Birds Eye View Photography – How, What & Why+13 Tips

Nowadays, birds eye view photography is getting more popular. So, what exactly is the reason for this rise in popularity for this style of photography 🧐 .  What is birds eye photography and how to do it? I will explain all these things in detail in this guide 😎 .

What is Birds Eye View Photography?

Birds eye view photography is a point of view in photography in which the image is photographed from the top.

So, it is a completely different perspective and the picture will be like seeing a scene from a bird’s eye, flying or perched, hence the name.

Some will say that pictures taken from the top at a 90-degree angle correspond to this style. But, the angle of view need not be exactly 90 degrees. It can be something else also, but the viewpoint must be from the top.

This point of view in photography is also referred to as bird view photography. This photography style is mostly used by landscape and architecture photographers.

It is the exact opposite of the worms eye view photography.

How to Capture Birds Eye View Images? 😍  

Now, let us see, how to do birds eye photography?

There are different ways to execute this style of photography. We will see some of the common techniques used to capture such images.

1. Using Drones

As you all know, more than 90 percent of the drone shots will be having the birds eye viewpoint.

Drones are very useful for photographing birds eye view of landscapes and forest scapes.

If you are interested in such perspectives, then consider investing in a drone.

So, drone photography or aerial photography is one of the best way to achieve these perspectives.

  READ MORE :  Drone Photography Guide

2. Photographing from an Airplane or Helicopter

You can also get birds eye view pictures by photographing from an airplane or a helicopter.

Unlike drone photography, you may not get the intended frame from an airplane, since you cannot get the different angles and positions.

3. Photography from a Hot Air Balloon

There are many tourist places that take tourists to the sky in hot air balloons.

Hot air balloon safari in Masai Mara, Kenya provides a good opportunity for wildlife photographers to capture beautiful Mara landscapes along with the wildlife, from a bird’s eye viewpoint.

So, you can give it a try if you are visiting such tourist spots.

4. Photography from Top of a Mountain/Hill

You can also get on top of a mountain/ hill and capture the scenes that you see at the bottom of the mountains to create this perspective.

5. Shoot from Tall Buildings

Tall buildings and skyscrapers are other good options to shoot and capture birds eye view images.

Make sure that photography is allowed in these places before taking out your camera.

Why Birds Eye View Photography Style is gaining more popularity?

Nowadays, most people own a camera.

The affordable price range of the entry-level DSLR and mirrorless cameras has made it possible for everyone to purchase one. Now, smartphone cameras are also capable of capturing images that are more or less equivalent to DSLR images.

So, everyone clicks and share pictures in the social media sites, and all are having similar perspective since they are shot from the ground. So, the viewers will be bored seeing the images with similar perspectives again and again.

People always want to see something new. The birds eye view photography style brings a completely new perspective that can easily draw the attention of the viewer.

So, more and more people have started to shift to this style of photography to create some unique and interesting images.

Now, camera drones are available in different price ranges. So, even a normal person can buy one.

📖 👉🏻 READ MORE: Eye Level View Photography

13 Best Birds Eye View Photography Tips

I will share some tips which you can use to improve your birds eye view photography.

1. Compose Images using Different Photo Composition Techniques

It is the image composition that makes the photo extraordinary. So, try to use any of the photo composition techniques while capturing images.

Some of the rules which you can use include the rule of thirds, golden ratio, composing with colors, etc.

2. Capture Beautiful Patterns

When you view the scene from above, you can see beautiful patterns in the frame.

Try to capture these patterns in the frame.

3. Shoot in RAW

If your camera supports RAW format, then I strongly recommend you capture your images in RAW format.

It will help you to capture maximum details in the scene. You can post-process the RAW images later to get the final image with decent details. Consider reading this article to know all the advantages of shooting in RAW format.

4. Shoot at Lower ISOs

In the case of birds eye view photography, you will be capturing images at a good distance. So, even the bigger things on land will appear small.

