How about we begin with the fundamental reasons for cinematography i.e., camera shots and camera angles. Figuring out how to outline your camera is significant in your accomplishment in photography. When you demonstrate your crowd from an alternate point of view, it triggers feelings that improve them interface with your work. Following up on camera includes seeing how to impart through pictures.

Medium Shot

The typical and the most basic shot that shows the composition of subject including body language and gestures. It typically shows the subject from head to the waist but most importantly showing their body language.

For Example: A girl sitting on a bench in a garden writing something on a book or a child sitting close to a bicycle, doing something with a tool. You could not show details like what is girl writing or what is the kid doing with bicycle yet you can still indulge the viewers in the scenario also saving extra valuable screen space.

Long Shot

Also known as the wider shot or full shot, long shots are used to include background, surroundings and to include subject into one frame from head to toe. Long Shots describes the whole story that can be lost in medium and short shots.

For Example: An elderly woman eating alone in a cafe in the morning. By her surroundings, we can judge that she is alone and hungry. We have a fundamental comprehending of our subject just by looking at the photograph.

The Close Up

It is mostly used when you want to highlight any feature of your subject especially facial features and expressions like eyes or lips. Common examples are wrinkles on an elderly person face, a smile of a little girl, sharp jaw-line of an individual.

For Example: An amateur boxer is photographed wearing a helmet and his mouthguard. On Close Shot, we can see stress trickling down from his forehead, stress from his expressions and anger in his eyes. There is only one thing in the head “winning”.


The Point Of View shot has used the perspective of your subject or character. Like what your subject is looking or feeling or a character response to something. It gives a perspective shot that enables one to reveal insight into the subject point of view or feature the significant feelings of the world.

For Example: A photograph of water waves moving to and fro will give you an impression of sea diver or looking at surgery image will give you a perspective of a surgeon.

The Extreme Close-Up

It is also known as macro shots used to create more finer and intimate shots. It is different from close up as it takes under the skin of the subject. Extreme close ups are may shot by using microlenses. In extreme close up we can see the small details like happiness in the eyes of a little boy after getting his favorite video game, love and affection in eyes of a mother or fear in the eyes of a cancer patient.

For Example: A crying girl’s eyes are photographed on her wedding day. You can see a lot of emotions and feelings in those two eyes; The happiness of getting the love of her life, mixed emotions of joy and fear for starting a new life and love for her husband.

The High-Angle

The most common hack of Instagram, nowadays, which makes the subject looks smaller. It is also referred to as a bird’s eye view, which is shot as looking down on the subject from a raised viewpoint. It depicts the danger of the situation or how small, vulnerable the subject is and lost dominance in the world.

For Example: In Godzilla movie, we saw from aerial POV how small were the characters before dinosaurs. It also showed us the hazards of the situation of how vulnerable, helpless and defenseless were the people before the beast.

The Low-Angle

A low-angle shot is where the camera looks up and shows POV of dominance and power of the character or subject. It is also known as a worm’s eye-view and shows the subjectivity of the character. The latest trend of Instagram to appear is longer than usual is followed by low angle shot.

For Example: Continuing Godzilla movie example, when beast was shown from a human point-of-view it appears to be larger, dangerous and dominant relevant to others, giving the message that it is the in charge of the situation

The Dutch Angle

The most traditional angle, also known as Dutch-tilt, used to exhibit disorientation of a subject. Dutch points can be cunningly used to disclose to us that something isn’t right. Possibly the subject is in threat, or their perspective isn’t appropriately grounded. While making a Dutch shot the camera angle moves from up to down or vice versa.

For Example: In horror movies, we see how walls of a haunted house are stumbling against one another. To make the situation more dramatic, a wife learns her husband died in a road accident. We can see pain is unbearable to her and the world is falling for her by tilting the camera.

Over the shoulder Angle

There is a handy motivation behind using an OTS shot, and that is so your group of spectators has an intuitive feeling of direction while viewing your scene. Since we can see the off-screen subject is still on the edge, we can see their relationship or can follow the connection of the next scene. It gives the feel of living through the moment. An alternative to POV shots when they want to show both the subject and its surroundings.

For Example: The hero is shown looking in the eyes of the heroin of the movie or a mountain climber is photographed looking at his destination or a traveler is looking at the sea.


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