What’s up DGC!  Today I’m here to talk to you about PERSPECTIVE, and the role it plays when taking cannabis pictures.

Where you stand when you view the world has a huge effect on how you see things.  As we travel through our daily lives, we see the world from our own unique personal view.

Perspective can be used as a tool to convey the mood or to help others see the world in a new way.  Photography gives us an opportunity to capture a moment of our unique perspective and share it with others.

Perspective is a powerful tool, and being mindful of perspective while taking photos will help you to more effectively share YOUR unique perspective through photography.  Here’s some examples of ways you can use perspective to better tell YOUR story through photos.

GET CLOSE!

When cruising through life, we often forget to stop and notice the details. Getting up close and personal with your subject can help capture fine details and give your pictures a sense of wonder.  Getting close can help capture the little details we often miss, and gives people viewing your photo a more intimate view of what YOU saw when taking the photo.  Getting up close and personal with something helps people viewing your photo imagine what it would be like to be that close themselves.

Getting up close and personal with a bud, helps people imagine what it would be like to hold that bud in their own hand.

Getting really close with insects, flowers and other small subjects can convey a sense of size and wonder.  We don’t often get to see small things in this kind of detail in our everyday life.  Close up photos of something small can be really interesting and exciting because they capture a view we might not normally get to experience.

Get REALLY Close with a Macro Lens

Tools like a macro lens allow you to get EVEN CLOSER to your subject to capture even more small detail.  Macro lenses are special lenses designed to allow focusing on subjects that are REALLY CLOSE to the camera.  You can even get clip on lenses for your smartphone (like the one pictured above).

Check out my previous article all about clip on lenses for more information:  Take Better Pics- Clip on Lenses

Here’s a few pictures I took with my phone and a clip on macro lens:

BACK UP to take in the whole scene

Getting close can show a unique perspective, but so can stepping back to take in the whole scene.  Stepping back and zooming out can help show the majesty of the setting, and capture a sense of size.  In a grow situation, stepping back to photograph the whole garden can really help capture the full “grow room experience” and give a sense of what it feels like to actually be there.

Angles Make Things More Exciting

People rarely view the world from a “straight on” perspective unless they are choosing to do so consciously.  Most of the time we are observing things while MOVING through a three dimensional world.  For this reason we often visually connect with images taken from a slant or angle.

As a photographer, you can use this to make your pictures more dramatic and exciting.  Adding some angles to your pictures can make them feel more natural and “human” since this is closer to how we typically experience the world.

Stand Some where Weird!

Trying to capture the “human point of view” can make your pictures more interesting, but trying to capture weird perspectives humans don’t normally experience can be really effective too.  One of the best bits of advice I’ve received as a photographer is “Don’t be afraid to move around!”.  When you’re taking pictures, don’t be afraid to move your own viewpoint to try weird new perspectives you’ve never experienced before.

What does your grow look like while you’re…

Laying on the floor looking straight up?

Standing on a ladder looking straight down?

Standing in the MIDDLE of the canopy surrounded by leaves?

(Maybe you should try it?)

Don’t be afraid to get weird!  Sometimes it doesn’t work and just looks silly, but occasionally you’ll capture something special and get a magical opportunity to see something familiar in a whole new way.

Play with Light

Light is how our eyes (and our cameras) take in the visual world.  Tweaking lighting conditions or getting creative with natural light can help create interesting and dramatic pictures.  Lighting is a big topic that I hope to cover more in a future photography article, but for now, here’s some examples of how you can creatively use light in your photography.

Control Your Background

Most photos have a main “subject” they are focused on, but the mood and message of the photo are also impacted by everything else going on in the background.  What you DON’T include in a photo can be just as important as what you do.  Sometimes the background can help add context and detail to the story of the photo, in other situations it can be a distraction that takes away from the main focus.

As the person behind the camera, it’s your job to “control” the background of your photo.  This can be done by staging your shot ahead of time, but it can also be done by changing your perspective or by manipulating camera settings to tweak things like the depth of field.  Backgrounds and depth of field are another big subject that I hope to cover more in a future article, but for now, here’s some examples of how backgrounds can have a big effect on your photos.

Time is the Hidden 4th Dimension

Did I just blow your mind?  GOOD!

Perspective isn’t just about WHERE you are, it’s also about WHEN you are.  Being at the right place at the right TIME can help you capture a magical moment and turn it into a special photo.  Being in the right place at the right time requires a bit of luck, but you can also maximize your chances of capturing a special moment by being observant and always keeping a camera handy.  These days most of us have a camera phone in our pocket at all times, so keep your eyes open and be ready to use it when that special moment arrives.

Time can also give you a unique perspective of change

Try taking a photo of your grow from the same spot every week.  Try to position your camera in the same place and aim it at the same thing when you take your weekly picture.  It helps to mark the spot you are taking the picture from.  You can also use a tripod or something else like a nearby shelf or upturned bucket to help you hold the camera in the same place for each picture.

Your perspective in space will stay the same, but your perspective in TIME will change dramatically.  Taking pictures like this can help capture growth and changes overtime and give you a unique perspective.  Seeing how things change and grow overtime can be truly magical, especially in the garden!

That’s all for now!  Thanks for reading!

I hope this guide will inspire you to get out there and take some pictures of your own.  We all have a unique perspective, get out there and capture a slice of yours to share with others!