Viewpoint

Composition is an integral facet of good photography and knowing how to best present the image that you see to your audience is one of the key factors in whether or not your photograph will be a success. The viewpoint from which you shoot your image can make a vast difference to how your subject is perceived. As photographer Ansel Adams once said: “A good photograph is knowing where to stand”.

The angle, direction or stance from which you shoot can significantly alter the mood and feel of the photograph. Even subtle changes in viewpoint can completely change the relationship between the objects in the photo and help to show things from a different, more unique perspective.

A centre shot taken from a standing position gives a completely different perspective to gaining height on your subject, crouching down low or even lying down. Changing your position can greatly alter the implied power dynamics of a shot. By altering the distance from your subject you can also change the intensity. By getting in close you can reveal more telling details and create a greater sense of intimacy with the subject. As war photographer Robert Capa once said: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough”.

The images featured in this exhibition have all sought to experiment with the viewpoint in order to present us with new and unexpected perspectives. Many have opened our eyes and forced us to re-evaluate our perceptions of the scenes that they have presented. Some have even selected a viewpoint that has forced us to reconsider our own point of view and our way of seeing.

Participating Photographers

Zofia Adamowicz, Charlotte Bibby, Miguel Lozano Bonora, Susan Brown, Ian Cook, Darren Cottrell, Liliana Danovaro, Nikolina Dimitrova, Catherine Dipper, Annie Ford, David Gleave, Richard Hall, Penny Halsall, Bob Hamilton, Alex Harvey-Brown, Gary Horsfall, Chris Hutchinson, Mihail Kopychko, Chee Keong Lim, Angel Martin, Keith Millard, Kant Rathod, Maurice Schutgens, Coline Senac, Sonal Shah, Adonis Stevenson, Paul Stone, Viet Van Tran, Jing Zhou