Creative High Angle Photography To Try

Most times when we’re out shooting, we bring the camera up to eye level and photograph what’s straight in front of us. It’s how we naturally see the world, and it gives our viewers a familiar perspective.

But I remember asking myself while out shooting on the streets of Seoul one night, what if I could get a little higher? What could it offer me? It turned out to be a great deal. What I learned from that experience was that whenever I have the chance to gain a little elevation, I should take it, because it doesn’t just offer a better view, it offers a whole new perspective on storytelling and composition.

Discovering High Angles in Gangnam

This shoot took place in Gangnam. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know just how busy it is. It’s actually one of my least favourite locations for street photography because there are no clear views whatsoever. Day and night the streets are always jam-packed, and decent opportunities for photographs are few and far between. But I found myself there with my camera, despite saying I would never go back to shoot there again, so I had to improvise.

That’s when I noticed just how steep and hilly the streets of Gangnam are. Seoul in general is very hilly, but Gangnam feels even more so. I’m talking about the kind of hills where you find yourself leaning slightly forwards, thighs burning as you walk.

There were also plenty of buildings with exterior staircases. The architecture of Gangnam is particularly modern and unique, with some fantastic designs to explore, and many of the buildings feature staircases on the outside, something you don’t often see elsewhere.

So I started using these as vantage points, almost as an excuse to escape above the crowds. Suddenly I was shooting like crazy, nothing like I would normally expect from photographing Gangnam, and the images just kept coming.

What really stood out to me was the separation. I was able to find subjects much more clearly, even within dense crowds. I found myself looking for people wearing bright colours, allowing them to separate naturally from the darker streets below.

I found some great moments, and they simply wouldn’t have happened without the elevation.

Why High Angles Work

Some of the streets I photographed from above didn’t look interesting whatsoever from ground level. There were no landmarks to pull the composition together because everything was simply so visually cluttered.

From above, however, I could suddenly see patterns in the road markings that I’d barely noticed before. Those geometric shapes on the streets added another layer of interest and helped complete the composition.

A different story also began to emerge. People looked far more isolated from this perspective. Combined with my editing style, the bad weather, and the atmosphere of Gangnam’s streets at night, it all came together to create a much stronger mood.

Finally, the ability to make ordinary scenes interesting, something that shouldn’t be underestimated. By changing our height, we’re giving our viewers the opportunity to experience familiar places from a perspective they wouldn’t normally see. That alone is often enough to grab their attention, and from there your subject and storytelling can do the rest.

Subject Separation

When shooting from a higher angle, the background completely changes how clearly we can see our subject. For example, photographing a car at eye level means you have the backdrop of a city or landscape behind it. While that can work well, it can also become distracting, especially if you want the sole focus to be on the car itself. By finding a little elevation, the road suddenly becomes the backdrop instead, creating a clean, almost negative space that keeps all the attention on the car.

That’s exactly what I found during my Gangnam shoot. The roads and pavements suddenly became the backdrop for my subjects, and because those surfaces were generally much darker, the people stood out far more clearly. The colours of their outfits and umbrellas really popped, and there were no other colours, people, or even city lights competing for attention.

Hidden Patterns Appear

Next, we can look at something that was almost invisible at eye level suddenly revealing itself from above. There are patterns to be found in almost every genre of photography. The formation of crops in a farmer’s field, beach huts and towels lined up along the coast, or the arrangement of tables outside a café all become much more noticeable from a higher perspective.

There’s actually some psychology behind this. The human brain is wired to notice patterns. In fact, it craves them. Recognising patterns allows the brain to shift onto autopilot rather than processing every tiny detail individually. There are evolutionary reasons for this too, such as recognising seasonal changes to help us grow food or identify safe places to shelter. So, when we introduce patterns into a photograph, the viewer’s brain naturally latches onto them without you needing to deliberately guide their eye.

When I was above the streets of Gangnam, the road markings immediately leapt out at me. I’d barely noticed them from street level, where they were simply another part of the visual noise. From above, however, they became striking compositional elements that helped complete the frame.

Busy Scenes Become Simpler and Slower Paced

This happens for a number of reasons. We simplify the background, gain a better view of our subject, and develop a clearer understanding of the structure of the environment. So if you’re photographing any kind of busy or cluttered location, finding a little elevation can create breathing room while helping your viewer understand the scene much more easily.

This was probably the biggest surprise for me. I never imagined I could capture decent street photography in Gangnam. There are simply too many people, too many cars, and the streets themselves are incredibly narrow. Yet from above, everything suddenly felt oddly peaceful, almost as though I had become detached from the chaos below.

It also gave me far more opportunities to recognise interesting moments and allowed me more time to capture them. At eye level, moments can disappear in an instant as people walk in front of you, cars block your view, or your subject simply vanishes into the crowd.

From above, however, you can keep your subject in sight for much longer because you have a much clearer view of the environment as a whole.

A Different Story Emerges

If you’re photographing a car at eye level, you’re presenting a familiar and fairly ordinary view of it. Find a little elevation, however, and you immediately begin to see new shapes, lines, and proportions within its design. The same applies to buildings, landscapes, and people. By changing your viewpoint, you’re changing the way your viewer experiences the subject, and therefore telling a different story.

The feeling of isolation I captured in Gangnam was exclusive to those higher viewpoints. I’ve photographed isolation in Seoul before because, believe it or not, it’s quite easy to find quieter streets once you move away from the busiest neighbourhoods. The scale of the city’s towering buildings naturally helped emphasise that feeling.

But when those quiet locations aren’t available, simply finding some height can achieve something similar. Whatever you’re photographing, your subject will often appear more isolated from above, allowing the surrounding environment and your editing style to shape the overall mood. Isolation doesn’t always have to represent loneliness either. Sometimes it’s simply about placing greater emphasis on your subject.

Ordinary Places Become Interesting

Perhaps the biggest thing I took away from this shoot was that a completely different perspective could breathe new life into places I’d photographed time and time again. My usual locations had started to feel repetitive, and I wasn’t finding them nearly as inspiring anymore, which was actually why I ended up in Gangnam in the first place. I wanted a change of scenery.

Since that shoot, though, I find myself looking for elevation wherever I go. My eyes no longer scan only at street level for photographs. They’re also looking upwards, searching for staircases, footbridges, balconies, or even commercial buildings with windows I might be able to photograph from.

The Bottom Line

If you’re starting to feel uninspired by the same locations, perhaps it’s time to stop looking for new places and start looking for new perspectives. Simply finding a little elevation can completely change how a familiar scene looks. Suddenly, patterns appear, compositions simplify, and stories emerge that you never even realised were there.

Your subjects begin to look completely different, and you’ll start considering moods and themes that might never have crossed your mind before.

You may even find that a location you once avoided becomes one of your favourite places to photograph.

So the next time you’re out shooting, don’t just look at what’s in front of you. Look up as well.