(upbeat music)
-: Peace.
I'm Adam Jabari, and this lesson is called We Can Get Down.
We're going to explore different photographic perspectives.
Perspective is another way to say point of view.
It's the way we perceive the world around us.
Understanding and seeing multiple perspectives
may give us a broader and deeper understanding.
Today we're going to do that with cameras.
As with all photography, we need a source of light.
Where does your light come from?
You'll need your camera, a smartphone
or a tablet with a camera app is perfect for this practice.
Also have pen and paper available
to write down your ideas.
And finally, choose an object as the subject
of your photography today.
It can be a piece of fruit, or a flower.
It's important that it has depth.
A flat object is not recommended for this practice.
Let's begin with three deep breaths.
Sit up nice and tall, heart forward, crown high.
Take a deep inhale, in through your nose.
(inhales)
Into your belly.
And exhale slowly from your nose.
Take a hand and place it over your belly
and another one over your heart.
Take another deep inhale through your nose.
(inhales)
And slow exhale from your nose.
(exhales)
Let's do that once more together.
Deep inhale and exhale through your nose.
(inhales)
(exhales)
Thank you.
Think about a time where you thought about something one way
and then later on gained a greater perspective,
or a different point of view on the same thing.
You might think about what you thought about
five years ago versus where you are today.
Who helped you gain and broaden your perspective?
How did you see that subject or idea differently,
or through another person's eyes?
When we're able to see something
from another's point of view, that's called empathy.
And empathy helps all of us connect.
So have you chosen your object
to be the subject of your photographic exploration today?
I chose a spray can.
This is a piece of art by B-mike,
an artist and activist based in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Place your object on any flat surface.
When we think about perspective in photography,
generally in photography, we align our camera
at eye level with our subject.
That might mean putting it right down at the eye line
and taking the picture there.
(camera clicks)
We can also explore a lot of different other perspectives.
For example, you can look at your subject from above.
(camera clicks)
This is called a bird's-eye view.
You can also look at your subject from below.
(camera clicks)
This is called a worm's eye view.
And it's always great to move around
and about your subject to see how it looks
from different angles.
(camera clicks)
You can change the orientation of your camera,
going from portrait, (camera clicks)
to landscape, (camera clicks)
maybe even at an angle.
(camera clicks)
Play around looking and exploring your subject,
your object from many different perspectives.
Give it a try.
American filmmaker Hiro Murai said,
"I think empathy is kind of key
"to all storytelling."
As you go throughout your day,
try to practice empathy and seeing things
from someone else's point of view.
Thank you for sharing this time with me.
Let's close with one deep breath together.
(inhales)
(exhales)
I'm Adam Jabari.
Peace.
(upbeat music)