I had the pleasure of addressing the Iowa County Conservation Commission’s annual conference. My topic was on how to improve smartphone photographs.

We all have a camera by our side at every moment, but few of us know the basic fundamentals of taking a well-composed and interesting Shot. Even with the rule-of-thirds grid on most cameras, it’s hard to capture a new look or Perspective on our lives.

One simple way to get that new perspective is what my first college photography professor called the “Worm’s Eye/Bird’s-Eye” approach.  Photos taken at our normal or standard height are just not interesting. We’ve already seen it.  As you can see from the demonstration photo in this blog, literally getting low, the level of a worm, can make for a dramatic, memorable photo that tells a story or is easy to illustrate a point you might be trying to make.  We already know how incredible drone shots look for the bird’s-eye version.

Now here is a simple trick: Turn your phone upside down so that the lens is toward the floor.  Just that small reset of the focal angle will dramatically change your shot and your perspective on the subject you’re shooting.  So the next time you hold your photo up to your face to get a shot, think worm’s-eye and bird’s-eye. It will give everyone a new perspective on photography.