To learn more about what it's like to create captivating photos that provide a unique perspective, we reached out to Butterfly and Nature Photographer Silvia Reiche, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. When asked why we're so drawn to unique angles and rarely seen photos, Silvia says, "I asked myself this question, and I need a kind of ‘emotional’ relationship (memory/impressive happening/visit) to find photographs of well-known places/items interesting."

We were also curious if the expert believes anything can be interesting if photographed well. "For me, definitely yes as long it’s a subject of my interest/passion (nature)," Silvia shared. "For me, it’s not about well enough but if the photo has a certain kind of attraction/mood/special light."

But Silvia says taking great photos doesn't always require coming up with a new perspective. "Sometimes a story needs to be told by details and no unique perspective is needed," she explained.

As far as where her ideas come from, Silvia shared, "Photographing butterflies has been my passion for 40 years and I’m photographing them for myself; it’s about the joy I feel when I’m finding a rare roosting butterfly which I can photograph. I’m never thinking about whether I have photographed this species or this pose before. I’m just happy that they are still there in a time where some species are extinct."

We also asked the photographer if there's anything she'd like to see a photo of that she hasn't been able to capture yet. "No, when I’m out I’m happy with the encounters at that moment, and sometimes I succeed in photographing them. And if not, I’m happy with the memories," she shared.

And if any of you pandas are interested in photography, Silvia says to "give yourself time!"

If you'd like to check out Silvia's beautiful butterfly and nature photos, feel free to visit her website.

Although we can all appreciate a beautiful photo that features a unique perspective, most of us don’t actually know very much about photography and how to take those captivating photos. Every professional will have their own way of getting “the shot,” but we thought it would be fun to discuss some of the methods artists have for capturing unique and timeless images. 

According to Shelly Perry at Great Escape Publishing, we have to consider the fact that we all start with the perspective that “nature gave us.” She mentions that because she’s short, she’s used to having to look up to things that are taller than her. So it’s usually best if she elevates herself when taking photos, or gets her subjects to come down lower, especially for portraits. But Perry notes that perspective is something important to consider for every kind of photography.  

When it comes to shooting famous landmarks and iconic travel spots, Perry recommends finding spots to take your photos from that are out of the ordinary. Perhaps there’s a rooftop bar nearby you can pop into, or maybe you’ll find an interesting angle by walking the streets surrounding the monument. Getting up close can provide a unique perspective as well.

Perry provides the example of some apples she shot that she decided to shoot from far away, under the branches, and high enough to be in the branches, all the while playing with her focus. Experimentation is important in photography, so you might take 15 photos and only like one. But it’s worth it to find a unique perspective that you can call your own and will make your photos stand out from the crowd.  

If you want to start taking more creative photos, Backlight recommends a few more ways to play with perspective when shooting. If you’re not familiar with the various types of perspective typically used by photographers, perhaps you’ll want to play around with linear perspective. This is when you “capture one or more vanishing points to create more depth within your image,” Backlight explains. The example they provide is a photo taken in the middle of a road leading off into the middle of the photo, creating the illusion of depth.    

Forced perspective can also be a fun one for photographers to use, especially if they’re interested in creating optical illusions. This is used to make an object appear much larger or smaller than it actually is by positioning it closer or farther away from the camera. For example, placing a shoe close to the camera, with humans in the background, makes the shoe look gigantic or the humans look tiny. It can create some hilarious photos, but it’s always important to line up the subjects in the perfect spot to create the illusion.

Backlight also provides some tips for the average person who wants to experiment with perspective from the comfort of their phone screen. Playing with elevation can be an easy way to gain some new perspective. For example, crouching down on the ground, or standing on top of a bench can have a huge impact on how your photos turn out. On the same note, you can change the angle of your camera too. Shooting from directly above something, or even underneath, can create much more interesting images than those shot straight on.   

Another great way to spice up your photos is to shoot your subject through a “frame.” This does not have to be a literal picture frame, although that can work too, but perhaps through an opening in a window, fence, plant, alleyway and more. This can be a great way to show off the subject of your picture, while providing a unique perspective that might have never been seen before.  

Professional photographer Cole at Cole’s Classroom also has some recommendations for how amateur photogs can up their game. He shares that experimenting with shooting from a hidden perspective can give the illusion that the subject is unaware of the photo being taken. Or an overlap perspective, photographing multiple objects overlapping one another, can create unique photos as well. You might even try taking pictures from the subject’s point of view, making viewers feel as though they’re seeing what the subject could see.   

When it comes to deciding what perspective will be best for any photo, Cole recommends that photographers consider what they want audiences to take away from the pictures, what the best way to convey their message will be, whether or not they want the viewer to have a new perspective, and which angle will give them the results they’re aiming for. And while shooting, Cole says it’s important to look at the pictures from an unbiased viewpoint. The first thought that you, or your friends, have when seeing the picture is likely the first thought other audiences will have has well.