100 Essential Camera Angles, Shots, and Movements

There is an almost infinite variety of camera angles, shots, and movements at your disposal to realize your creative visions, and the more you know, the better your work can be. This fantastic video will show you examples of 100 essential angles, shots, and movements. 

Coming to you from Sareesh Sudhakaran of wolfcrow, this awesome video details 100 different camera angles, shots, and movements. And though these are meant to be used in filmmaking, the visual effects they create are often equally applicable in stills work. Although there are a ton of stunning examples shown above, my favorite is the runway show from "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." In this shot, director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema used an insanely long 2,000mm lens to leverage extreme amounts of telephoto compression, making the plane look as if it is bearing down on the actors and underscoring the tension. It is such a unique shot, and the decision to hold it for almost a minute while the plane inches ever closer makes for a fantastic experience. You can see the full scene below:

Check out the video above to see all the possibilities, and if you have a favorite technique, please share an example in the comments; I would love to see it! 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

Log in or register to post comments