So, it is always good to capture the image in low ISO values of 200 to 400. It will ensure that the noise in the image is less and there is no loss of details.

5. Go for Small Aperture Openings

In this style of photography, you want everything in the scene to be in focus, so you need to use small aperture openings that correspond to large f numbers.

You can use Aperture values of f8.0 and above. It will ensure that there is more depth of field in your image.

6. Retouch your images

Don’t share the images directly from your camera to your social media sites or on your personal websites.

Do basic retouching using any good photo editing tools like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or any others.

Make sure that you resize and optimize your image for the web. It will ensure that the viewer gets the best viewing experience.

7. Use Pathways/Roads to Compose Pictures

When you view from the top, then you can see pathways and roads in the scene. They will appear in the form of lines and curves.

You can use the pathways/roads to compose and capture images. Leading lines photography composition technique can be used in this situation.

8. Try to Capture Shadows along with Subjects

You can make the frame more interesting by capturing the shadows of the subjects along with the subjects.

It will be like capturing the top view and side view of the subject at the same time in a frame.

Photographing silhouette shadows may not be possible all the time. It will mainly depend on the sun’s position with respect to the subjects.

9. Try Different Angles

You don’t have to stick to 90 degrees to capture pictures in this photography style.

Try composing your frames with other angles less than 90 degrees. You will see a great change in perspective with the change in the angle of photography.

So, give it a try to ensure that you capture the best frame from the top.

10. Try Composing with Human Elements

Sometimes, you can bring more life to the picture by including humans in the frame.

It will also give a sense of the size of the whole scene when compared with the size of the person.

11. Good Research Will Help For a Successful Shoot

If you are planning for this kind of photoshoot in a new place, I strongly recommend researching the place on the internet.

It will give you a better idea of what to expect in that place.

You must also check for the weather and climate in that area. If you are visiting that place during the rainy season then carry good rain protection gear for the camera and yourself.

12. Create Depth Using Foreground

When you shoot images from birds eye viewpoint at angles less than 90 degrees, you can create more depth in the frame with the help of the foreground, background, and middleground elements.

13. Capture Frames with Perfect Horizon Levels

It also gives you an opportunity to click images with perfect horizon levels.

In most cases, the sky will occupy the top section of the horizon and the bottom section will be forests or cityscape.

Why Do Birds Eye View Photography?

I will give you 5 good reasons to capture images from a bird’s eye viewpoint.

1. For a Completely New Perspective

The bird eye view photography unlocks a completely new perspective.

So, it is a good opportunity for you to capture some unique images with your own style.

2. To Capture Beautiful Forest Patterns

The frame of a forest is completely different when you view it from the top when compared with normal forest photography.

From the top, you will be able to see the beautiful foliage on the treetops, and the path in between acts as a line of separation.

Different treetops set a different kind of color and tone to the image, which will definitely draw the viewer’s attention if captured in the right way.

3. To Capture Impressive Cityscapes

This point of view in photography will not only make the forest scapes beautiful but also the cityscapes.

You can apply this technique to photograph cities with large skyscrapers and buildings.

Try to capture the same scene during different hours of the day as well as at night.

At night, you can try long exposure photography, which will help you to capture beautiful light trails of the vehicles moving on the road.

4. To Photograph Beautiful Shapes from the Top

When you view from the top, then you can see the buildings/trees/subjects in the form of shapes like squares, rectangles, circles, etc.

You can make use of these shapes to compose and capture beautiful images.

5. For Powerful Story Telling Images

More than 90 percent of the birds-eye view frames are wide-angle frames.

So, it will be easy for you to capture storytelling scenes with multiple subjects in the frame.

Great Examples of Birds Eye View Photos

Let us have a look at some of the beautiful images captured from a bird’s eye perspective. These images will be a great source of inspiration for you.

 

Conclusion

So, what are you waiting for, take your camera gear and start clicking beautiful pictures using this birds eye view photography style.

Believe me, you will be able to capture some unique beautiful images 😊 .