rocks, taken with basically the same camera settings a mere 3 minutes apart. Now I won't claim that either is a great shot (although I sort of like the first, reminds me of a group portrait of a rather diverse group or extended family) but the photos are a good illustration of how different you can make the scene look by moving to look at it from a different angle. This difference in fact, is the only reason I took the second photo.

Most people see something they want to photograph, and the only framing choice they will make is whether to zoom in or zoom out. Occasionally they may "zoom with their feet" getting a little closer or further away (which gives a different perspective between near and far objects than zooming with a lens does). Some things that are relatively easy but rarely tried are:

Turn the camera 90 degrees and take a shot in "portrait" orientation
(I read once that something like 90% of all amateur photographs are shot in "landscape" orientation)

Crouch down and take the shot from a lower perspective
(kids see a whole different world than us big people)

Look for a higher vantage point and take the shot from up high

Move to a better or more unique vantage point altogether
(look for something a little different from the scenic lookout view a million others have photographed)

Along Green Visions Umoljani 7 Watermills Hike near Bjelašnica