Angle

When we look up at something it appears big, whereas when we look down at something it appears small. Artists can manipulate these angles to affect the viewer's impression of a subject. 

Introduction

We could  have a long discussion about whether we should see things below us as meek and things above us as powerful, but regardless of such issues there is a long-established convention in visual art of using angles to communicate power dynamics. 

While artists use different shot types to communicate a subject's position in relation to their surroundings, angles are much more about mood. These angles can be used to give a positive or negative impression of a subject, or to suggest that something is very wrong within a scene. 

Types of Angles

Eye level 

Eye level is the most common type of angle used in visual texts and film. In these shots, the subject appears directly before the viewer and the frame is not "tilted" up or down.

An eye-level shot suggests a neutrality within a scene. It does not give the impression that one subject is more powerful than another, or that the viewer has any power over the subject (or vice versa). 

Low angle

A low-angle shot (when the viewer looks upward from below the eyeline) makes a subject appear large and imposing.

This can have both positive and negative connotations: for a baby in a cradle, a parent leaning over them represents comfort and security, while for a soldier lying on a battlefield, an approaching tank suggests terror and destruction. 

Importantly, whoever or whatever is positioned as higher in a scene is understood to be in control of the situation. Thus, for artists wishing to communicate a power dynamic (whether between subjects, or between the viewer and the subject), a low angle is an effective way to communicate who is in charge. 

High angle

Have you heard the expression to look down on someone? Humans, it seems, tend to view things below them (both physically or socially) as inferior or under their control.

For artists, representing a subject as "beneath" the viewer suggests a certain vulnerability. This can be used to generate sympathy for the subject (as in horror films, where victims are often viewed from a high angle), or to suggest that the viewer should feel superior to the subject (such as in Western films, when a villain is gunned down by the hero and lies defeated on the ground). 

Bird's eye (Aerial) 

A bird's eye shot is taken from a very high angle and represents the world as if a bird in flight were looking down upon it. 

Such aerial shots create a sense of awe and wonder at what is laid out before the viewer. Individuals become lost in the crowd and the scene itself becomes the subject of the image. 

When the viewer is positioned directly above the subject this is known as an overhead shot, suggesting a god-like omniscience over whatever lies below.

With the recent proliferation of drone technology, aerial and overhead shops are becoming increasingly common in photography and film.

Dutch angle

A dutch angle tilts the viewer's position from left to right (or vice versa). It is often used to disorient the viewer, suggesting something is wrong within a scene. That said, a dutch angle can also be used to add a sense of style and swagger, suggesting something is out of the ordinary or special.

In film, a dutch angle is often accompanied by a swaying motion which further heightens the sense of unease. 

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